Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-11-15
new WASP. OF SEA
OUT OF THIS WAR
Powerful Engine of Destruction,
Submarine Destroyer, Is Latest
of Sea Fighters.
NAvY-YARDs RUSHING WORK
Theory Is That Craft Will Be
Armed for Battle Either on
Surface or Below.

Correspondence OF Associated Press.]
WASHINGTON. November 14.-Out
OF the dearly bought lessons of naval
warfare in tho North Sea. q new engine
marine destroyer. Larger, moro power
full, and with n greater radius of opera
lions than any of it's predecessors, this
new wasp of the sea will not only be
equipped to sting it's giant advcrsarics.
but to destroy it's own kind on the
surface or the sea.
British and French navy-yards and
private shipyards as we'll. are working
night and day to have tie now sub
next few months. This information.
coming to United States naval officers
commands greater interest, because the
United States Navy, too. is to have
some OF these newest shps. OF war.
Its experts have been at work upon
plans for them for months.
Tile theory in which the new sea
fighters are being built Is that they
surface or below. They will be Of
much greater tonnage than existing
submarines Tentative plans have
been made for boats OF 1000 tons. sub
merged, which would permit fuel ca
pacity to cross oceans with battle fleets
quarters. The close attendance OF n
parent ship upon submarine fleets
would then be unnecessary.
Tho underwater armament will con-
sist Of torpedo tubes. as In present
submarines. but more tubes and
Tar of =,
ploye,i with such terrible effect in the
European war. For surface fighting
against hostile subma rines they will
carry small guns. mounted in water
tight compartments, and placed on Gle
vators to lift them to the upper deck
OF the ship as she rides foot or two
out of the water. a quick fire six
FOUNDER probably will be the largest
weapon that can be employed for that
purpose. because greater weight, set
high above tho vessels centre Of
gravity. would tend to render her top
heavy.
GREATER CRUISING
Il %s RANGE IN NEW SHIPS
Beneath the surface, the new de-
stroyers would operate as ordinary
2o0-ton vessels of their type. except
that they would have greater cruising
range. On the surface they would
scout for hostile submarines, spotting
an cne1ny's periscope. then swinging
. UP the six FOUNDER to open fire. rely
and upon the fact that six-pounder
proicctiics would easily pierce the
thin skin OF the hostile craft. One
sucn wound would cripple an enemy
even If no vital part OF his mechanism
were struck. The puncture would
sink him II he attempted to submerEe.
and SO he would be compelled to lie
I mr. me- nf
destroyer's guns.
The equipment of the new British
. fighters is understood to be similar to
that for American craft, Diesel crude
oil engines driving the propellers for
. surface cruising, and operating dyna-
mos, which keep storage batteries
constantly at standard strength for
underwater work. when the ship is
driven by electricity. The German en-
gine. now TO be employed against its
inventors, offers the highest fuel econ
omy in power generation yet achieved
apG on it's small fuel consumption de-
ponds the greatly increased cruising
radius OF the new ships.
POSSIBLE RENOVATION
OF POWER EQUIPMENT
American naval engineers are con-
siderins the application OF Diesel en-
gincs to warships in another connec-
tion also. The result may be the COM
plcte revolution OF the power equip
ment of the coming super-Dread
| thoughts. Experiments have been made
successfully with the new collier
Jupiter, in getting great efficiency out
Of steam turbines. by using them to
drive dynamos and using electricity
thus generated to propel the ship. The
theory is that by operating the tur
hines at higher speed than is possible
in applying their power directly to the
propcllors, added power is generated
per unit OF weight which more than
Offsets losses through changing steam
power into electrical energy.
When the plans for the great battle
ships provided in this years estimate
were sent to bidders. the New York
Navy Yard submitted proposals for one
ship to be driven by electricity. and
the navy general board has the project
under consideration. II is not ncccs-
sary for decision to be reached for
year. 1t is said. as it will take
that time TO construct the hulls up
to the point where nstal1ation OF en-
gines will be decided on.
In the meantime the board has before
it Il new proposal. which contempla ties
the substitution OF Diesel engines for
steam turbines to drive the electric
generators. That. it is said, would vir-
tually double the cruising radius of
the ship per gallon Of fuel oil carried.
The board is giving 1t serious con-
sidcration, although no announcements
Of what experiments and tests have
been undertaken has been made.
MI chaatMC IN VIENNA