Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-06-19
-.
With ONE GUN
UNIQUE SCHEME


A semi.submarine with a 15-inch
gun or miniature battleship capable
! OF partial submersion-which ever
way you want to consider it's the
novel suggestion of correspondent
Of the Army and Navy Journal, who
writes I'm the issue of May 20 as fol.
lows:
New York, May Is, 1915.
To the Editor of the Army and Navy
Journal:
have for some years entertained
the idea of a number Of small fight
ing ships, not to supersede. but to
supplement the larger ones; to have
multiplicity of comparatively small
and very speedy warships, carrying
each a gun of the highest power, and
partly submersible for action. The
idea is OF ship CT such length,
breadth, depth and lines as to give a
proper platform for one gun, IA or To-
inch. in q tHrret Of the most approved
form, and rs well armored as those
of the best battleships; likewise to
support the weight of deck and side
armor, but the side armor to be of
no greater depth than needed to pro-
tect the ship when sunk, as here pro-
posed, for action. The ship should be
capable of making q speed of upwards
of thirty knots and carry engines,
using oil fuel. adequate to attain that
speed. These conditions would indi-
cate tufret practically or nearly
|amidship. A small turret, further as
tern, would carry the secondary arma-
ment for repelling boat attacks of tor
pedo-b boats, destrcyers or submarines.
One military mast between the two
sturrets would suffice for fire control.
And the UyhhI1ig tower and bridge
might be at the base OF this mast, or
otherwise These as well as the gen.
.erui proportions Of the vessel, ought
not to be very serious problems to
naval architects.
The further essential is that such
ship should be so devised and con-
structed as to admit of its being sub
merged to such a point that while in
ordinary cruising it would have a suit
able height OF freeboard, when going
Into action its deck would be nearly
on a level awash with the sea, and
the only marks for the enemy ship
10 FIRE at or to hit, besides the deck
and the slightly exposed sides, would
be the mast, the coming tower, the
'smokestacks and the turrets. This
submersion must, o. course, be pro
vided for by compartments which
will admit the sea water when desired
and may be promptly emptied again
by suitable pumps.
Such 3 ship. even In this partly sub
merged condition, ought to be able
to maneuver with sufficient speed TO
take care of itself in combat with
battleships The advantages 10 be de
rived are briefly these: At least six.
II not eight or ten, such ships could
be built for the cost OF one dread
nought. and their crews could be re-
duced in nearly the same proportion
the loss of one would represent only
the same proportion to the loss Of al
dreadnought Taking the proportion
at six to one. the six with their supe-
rior speed could outmaneuver the
dreadnought and range themselves
around il. so as to fire at it from six
Inherent points The dreadnought is
a large and conspicuous target for
each one of the six. The six are small
and inconspicuous targets, and divert
the fire of the dreadnought in six
different directions, while their fire
is conyerging upon II. One success.
full shot from one Of the six. delivered
from gun equal in power to any
on the dreadnought, may put the
dreadnought out Of action. and prob.
ably sink II, while il is contrary to
all the law of probabilities that the
dreadneught could put all of the six
out Of action. To this to be added
that the six may take up positions
where they can fight bow on, thus pre- |
seP.ing the smallest possible targets, /
while their target is the whole side
OF th5 dreadnought. 1t is the story
of the kingfsher and the hawk over
again.
III il comes to multiples of these fig |
ures the results are not changed |
Twelve such ships against two dread. |
noughts would have the same advan-
tage ii the dreadnoughts kept far /
apart, and even greater advantage il (
they kept close together. And so, !
again. if six such ships and one dread |
neught went into action against two |
this advantage would
remain. The battle would only be 1
equaIized when the enemy had seen
the wisdom o, employing the same
kind OF ships. This might result in
the eliminating Of the dreadnought /
as the main reliance of warfare at /
sea. II would certainly open new
err in naval tnrticS