The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-12-09
TALK OF LACK OF TORPEDOES EK-
PLODED BY REPORT
Ships FULLY EQUIPPED
Rear Admiral Straus, Chief Of Bu.
reau of Ordnance, Proves State
ments Of Representative Gar6ner to
be "A1isleading''-Battleships Are
Well Armed Will, Torpedoes.

What officials regard as popular eX-
aggecation of admitted defects in the
American navy's torpedo equipment
was the subject OF a statement issued
| Thursday. night by Secretary Daniels.
embodying a special report from Rear
Admiral Straus, chief OF the bureau
Of ordnance.
Specifically, the statement was pre-
pared to prove misleading declsra-
tion that "of long range torpedees
there are only ifty-eight in the
navy" quoted from speech by, Rep
resentative Gardner, Of Massachu-
setts, who is urging the administra-
rion to support his resolution for an
investigation of the nayy's military
preparedness.
While the recent discussion OF the
subject has dealt only with the equip
ment of battleships and cruisers. Ad-2
miral Straus took occasion to point
out that long range torpedoes are
neither required nor desired for SUBJ
marines. He recalled that the British
armored cruisers Aboukir, Cressy and
Hogue were torpedoed and destroyed
by a German submarine at a range OF
500 yards.
"Tf1is statement standing by itself
is calculated to leave a false impTes-
sion, said Mr.. Daniels. ..In view OF
repeated statements that the navy has
only ffty-eight long range torpedoes,
the chief of theb ureau of ordnan~~
has been asked to furnish e statemo.
concerning the torpedo situation and Z
has complied as follows:
Tire ffty-eight long range torpe-
does So often referred to as the only
ones the navy possess are of the 21-s
inch, 21-foot type, and there is no
ship in the United States navy yet in
commission that is prepared to take
them. They were manufactured for
new construction, beginning with the
Nevada and the Oklahoma, and these
two ships will not go into commission
until about the end Of next year.
Their long range is obtained by an
increase in length over existing types,
and no ship prior to the Nevada and
Oklahoma is constructed for torpe-
does of this length. So far as the
bureau of ordnance can ascertain
these rorpedoes have as high a range,
or higher, than any torpedoes manu-
,factured abroad. zs
Beginning with the Virginia
class, which went into commission
principally in 1906, and up to and i1-
cluding the Texas, which went into
commission this year, al the battle
ships are provided with 21-inch, IT,
foot tubes. Within the last two years
it was found possible to so improve
the 21-inch, 17-foot torpedo as to
practically double its range, and steps
were taken at once to construct new
torpedoes having the increased range
We already have sufficient number
of these longer range torpedoes to
outfit the eight most recent dread-
noughts in commission, and that is
the equipment that they win have on
board. -&
In addition to the above, there
are being manufactured at the gov
ernment works at newport and the
Bliss works at Brooklyn a sufficient
number to provide all of the battle
ships of the United States navy, be-
ginning with the Virginia class, with
the long range torpedoes. The Ohio.
class, first commissioned about 1904,
are fitted with 1S-inch tubes and tor
pedoes of the highest range can not
be submitted for the equipment now
furnished them without serious alter
atoms.
"'All of the armored cruisers, ex-
cept four, and all of the older de-
stroyers are provided with 19-incl
tubes. All of the cruisers and sill Of
the destroyerS subsequent to destroy
er No. % are provided with torpe-
does that were up-to-date in range
and speed one year ago. Since then
scheme has been developed for in-
creasing the range of the 18-inch tor
pedo, and there now are in process OF
construction 1S-inch torpedoes OF the
newer type. which will ouft all de-
stroyers from No. % with long range
weapons.
"'Long range torpedoes neither
are required, or desired for subma-,
rines. Submarine warfare is Of such
character as to make it advisable to-
use short range high speed torpedoes..
and that is the class that submarines
are being furnished with. The Abeu-s
kir, Cressy and Hogue were torpedoed
recently, it will be recalled, at range
of 500 yards. =
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