Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1908-04-01
vs. n4h4ElLL ADt49'
=

n few big guns were fired the effects
were not felt. But the first attempt
to keep up rapid fuslllade from all
twelve guns produced what was dos.
Cribed to me as storm" which
played worse havoc among the crew
than possible enemys shells.
Firing Wrecks Nerves.
Even men who were not incapacitat.
ed complained that their nerves and
vision were so badly affected that 1t
was useless to continue firing.
II this experience is repeated with
other ships of the DreadnOught type
they will be able to use only part of
their primary batteries. ana as they
have no secondary batteries they will
be In the same position az the battle.
ships of the old type, which were arm.
led with only four twelve-inch guns.
The RussO-Japanesc war showed
that secondary batteries play tre-
mendous role. The only damage that
ROjestvensky inflicted ON Togo at the
battle of Tsushima came from the
Russian S.inCh and 6.inch guns. The
Japanese did havoc with their second.
AIRY batteries. II was shells from
their smaller guns which set the Rus.
sian ships on fire. The Russian Cap.
tain SemenOn. who was on the flag.
ship, declared that It was the unin.
,terrupted thick rain of six and eight
inch shells which effected our ruin"
and he adds that the occasional shots
from the big Japanese guns were com.
paratively harmless.
AS no Drcadnuught Is armed with a
secondary battery, II Is plain that II
she Is compelled TO use only u few of
her big guns she will be unable to
stand up against ship of the older
type.
Japan Takes Advantage.
This reasoning has evidently been
adopted by Japan. Her two new sup.
posed Dreadnoughts, the Aki and Sat
suma, are in reality the antithesis OF
the English DreGdnought type. They
carry -four Pinch guns mounted in
pairs in bow and stern barbettes, and
twelve 1Oinch guns mounted In pairs
in broadside barbettes.
The broadside barbettes constitute
the secondary battery. These guns
weigh 2S tons. as opposed to the so
tons OF the 12.inch guns, and their
shells weigh only 45O pounds, as OBJ
posed to $50. The weight of their
powder charge and their muzzle We.
locity are only half Of those of the
guns in the Pinch barbettes. The
real Dreadnoughts have big guns all
OF the same calibCr, which could be
brought into action mt the same mo-
,ment, whereas the japanese second.
/ NJ hat mi Ut q.
much closer range than the four big
guns.
} The two 90 0OO.ton battleships
which Japan Is building at home, and
the third, which H. under construction
on the Clyde, are also not Dread.
' thoughts. Each will have a secondary
battery of ten S-inch guns mounted in
pairs. II is declared, however, that
the main armament will consist of no
less than twelve l2inch guns. II that
Is so they would suffer from storms"
as badly as the British DreadnOughts,
but they would have a secondary bat.
terry to fall back upon.
Other Guns Shock Crews.
It Is a curious fact that the Dread.
nought's gunners never suffered from
the discharge of the guns in their own
barbettes. The shock from which
they suffered was caused by heavy 81
multaneous firing of guns in other
positions.
Apart from the shock problem, Jap,
ans insistence on secondary battery
Is causing much comment. But taken
together with the stories Of the effect
of firing on the Dreadnought's crew,
1t has the effect of raising the very
momentous question: Is the Dread
nought the irresistible monster she Is
boosted to be, or is she an oyer.arm-
ed, unavoidable type. which will be
rejected by the navies of the future?