Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-01-18
WANTS TWO DREADNOUGHTS.
The Smaller Vessels Require More
Officers and Men and Lack
a Great Many Advantages.

I board vessels having many large guns
os the same caliber than for smaller
vessels of freeboard, having fewer
large guns and numerous small guns.
"TEerefore, the effective offensive
power of a battleship may now be
measured by the number of heavy az
inch) guns she can fire on either broad
side. For the ordinary battleship this
| effective broadside fire consists Of four
12-inch guns. 1t follows as matter OF
course that n large ship having
broadside fire of ten Pinch guns could
promptly destroy a battleship Of the
usual type having four Pinch guns;
| and with the advantage OF the greater
| speed of the larger vessel which would
| enable her to choose her own distance,
she would be more than a match for
! two Of the smaller vessels.
i "But as battleships are not intended
to fight sngly, their efficiency must be
determined by a comparison of their
relative abilities when fighting in fleet
| formation In this respect q relatively
small squadron of large battleshipS
having the same number of heavy guns
as a much larger squadron Of small
battleships, has a still greater natural
advantage which is important in the
design of the large vessels. This adj
vantage consists in the ability Of the
| small squadron of large vessels to con-
| centrate upon a limited part of the en-
| emy's line the fire of many more heavy
guns than the ships of that part of the
| line are able to return, which OF course
would result in the successive destruc-
| ton of the entire feet of small vessels.
'rhat is to say. the larger vessel can
always attain the object sought in all
| battles namely, the concentrate ton of a
| superior force upon an inferior one
| upon 4 part of the enemy's line, while
| the remaining parts are outside OF ef-
| fective range; and no tactical skill on
the part Of the squadron Of small ves-
sells can counteract this advantage, be-
| cause the ability to concentrate is i'm
| portant in the design of the large ves-
| sels.
"The squadron of large vessels must,
of course. be able to choose it's own dis
| tance, which it can always do, be-
cause Of the much greater speed that
can be given to vessels of large dis
placement. The same is true though to
a less degree, when we compare YES
sells having a broadside Of four Pinch
guns tine ordinary DdttlcSHlpI WIN
those having a broadside of ten 12-inch
guns Uhe battleships proposed). From
the above it seems evident that from
the point of view of naval efficiency
alone we should build vessels each
mounting as heavy guns as practicable.
That is to say II it be decided that our
naval force be increased by broadside
fire of 40 heavy guns, then efficiency
demands that we build four high speed
ships. each having a broadside fire OF
ten Pinch guns rather than q greater
number of smaller ships having q
broadside fire Of four Pinch guns each.
"While the question of economy
should not be allowed to diminish the
naval force (the number of effective
guns) required for natural defence. 1t
may nevertheless be stated incidentally
that we can increase our naval force
by kroadside fire Of say. 40 12-inch
guns at considerably less by building
ships having broadside fire OF 10
Continued on Page Four.)