The sun., 1916-11-19
Submerged Torpedo Craft Could Attack Battle Flee
and Work Destruction While Herself Almost Immune
From Serious Hurt From Gunfire or Submarine

in this Gaping position the semi.
submerged armored vessel would b
extremely difficult to hit, especially u
tho sea was really rough.
In modern naval actions the attack
by Guntire counts upon scoring pref
erably by direct hits, but II tho pro.
%jcctilcs fall short then the hope 10 to
strike by the shells r%icochcting. That
Is. the missile impingcs upon tho water
and then rises for n shorter flight like
an oyster shell cent skimming ver
tho water. During this shorter flight
the proJectlle may strike tho target
and burst with destructive results.
This IL because the modern dread
nought is a towering craft.
The Schofield would lie so close to
the sea level that II would probably
escape most r~icocheting shells. and II
they struck the missiles would hit at
so acute an angle that they would
glance of and fail to penetrate the pro-
tective deck of heavy steel. True. al
Of this is mainly speculative. but the
conclusions are based upon proving
ground experiments. special tests and
the actual performances In battle
abroad.
One OF the essential prerequisites To
the successful handling Of a modern
battle fleet Is what Is technically
termed the screen. This Is nothing
more than n circle OF scouting craft
which has for its centre the heavy
ships OF tho battle line. Its object 10
TO get in touch with the foe, to break
through his screen and to observe and
follow the movements OF his main
force.
II Is for this reason that the battle
cruiser has ON into being. Owing to
It's great speed and formidable battery
IL Is able to drive in through a foes
screen and cannot be blurred of by
vessels of less might. In work Of this
sort the Schofeld would seem to be
distinctly superior ever to tho battle
cruiser because OF her physical charac-
teristics and her nearly invulnerable
hull. Her sea speed would 10 better
than that OF any existing battle
cruisers and once within striking dis.
TANGO her 'orpedocs would hit where
her antagonists would he weakest.
Hard az the Schoiield would be to
deal with in daytime she would be q
stu grc1ter menace when the light
"t elili w dll'I HsClltlths sle COuIU
do oil that n destroyer could do and
much more. She would he distinctly
superior to the submarine because tho
schoheld would have far better speed
and would carry an infinitely heavier
armament. She could get closer with.
out fear OF serious injury In order to
make sure that the majority Of her
weapons scored.
Just what this increased offensive
value really Is can be gathered from
tho fact that II il nearly impossible
for n defensive screen of destroyerO
completely to halt the attack OF enemy
dcstroyers when the latter make
concentrated attack IN groups of ten
or more. AS an expert in this depart.
ment Of battle tactics has said: You
will get some OF them as thcy 20
through, but you cannot stop them all,
or vcn n majority of them. and 7
do not know of any moro deadly at
tack than that which can thus take
place at night
pf course, In rough or stormy
weather the assaulting d%cstrOyers
%ould hc seriously handicapped by 70.
duced speed. and therefore nature
provides this partial protection at
times. But tho Schofoll. being n big
boat. would be quite Indifferent to the
weather. She would go ploughinG
straight through the seas. not over
them, ike a gigantic whale. and noso
Der way steadily and rapidly toward
her objective.
Rear Admiral bradley A. F1ske
has emphasized tho strategic or tao.
teal advantage which any navy would
enjoy which possessed "A novel means
81 attack and Mas able To maintain
tho lead which that invention or Gre
alton brought in its train. It q =
case Of getting the jump on the foe
and using the new weapon excessively
while an antagonist would be at a
loss to- parry the unfamiliar blows.
But despite the fact that an Ameri-
can officer has conceived TIE Schoheld
no effort has been made by the naval
authorities to add ships Of this sort to
the United states battle fleet. Upon
this subject, capt. sims has said:
- think W ought not to be too
conservative. Whom you can lay down
Il ship which VIII apparently be Of
t~redtrr power than anything you can
build for the same money you ought
To- get busy and build her. and you
ought not To feel too badly chagrircd
about Il Il she does not turn out to do
al Npn expect of her.
TIE disposition has always been to
hold back here. Those in power have
said, Ict ~ wait and see what the
other fellows build and see how Il
works out If You do that you must
always lc In the rear of the procession