The sun., 1916-11-12

III. however, the torpedo boat de- I,
stroyers can take a position on the bow
of the approaching ships, say at 20 de-
grecs, and fire torpedoes from that
angle they have n greater chance OF
hitting. perhaps an even chance OF hit
ting, In a naval battle when II ome
TO a broadside fight, as 1t inevitably
must before the struggle a be de-
cided. then the side that controls the
water ahead of the fleet can therefore
send Its destroyers In advance of the
encmy's columns and enjoy q great ad-
vantage.
ut is not necessary that the de-
stroycrs should come within 10000
yards OF the head OF the column TO
fire with effectiveness. II the enemy
fleet is advancing at the rate OF 10
knots and the torpedo speeding toward
it at 80 knots they approach each other
at a velocity Of as knots. Under these
circumstances the destroyer can IRE
her t%orpcdoes from a distance OF about
100 o yards ahead Of the fleet.
III they are fired in this way that
feet must accept the torpedoes or else
make a radical change Of curse to get
away from them. Any fleet that
changes its course abruptly loses It's
effectiveness of gunfire for q certain
number OF minutes"
or course the torpedo cannot be used
In this way at night. but during the
daytime with an intervening barrier OF
smoke and with aircraft aloft spotting
the enemy this weapon becomes as
nearly effective. Judged by it's chances
OF hitting. as shell fire similarly d.
rected from n like range. Clearly, then.
the torpedo Is coming into It's own and
this instrument OF destruction must be
reckoned with as never before in future
contests for the supremacy Of the seas.
scandinavian papers that have re-
Gently reached this country give con-
siderable space to accounts OF certain
experiments which the Germans have
been making In the Baltic. II il said
that they have built a number Of spe-
c!al craft upon lines similar TO those Of
the Karlsruhe. but with more stacks
and even higher sustained sea speed.
These boats. when running full tilt,
pour out great volumes OF thick.
greasy black smoke.
This smoke seems to be more than
commonly heavy. and even when a
NV I" ltfL Wv W
the water n Clings to the surface Of
tho sea for a long time. forming m
effective screen behind which to ma
nTuvre without fear OF observation
except from aloft. Even there vision
at times is obscured.
As is well known. oil burning craft
emit from their tunnels a somewhat
similar smoke when heavy charges Of
- T.
excess OF the available oxygen. But the
Germans seem to have improved upon
this and To have added in some way an
element of increased weight which
gives TO the smoke greater stability or
!ncrtness. making 1t possible for the
clouds so created to cling longer to
the surface OF the sea. Miles upon
miles OF this sort Of barrier to vision
have been spread BY the very speedy
smoke makers.
Manifestly. the Germans are intent
upon preparing themselves TO fight
their e great naval battle with the
British fleet under conditions of arti-
1cially produced invlsibility. and no
doubt they are determined to use both
gun and torpedo to the fullest advan-
'aGn, relying upon seaplanes and Yep
pellns to direct the attack from points
far enough skyward to command the
field OF operations and thus to watch
the contending forces. This will UNI
l~uestionably introduce aerial combats
and bring about a state OF affairs o
so very dissimilar to that prevailing
on the western front between opposing
aerial scouts.
But ultimate success will in all like
lihooi hinge upon the effective en-
ployment of Zeppelins such as have
already been used in bombarding Lon
on and other places in the British
Isles. These craft. because they can
travel further II higher and remain
nearly stationary aloft. will be able to
discharge the special duty OF spott.ng
allotted them. while their wireless APP
paratus will be able to maintain con-
tinual communication with the cooper
, ating fighting ships below them.
4 critic has suggested that there Is
. a conspicuous weak spot in this whole
scheme OF cuttleash tactics. He has
} asked. What Is going TO happen II
! the smoke bank Is deep and thick
enough to shut of observation from