Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-05-22
OUR new SHIPS
MAY HAVE TO-
inch RIFLES
Navy General Board Is Con-
Sidering This Type of
Ordnance

A proposition for equipping the bat
tleshipS authorized by the naval APP
Precipitation act with l6-inch guns is
under consideration by the navy gen
eral board While the proposed
change has some enthusiastic advo-
Gates, it has by no means been decid-
ed to increase the size of the guns for
the dreadnoughts. The change will
make necessary a complete rearrange-
ment of the turPets on the new bat
tleships and some radical departure in
their construction. 1t will be neces-
sary to reduce the number OF large
guns on the ships from twelve to eight
and TO abandon the three-gun turret
construction, which has just been per
fected and Is thought to have many
advantages over the older arrange
ment of the guns.
Some time ago the navy bureau of
ordnance prepared plans for l6-inch
gun, one of which has been built and
tested II was regarded as the most
powerful navy gun In existence and
the naval gun factory is fully equipped
to turn out the new type OF gun on
short notice. But some ordnance au-
thorities do not believe change from
II to l6-inch guns would increase the
efficiency of our battleships, it being
necessary, in their opinion, in order
to use a 16-inch gun on the battleshfps
to decrease its muzzle velocity, and
figures have been submitted to prove
that the American ships armed with
14.inch guns are more than a match
for the English dreadnoughts with To-
inch guns. Then 1t is urged that the
range of a 14-inch gun goes to the
limit of the control of the fire of a
battlesliip, throwing projectiles as far
as hits can be made under battle
conditions. A battleship armed with
l4-inch guns would have twelve
chances to hit against eight chances
with 16-inch guns, and one well plant.
ed shot from a 14-inch gun in vul-
nerable spot might put battleship
out of commission as readily as It,
inch shot, so that 1t Is not necessary
to have a 16-inch gun to sink the larg.
est and most powerfully armored ship
afioat. The advocates of 16-inch guns
claim, however, that these theories
have been disproved by the European
war, and are submitting some new
data from a confidential source to
prove their contention that the 16-inch
gun should be adopted. T..
According to the Bethlehem Steel
Company, as shown by figures given
in the New York Herald, the princi-
pal characteristics of the 14-inch 40
caliber gun, as made by Bethlehem,
are; Weight of gun, tons, 70.3; weight
of projectile, pounds, 400; muzzle
velocity, foot-seconds, 260O; muzzle
energy, foot-tons, $500; energy at
5000 yards, foot-tons, 50,420; penetra-
/ ton of wrought iron (Gayre forIaala)
inches, 56.4. The 15-inch Elswick 40
| caliber gun possesses these character.
| istics: Weight, of gun, tons, $50;
weight of projectile, pounds, 1925;
/ weight of cordite charge, pounds, 400;
muzzle velocity, feot-seconds, $3.50;
| muzzle energy, foot-tons, S3,425; perle
! tration at muzzIe of Tressider wrought
iron plate, inches, 55.7; rounds per
| minute, 2 81 rs.... ,,.-.t .Eas-sz@
/ There is some little variation from
these figures In the guns built at the
/ Fickers works. The Beardmore IL
| inch gun is the shortest of the English
made rifles and has a AZ caliber
length as compared with 40 calibeI
! length IN the above pieces. The prin'
cipal characteristics of the Beardmore
gun are:. Weight Of gun, tons, 30;
weight of projectile, pounds, 1850;
muzgle velocity. foot-seconds. 1850; re-
manning velocity at 5000 yards, foot.
seconds, 21S7; remaining velocity at
10000 yards, foot-seconds, 1853.
The navy bureau OF ordnance, In its
! comparison of the types of guns, as
serts that the 14:inch gun possesses
equal power with the 15-inch gun to
| pierce armor plate at $4,000 yards, and
somewhat further than that, which II
! considers the maximum practicable
battle range. In fact, the range must
/ be reduced away below that. 1t is
said. before any accurate shooting can
be done "a 81. ~. . 49,. ~