The Washington herald., 1914-11-22
New Warships Planned.

Out OF the old days of wooden memo
war there came the torpedo boat. The
torpedo boat destroyer followed. Then
the submarine was born as something
entirely new in naval warfare. and now
II seems the world is to see the sub
marine destroyer.
This new type of sea fighter comes out
OF the dearly bought experience gained
In the present European war. A large
part of the damage done on the seas has
been accomplished by the little cigar
shaped craft that is built to advance
against its enemy under the surface of
the waves. and the submarine destroyer
will be larger and more powerful in ev-
cry way than the ordinary submarine,
although the theory OF its construction
will be practically the same as that OF
the submarine.
1t will be larger have a greater radius
of operation and be designed not only to
make war on the submarine but on ships
OF its own class
It Is expected that several of the new
warships will be on the seas within a
FEW months. British. French and private
shipyards are working night and day to
turn out the boats ordered, and even
Uncle Sam. while there is apparently not
war cloud in his sky. is drawing up
plans for the construction of some ships
OF this type. Experts have been en-
gagged with these plans for some months.
The theory on which the submarine de-
stroyer is designed is that it shall be
capable of giving battle either above or
below the surface 1t will be of much
greater tonnage than its predecessor. the
submarine. Tentative plans have been
drawn up for boats OF as great as loo
tons submerged. This tonnage would
permit of sufficient fuel capacity for the
boats to make a transoceanic voyage
and allow of the large crew quarters
that would be necessary.
Thus the necessity for conveying sub
marine fleets would be obviated.
The torpedo tubes found on the ordi-
nary submarine will constitute the under
they will be Of greater power and there
will be more projectiles carried than
heretofore.
Then there is to be the armament for
use when the ship rises TO the surface to
fight. This armament will consist OF
small guns mounted in water-tight COM
partments capable of being raised from
the bowels OF the ship to a level a few
feet above the vessels deck. 1t is ex-
pected that about the largest weapon
these ships will be able to carry will be
rapid-fre six-pounders. as any heavier
gun raised above the deck and therefore
above the center of gravity of the craft
would tend toward topheaviness
On sighting the periscope Of a hostile
submarine the submarine destroyer
would elevate her fighting towers and
train her rapid-fre guns on the other
craft, relying on speed to keep within
range and on the rapid-fire guns being
Of sufficient shooting power to pierce
the thin steel shell of her adversary.
Even II not in a vital part one such
wound would cripple the boat struck.
The hole in the hull would make sub
mersion to avoid further fire impossible,
and the submarine would have to drift
helpless on the surface and open to the
guns of the destroyer.
Experts in the employ of this govern
ment favor the installation of Diesel
crude oil engines driving the propellers
for surface cruising and running the
dynamos which keep storage batteries
at standard strength for work under the
water, when the ship will be driven by
electricity.
The experiments conducted in the
United States along these lines are ex-
pected to work a revolution in the prob
lem of propelling war craft of all types,
even up to the super-Dreadnought Amer
lean naval engineers are contemplating
the application of the Diesel engine to all
warships.
The theory Of using steam turbines to
drive dynamos to furnish electricity for
the propelling of the ship is being
worked out This method has been ap-
piled to the new collier Jupiter and has
been found successful. The idea is that
by operating the turbines at higher
speed than is possible in applying their
power directly to the propellers, added
power is generated per unit Of weight,
which more than offsets losses through
changing steam power into electrical en-
ergy.
The navy general board now has under
con sideration the plans Of the New York
Navy Yard for a battleship to be pro-
PEELED by electricity. These plans were
submitted at the time the plans for the
great battleships provided in this years 5
estimates were sent out for bids
A decision as to the practicability Of
the scheme for substituting electricity for
steam power is not necessary for year,
as that time will elapse before the hulls
Of the ships will be ready for the in
stallation of the engines.
The board also has before 1t a new
proposal. That is for the substitution Of
Diesel engines for steam turbines to
drive the electric generators 1t Is ar
gued that this plan would about double
the cruising radius. Of the ship per gal
lon Of fuel carried.