Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-06
USE Of THE TORPEDO
Limitations and Difficulties
in Warfare.
VIEWS OF AN EXPERT
PERIL THAT MUST BE FACED BY
FRAGILE VESSELS.
Short Range of the Observation-Disclosures
less Against Attack-Success
of the Japanese.
VIEWS OF AN EXPERT
BY VIM. E. CURTIS.

ferring to the interview of Lieut. Com
mander Chambers and other articles pub
Hshed recently concerning the inefficiency
of the torpedo practice of both the Jap
anese and Russian fleets during the present
war, asks the very interesting question why
torpedo craft In general are so ineffective.
He also asks an explanation of the various
devices used by men-of-war to repel tor
pedo attacks. One of the torpedo experts
OF the Navy Department who, under the
regulations, is not permitted to discuss
such matters in the newspapers, says:
THE answer to this question lies in an
understanding of the limitations of the
weapon in question. The automobile tor
pedo, that is today most highly developed
and now used in nearly all modern nayies
is the Whitehead There are several diff
ferent sizes of this weapon, but the type in
common use is about 10 feet long by IS
Inches greatest diameter. 1t is cigar-shaped
and has tail very like that of a fish. The
she'll is OF steel. The head or front end
contains the explosive charge-gun cotton
with It's gun cotton primer and illuminate
of mercury exploder which is made to act
Dy means OF a pistol or hammer driven
back upon the eXploder through impact
upon the target; that is, when the torpedo
strikes against ships side under the wa
yer. Next IN rear of the head is compart-
ment, or flask containing the compressed
air used by the engine as a motive force
The section in rear of the air flask en-
braces the regulating and steering mech
anlsm, the engine and the tail with it's
horizontal and vertical steering rudders.
The Run of Torpedo.
Upon the condition and adjustment of
the engine and the controlling mechanism
of the torpedo depends Its successful run
when properly launched in the water Once
adjusted and launched, it passes beyond
ntrol nd oil
engines and regulating mechanism are
purely automatic. Naturally, from all the
functions 1t has to perform this mechan-
ism must be delicately adjusted and Is,
comparatively speaking, complicated.
The torpedo is launched; that is, fired.
from torpedo tube. This tube is made
OF plate steel of sufficient thickness to with
stand destruction or injury in service, and
is usually mounted to run on deck track,
or circle, so as to point the torpedo in an
approximately correct or convenient dfrec-
tlon for launching. The torpedo is loaded
INTO the tube through the rear-breech-
end of the latter. 1t is launched by reans
OF compressed air charge admitted to the
tube In rear of the central part of the tor
pedo or by the explosion of a small charge
of smokeleSs powder in a cartridge cham
Der attached to the torpedo tube the pres
sure in either case being sufficient to eject
the torpedo from the tube at low velocity
into the water. AS it passes out of the
tube latch in the latter opens the con-
nection between the air flask and engine
and the propeilers are revolving with great
velocity by the time the torpedo reaches
the water Once there the torpedo takes
certain initial dive and passes under
control of its automatic depth-regulating
and steering mechanism as adjusted previ-
Gus to the launching
1T must be clearly understood that a
properly adjusted automobile torpedo takes
up its course under water and runs in
straight line. AS a matter of record the
depth regulating device is wonderfully eff
frnr
set depth is to be noted. The gyroscope has
been applied in recent years with great sue
cess to bring the torpedo to and maintain
II In It's course In the horizontal plane.
Therefore 1t will be seen that though the
automobile torpedo is a very wonderful
piece of automatic machinery, 1t is not
human in that 1t has not the will to change
its direction and pursue or meet it's enemy
If II is an excellent torpedo ii goes exactly
where II is sent and nowhere else. Through
design, automobile torpedoeS are so con-
structed that the same torpedo can be used
often 1t is wished for practice but
once launched in battle its career for good
or bad is over.
The Torpedo's Range.
The next thing is the range of the tor
pedo. The best of those in use at the pres
ent day have a theoretical range of about
500 yards, which distance is covered at a
speed of twenty to thirty-two knots an
hour; that is they would make the dis
lance of LOO yards in one and three
quarters TO one and a half minutes approxi-
mately. The average range for the large
torpedoeS In service at the present time
does not come far from 200 yards, how
ever. with speed of about thirty knots
while IL is highly probable that very much
of the japanese torpedo boats had torpedoes
of considerably less effective range-SOO to
1000 yards. Their destroyerS probably car
ried torpedoes of the average range and
speed given above. Such a torpedo should
cover the range of 1000 yards in one min
ute.
From this it will be seen that a torpedo
must be launched within 500 to 800 Yards
depending upon the type of torpedo used
of the enemy to hit his ship. Ii will also
be seen that for reasons OF surprise to re-
duce the chances of damage from pun-
fire In case of discovery and for escape the
boat carrying the torpedo should be fast
capable of high speed. To attain such speed
the construction OF torpedo vessels must
necessarily be very light. They are not
capable of even slight resistance to gun
fire, and i one-pounder automatic gun is
powerful enough to put the best of the tor
pedO boats or deStroyers out of action In a
few seconds. When it is understood further
that rapid-fre guns of four 20 siX-inch cali
. Der are fired today with ,ue greatest eff
fectiveness as regards hitting, at the rate of
eight to ten rounds per minute. and semi
automatic and automatic guns, six to one
FOUNDERS, fire from twenty to fifty rounds
per minute In the same way, and at ranges
very much greater than the greatest ranges
possible for preSent-day torpedoes and that
this means battle ship hurl some hun
dreds of projectiles in one minute al tor
pedo boat a fiotilla of them long before
the latter get within torpedo range, If seen,
II is evident enough that day attack by tor
pedo vessels Is simply out of the question
and is so conceded by even the most fool
hardy.
Attacks on clear nights should be equal
ly futile. This restricts the use of the tor
pedo To those conditions of weather as a
rule which admit OF some chance of sur
prise-fallng snow. RAIN mist fog, cover OF
the land, etc These conditions, while es-
sential to approach, are frequently accom-
panied by wind and rough or heavy seas
unfavorable to the successful discharge and
run of the torpedo
Changes Against Torpedo Boat.
1.-The crews of torpedo vessels may have