The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-07-03

AZ being torpedoed. This latter test
OF a modern battleshlp Is very in
tereSting A number OF fighting ships
have been sunk In the present war by
sorpedocs, but they were mostly old
vessels and without the resistance Of
the newer ships. The impression
that a torpedo is sure to prove the
undoins OF the dreadnauEhts has not
vet been demonstrated and the sur
vival Of the Marlborough tends to
disprovc It.
Dcstroycrs Attack In Daylight.
4 third and most interesting phase
Of the battle Of SkaEerrack was the
attack Of destroyers on both sides
These tiny ships, which were In
tended to serve the purpose Of
screen. TO he outriders and scouts Of
the big ships. had currently been
regarded heretofore as being incapa-
bic OF attacking first class ships in
the daytime Their method OF attack
was set down Az being one covered
by darkness or by fog. Under these
CT nditions destroyers are intended 20
creep in on tho big ships. unleash
IN cir torpedoes, and attempt TO es-
cape before they arc sunk.
II had been known that the Ger
mans had practlced day attacks with
their destroyers. This was a possible
Sc OF destrovers that neither Ameri-
can nor British fleets had given much
consideration In the North Sea
battle. however, before darkness came
on. the German dsstroyers descended
upon the British feet. got In close,
am discharged their torpedoes, II
Is believed that near dozen of them
were sunk, and II Ia probably true
n at they did not succeed In destroy
Ing any British first-class ship. They
Snqu estionably came near getting the
Marlborough however, and 1t Is not
shown that such an attack did not
prove strategically advisable
II Is believed that the British fleet
responded ny sending its destroyers
into the midst OF the German fleet
under similar circumstances Certain
It is that something near dozen
British dertroyers were lost The
returns DO not yet Indicate what
destruction these vesyels created in
the German fleet, and II is therefore
not possible TO draw conclusions as
to whether their sacrifice should have
been made The fact remains that
destroyers played n very important
Tart in the fighting and were active
throughout the engagement. The /
usefulness of these small ships in a
great struggle such as that which
took place of Skarerrsck is regarded
as having been demonstrated
A point OF intense interest 20 the
general p1rflAc In this first big sea
fight of modern nav1es In the high
rate OF loss Of life aboard ships sunk.
On the Queen Mary. the Indefatisable
and the Invinciele, there was hardly
man saved Already the United
States Navy Department In receiving
great numbers OF letters from In
dividuals who have suggestions TO
make as to devices that might be
uted for savtng lives aboard fighting
ships, These individuals seem to
draw the conclusion that no pre-
caution IS taken aboard oattleship
for saving life in case the ship IS
sunk in battle. This is not true.
When a battleship il stripped for
action there is certainly no Mace on
her dock for hoats that might be
used for Iife-savfng. She has aboard,
however, pneumatic RATS. and every
man has his pneumatic belt which
would feep HIM afloAt
| All Die With Their Ships.
In time of battle. however, there
is no time and no inclination TO make
use of these devices. When q pattle-
! ship IL hit and seriously damaged
thore Is no wa of knowing whether
Or not che t about to sink. 1t may
/ be possible that. she will remain
se,oat for hour. or that she NAV not
sink ct all Her -urpose Is to con-
| tlnue to damage the enemy to the
~ eatest possible extent A single
final shot from a sinking ship may
be the blow that wifi turn the tide
Of battle and the destiny Of empires,
/ A damaged battleship, therefor.
continues to fight The men remain
| in the fire rooms, In the turrsts. at
their guns, Every man continues that
particular JOB which Is sIim In fighting
the ship as Ion as she may strike q
blow. II therefore happens that when
tho battleship goes down there Is
practically nobody on deck and there
/ is no man who may leave his post in
time 10 put on ltfe-helt or launch
'iaft, Quite naturally every man dies
with the ship.
until the las< moment seems TO have
been exer0pfrisd by practically oil
those that were sunk in the recent
battle
The battle Of Skagerrack seems to
have justified the position which has
long been taken by the experts OF the
General Board OF the American
Navy. position which has met the
approval Of most American authorities
Ipnd which has been crysealiizei into
the program which America has
followed. The General Board has
recommended for fifteen years that
the United States continue the poIrc,
OF placing its chief reliance in big
ships Since the dreadnaught came
into being Il has maintained that that
vessel should be made tho backbone
OF the fleet. II appropriations were
sufficient to provide but ono class of
ships, the General Board has insisted
that they be dreadnaughts.
Amsr4san Program Justified.
There Is a constant tendency on the
part Of the public TO go off at a
tangent In ita enthusiasm for the
class of shin that at given time Is
attracting wide attention. Last fall.
for instance. the public clamored for
many submarines end favored dis
regarding appropriations for dread
naughts or battle cruisers Later the
battle cruiser has been attracting
much attention to Itself because the
Incidental clashes of the present war
have been battles between scout
ehtps, SO the clamor this Hpring has
been very largely for battle cruisers.
The dreadnaught has attracted
verv little attention because she has
not heretofore been IN tho fighting.
The public did not see that the very
existence OF British dreadnau ghts in