New-York tribune., 1905-01-04
BATTLESHIPS SUPREME.
NAVAL LESSON OF VAR.
General Board of Nary Declares for
The Big Floating Forts.

: --rT -V
completely its superiority over all other types Of
.-sr vessels has been demonstrated in the war in
.he Far East told sn official statement issued
:. she Navy Department to-day, which is likely To
-ouse international interest because OF its frank
r.~s and because IL was prepared by a member Of
-, General Board of the navy, OF which Admiral
nswey Is president, and represents the views OF
,hst board as wei as Of the Secretary Of the Navy
1lthough the Russian oestroyers IN Port Arthur
numbered rvveutyfour. the statement says not one
-. scored & ri. thus far In the war. OF the many
.o-nedo boat attacks delivered by the japanese
.ase-9v al met with complete lack OF SUCCESS al
.nosgh made as usual under the cover Of darkness
s,s srainst an enemy at anchor, and whose posi-
tion known
= the opinion Of high officials OF the govern
merit the sentiment which has gained come sup
mr. IN this country. % the effect that the value OF
s.,.leshins has been oiscredited by the results in
,be Far East is which will prove menace
vrless Il is corrected. and the department has
- .5,rtse the somewhat unusual method OF COM
o.1ting o1hciaily on the achievements of the Rus
s,sn and Japanese nsvies in the effort 70 correct
this impression
The development of the torpedo boat is dis
,,,ssed and the fact commented on that hun
s-.d years have passed since that craft was first
designed, and the battlsship SIN stands sup
pre1ne."
IN the brisk Inauguration OF hostilities by the
1soapese torpedo boat hotilia-" the statement
-trues during the night OF February g. they did
,ndoubtedly deliver telling blow BY disabling
three Russian battIeships. The temporary gripping
AZ that force affected the conduct cf operations
,-Iv during ths beginning. but throughout the
,,-s srsf phase OF the war the japanese having by
that stroke v7on the mastery Of The able
10 land troops AT the Yalu and later at New
C-bwsng instead or st the far south end OF the
co-ssu peninsula. This mastery was due 10 their
bsy5nr the preponderating force Of battleships,
vrt-h alone enabled them TO blockade the Russioa
feet No more eloquent tribute TO the pre-eminent
value q battleships is 10 be found than this one
rirrrrnstanoe-that the small margin Of superiority
rhrs obtained saved the army hundreds OF miles OF
-~.,erjo,,s and weary land transport OF men and
supplies, enabling them 10 strike swiftly. hard and
CONTINUOUSLY upon = weaker enemy before he could
he reinforced"
on he other hand. If. vnder normal conditions.
bstteships can be destroyed or seriously damaged
~ unsupported torpedo boats. their value is seri-
o1slv compromised. This. however. does not ap-
pear 70 be the case. The action OF February was
& surprise far exceIling the usual clements Of q
surprss attack: The Russian feet, fourteen vessels
n ell we're anchored close together in the outer
4uunel-shaped roadstead without suspicion Of i'm
rendng hostiiries. not patrol boat being out, and
the crews peacefully see2ng in their usual berths
thrse japanese destroyer fotiIias approached
with lights burning and, being mistaken tas
intended Tor Russian boats returning, were allowed
70 APPROACH close TO the huddled fleet: then with
smooth sss. Et close range. hardly disturbed by
single shot N Teturn or fash OF searchught, with
al the conditions CT easy target pracIce not less
than twenty-four toTpedoes land probably more
were discharged, OF which three took effect. The
results we're undoubtedly ToInentousi buI u would
BE hardy ioglclan who Sould oea1ce from a tnat
incident The comforting thought that the little
lntp psoo cISIt nas GlsPeceo the oatllesp OF eteL.
Russian eest-oyers in Port Arthur numbered TWEEN
var '''' 0'-s N~S se''s0 --' =
LACK OF SUCCESS OF TORPEDO BOATS
Scores Of other torpedo attacks have been de-
co-apisse lack of success, although made. usual
al anchor. and whose position was known. On
eae occasion: after soul Stirring night. Jnat OF
5uns q The Russian ships being IN the outer road
sisa6 twelve torpedoes we're picked Up N The
Inofnne asVlg Il.so t9e.I E.sE "a =. sLle lawns
q the ran Gnstead or 70 sink is customary, in
drifting about How many others were sped during
1hat strenuous night, and sank or drIIted away
In few other cases hits We're scored which laid
returned 70 serrioe But the fact remains that Iot
9 Russian has been sunk BY a torpedo until just
recently. when the seyastopol succunbed 10 the
inoessaut attacks, she being compelled 70 lie help
lessly anchored outside Of the harbor entirely e-
tbs shore dsleloes. She was a stationary target
eSe as u es iGt nube Ws 6f torbe6oes @ fred sans 9T
her would Be 80. The japanese suffered severely
severe ISs tse boats. crews vas evidently favor
tneW rain. sleet and the elements generally being
Day attacks ny torpedo boats have never been
regarded worth attempting. Several incidents
poteaoe in daylight The frsi was when the Variag
came out OF Chsulupo 70 face the japanese squad
ron n9t single torpedo boat was permitted TO
enter TIE field of action again during and follow
lng the feet action Of August 10. although there
were present eight Russian destrcyeTs and least
fifteen japanese destroyers and many torpedo boats
roi torpedo reached its Inark--if, indeed. any
were oischsf ged none dared 70 approach within
of ne scuon Of August u between the ElsoiVostok
srrnoreo cruisers ano Admiral kaInimuras fleet;
sno tEe torpedo boats Effected nothing against the
hos.ia ana ths GroTnooo, which escaped 10 Eladi-
lpstok although ha1ly damaged by gUnire. So,
20 as act ons on tht open sea concerned, x may
fueno@d n any way by The presence ~ the tor
heeg BOAT u the boat destroyer-
SolsV asr - the ehagrin q students of the game
- nalEl warfare, Lhis has a-1U-ded field for
ne discussion = cruisers Vessels Of all types
-e present r. both feet actions but the attention
e both SIDES SDuears 10 have been devoted ex-
ciasfvey 70 Gripping each others battleships.
TovERsHADowING IMPORTANCE OF BAT
TLEsHIPs"
The evsrrhsdowing importance Of the battleship
h nowhere more appreciated than in Japan. Had
tbsy had AT the outset twelve. ten battle
Fhps instead of six the Russian feet would have
been destroyed August 10 The supreme in
fsntiTe 70 holding out al Port Arthur being thus
resolved, that fortress would probably have fallen
fhe var eorrespondingly advanced and thousands
nog by the Russian second Pacific feet. IL Is safe
e say that they would gladly recover, al several
nnles thelr cost the Hatsuse and the Aashlina for
vel DO they knew that the loss of the command or
Ss-Ss,s soaq L.ssn 'he i en1 o. 5 I ~ 3Issians -
buy back The Pefropsvlosk sunk in the same man
.-r as the tVo Japsnese-oy mines skifuily planted
by ths enemy
''Ir summing up the lessons Of this war, one
shot 90 50 more accurately or feiicltonsy ytt I4a5l
ADMIRALTY IN the following words:
are the Importance Of the personnel the neees-
si,E for having margin OF strength, and the fact