The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-09

Admiral Won Spec opened upon the
British cruisers with salvo OF eight
inch shells. some Of them falling short
and others passing over their targets,
the Monmouth and the Good Hope.
The two squadrons were $4,000 yards
apart. and yet inside Of ten minutes
the only 80 inch guns in the British
batteries We're disabled or silenced
Admiral Won Specs flagship, the
Scharnhorst. was the gold medal gun
merry ship OF the German navy, and
with the Gneisenau Won Spec held the
British cruisers at arms length until
he had battered them beyond retalia-
ton. Equality of speed, heavier guns
and superior practice and more men
at his command enabled the German
Admiral to batter his way well nigh
scatheless TO victory.
on December S the old battleship
Campus, three armored cruisers the
newest one ten years old. and two
smaller craft were cruising just out
side Port Stanley, Falkland Islands,
when Admiral Won Spec with five ships
came in sight Believing the odds
We're even. the German decided to give
battle. opening fire at long range.
Then it was that the two British bat
tie cruisers, capable OF doing three
knots more than the Scharnhorst and
Gneisenau. slipped out Of port where
they had been coaling unseen by the
foe. The moment those 1900 ton
ships came into view Admiral Won
Spec knew that he was outclassed,
and ordered his vessels to scatter.
Admiral S,urdee had 10 inch guns
to oppose the 50 inch weapons OF Won
Spec, and the British commander, by
reason of his superior speed, was
able TO choose his own position and
to hold it. AT ranges ranging from
$4,000 to 10000 yards, he hammered
away at the fleeing Scharnhorst and
Gneisenau and because Of the heavier
defensive armor Of the lnvincible and
IntieXible, the German shells struck
nearly harmlessly the pursuing battle
cruisers, while the great IL inch pro-
jectiles from the English guns ripped
and tore through Won Specs ships.
Here both superior speed and heavier
long range guns won the day. and for
the first time the world realized the
mission of the battle cruiser. Ameri-
cans should keep this in mind. for no.
where in our fleet does this type ap-
pear.
Now the Wyoming has ~ inch guns.
and a dozen Of them, against the eight
aboard either the Invincfble or the In
flexible, but there is a great difference
in the tactical element OF speed The
best the Wyoming has ever done is
2l.2 knots an hour. while the battle
cruisers named are rated at 26.5 knots
an hour.
The best any Of our dreadnoughts
now in service has done Is a trifie over
20 knots. and this record is credited to
the Florida, while the average speed
Of our dreadnoughts now being built
Is about 81 knots. The fastest battle
cruiser abroad, the Seyditz OF the Ger
man navy, has made 29.2 knots. and
three Of the rival British battle
cruisers are rated at 2S.5 knots an
hour.
A further lesson as to this matter
Of superior speed combined with heavy
gunfire Is to be derived from the So
called North Sea cruiser battle. Just
at dawn on January "a the scouting
screen OF Vice Admiral Sir David
Beatty's squadron got In touch with
the German cruiser fleet under Rear
Admiral Hyper. whose flagship was
the Seydlitz. At once the scouting
craft Of the two squadrons opened fire
and the speedy light cruiser Aurora
wirelessed the news to the main
British fleet. miles away.
Hanging tenaciously upon the heels
OF the foe Vice Admiral Beatty's de-
stroyers and light cruisers maintained
touch with the enemy and kept the
British battle cruisers fully Uniformed
Of the foes movements. AS Admira
Beatty has reported, his battle cruiser.