Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-10-18
INSTALLING BIGGER GUNS.
Problems to Be Met in Changing
Batteries of Warships.
rom the Springfield Republican.

From the Springfield Republican.
The report which comes by way of
Copenhagen that the Germans have been
busy installing new and more powerful
guns on their armored cruisers and dread
noughts, and that they will soon be
ready to fight. is likely to be seized upon,
by those who have much Imagination
but little knowledge of the modern war
ship. as a basis for predicting sensa-
tional developments. 1t was recently
pointed out, in answer to query whether
Great Britain or Germany possessed the
most powerful individual warships,
that the most powerful units, accord
ing to expert naval opinion, were to be
found in the British navy because the
British had stolen a march on the Ger
mans in the manufacture of heavier
guns. But the report referred to may
not unnaturally bring before some
minds, filled with awe at the traditional
systematic perfection of German prep
aration, a picture of the German fleet
suddenly emerging after having been
re-equipped with cannon even bigger
than those yet mounted in the British
fleet, and giving the latter it's death
blow. Such picture would explain
the inactivity of the main German fleet
up to the present time, not on the
ground of it's being admittedly the in
ferior of the British fleet, but of it's be-
ing prepared in secret suddenly to
sweep the British fleet from the seas.
1t is quite possible that ordnance
somewhat improved though not
greatly increased in size has been
placed upon some of the German YES
practical limitations which, unfortu-
nately for the Germans, make the pic
ture suggested above impossible of
realization. For example, it would not
be feasible to take the older German
dreadnoughts which have carried IL
inch guns, much criticised for their
lightness, and substitute for them the
great 15-inch guns which Germany as
well as England is known to have had
in preparation for some time. If Ger
many could in the twinkling of an eye
arm all her dreadnoughts and battle
cruisers, with these 15-inch guns, it
would greatly increase the power of
her feet, although it would not be
sufficient to counterbalance the Eng
lish numerical superiority.
The reason why such transforma-
ton cannot be effected, without re-
building the vessels involved. is that
the larger guns, each of them repre-
senting an additional weight of many
tons and requiring changes in bal
anced turrets, gun carriages. ammuni-
lions hoists, etc, would necessitate
actual changes in design. Thus the
German 11-inch gun of the latest type
four tons and throwing projectile
weighing 100 pounds, while the 12-inch
naval Krupp gun of the heaviest type
is credited with weighing fifty-two
tons and throwing a projectile weigh
ing 981 pounds. Figures for the Ger
man 15-inch gun are not available.
But if it is as powerful as the British
15-inch gun it can hardly weigh far
short of 100 tons or it's projectile weigh
any less than 1000 pounds. These fig
ures, to which might be added those
of the greatly increased weight of
each charge of explosive needed to
fire the larger gun. are sufficient in
themselves to indicate that to change
the battery of a dreadnought from II
or IL to Is inch guns, to provide
larger turrets, to build heavier sup
porting structures, and finally to load
the ship with the necessary ammunition
for battle, would mean an additional
weight of several thousand tons. And
that in turn would mean that the yes
sells entire lines would be altered. her
speed reduced and. finally. that If she
could float at all, her heaviest armor
would be submerged, so as to be of no
value against gun fire.
On land it is comparatively easy
matter to bring up larger guns. pro-
vided you have the guns and the means
of transporting them. On the seas 1t
is different story.