The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-05-03
SMALL j. 5. GUNS
BEAT BIG BRITISH
Navy Department Shows Our
l4-inch Pieces More Efec-
tive Than Larger Size.
CAN DEAL MORE BLOWS
Ensland's Ships Must Garry Fewer
Guns Because of Their
Greater Weight.

The discussion of the fact that the
British have, in the Queen Elizabeth,
| Dreadnought carrying larger guns
than the United States is putting on
! any of its battleships, built or build
ing. has drawn from navy ordnance
| experts a statement as to why the
| American gun is preferred.
The Queen Elizabeth carries 15-inch
| guns. but American naval officers con-
| tend that the best American Dread
| nought armed with the 14-inch guns
| used is more than a match for the
| British vessel. The American Dread
| noughts carry 14-inch guns. while the
| Queen Elizabeth, on account of the
greater weight of the 15-inch guns,
carries only eight Of them. 1t is also
! declared that the 14-inch gun has as
great an armor-piercing power at
fighting ranges as has the 15-inch
gun.
The Departments statement on this
subject. authorized by Secretary Dam
iels is follows:
THE question of the proper caliber
for the main battery guns Of our bat
tleships is one that has received the
most careful consideration on the part
of the Bureau Of Commerce and the
General Board.
Will Pierce at $4,000 Yards.
There is an axiom with regard to
calibers which amounts to this: That
a ship should mount the smallest big
gun that will pierce the enemy's armor
over vitals at the maximum probable
fighting range. The 14-inch guns of
the Pennsylvania will get through
the ma ximum armor afioat. so far as
our knowledge goes. at range of
$4,000 yards. The Queen Elizabeths
l5-inch guns will do little more than
that. If our information is correct
as to the velocity of the British 15-
inch gun, the 14-inch guns on the
Pennsylvania will range a little far
ther than the Queen Elzabeth's Is
inch gun. The fatter trajection OF
the 14-inch gun gives it increased
probability of hitting in comparison
with the 15-inch gun.
The Pennsylvania mounts twelve
guns to the Queen Elizabeth's eight.
Therefore, the volume of fire of our
ship exceeds the volume of fire OF the
British ship by so per cent.
The Navy Department has built and
proved a sixteen-inch gun superior to
both the ffteen-inch and fourteen-inch
gun. so far as penetration of armor at
fighting range is concerned. II the
Pennsylvania were TO be armed with !
the sixteen-inch gun she could carry /
only eight, as against the tewlve four |
teen-inch guns now assigned to her IL
we adopted the fifteen-inch caliber we !
would have to make a sacrifice in num- !
Der of guns as great or nearly great |
as was done in the design of the Queen |
Elizabeth.
20 Per Cent More Blows.
Counting volume of fire and proba- |
bility of hitting. we see that at battle |
range the number of blows delivered |
by the Pennsylvania in a given time !
will exceed those given by the Queen
Elizabeth by 20 per cent. The fifteen
inch gun. it is stated, fires a shell
weighing 1920 pounds. Our fourteen
inch shell weighs 1.400 pounds. The
effect of the larger she'll will
be greater, of course, but we have lit
tie doubt that the destructive effect of
the burst of the fourteen-inch will be
quite sufficient for it's task. No one /.
can doubt the advisa bility of delivering |
Added to all of the above. we must !
recollect that the chance of having gun
fire survive rests with the ship carry |
ing the greater number.
Now. if we compare these guns at
range greater than battle range or ar
NOR piercing range. and merely count !
the ability to reach the enemys decks
our armored parts. we find that the
guns range as far. at
a s those of the Queen Eliza
beth. Both guns range farther than
they could have any hope of hitting a
ship: that is to say. over $1,000 yards.
or something like twelve land miles"