The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1917-02-02
American naDal experts
beEeve they can build a
sea fighter that qvM astor-
ish the borld; it is a semi
submerged torpedo cruiser

49,
W E: !: : !: :: :: !: !: :: e: !; E. =:
AA/ world?
~~ Is it possible to modify radically
AAV " \ existing types of battle craft?
NA Has the naval strategist any
i thing in mind that will be totally
unlike present warships-sOme-
thing that will upset the prevailing
order Of battle tactics upon the scar These ques-
tions are asked by Robert G. Skerrett i'm the New
York Sun, and he goes on to say that experts an
yes to questions two and three. One of the
foremost Of American naval officers said not long
ago:
II believe can build n ship here that will
make the whole world sit up and take notice If
we want TO do So"
This assertion was brought out by debate on
the subject Of naval increase when the genesis
OF the modern dreadnaught was discussed. An
interesting light was thrown upon the origin and
reason for being of that eramaking type Of heavy
ship Of the line. The disclosure illustrates how
kindred forces may be at work In calling into
being another and no less startling departure I'm
naval architecture. According to the officer in
question:
England has been criticized for inventing the
dreadnaught type on the ground that If she had
not done so she would have maintained n greater
preponderance over every other navy in her pre-
dreadnaught types, and as the dreadnaught type
Is far more efficient she therefore had to start
even with other nations again. The reply TO that
Is that she did not invent the type, but 1t was
absolutely forced upon her.
I'm the days when we were firing Mt each other
at 1000 or 5000 yards n dreadnaught was not
logical thing at all, because at those ranges YOU
could use an elght-lnch gun with great effect n
sx-inch gun But as soon ms Admiral Sir Percy
Scott showed us how TO train gun pointers with
his new device it changed the situation material
ly. His whole invention was method of train
ing gun pointers.
"We applied II on our side and we talked to
people on this side and To people on the other
side of the Atlantic about It. I went over to Eng
land and talked to the gun people there and
finally tentatively going from range TO an
other, found out that we could hit target Mt
5000 1900 yards. which were considered
enormous ranges in those days.
"You cannot hit anything with n slx-inch gun
ut those distances 1t was therefore perfectly
Illogical for them to build any more batteships
except with all big guns. Accordingly, the all-big
gun ship had to be built.
"We would have built the first one on this side
if the authorities here had listened to us Eng
land did not Invent the all-blg-gun ship IL
Admiral Sir Percy Scott who thought out how TO
shoot at long range. and the other fellows fol-
lowed as a natural consequence. Big guns are the
only ones that will do any particular damage at
long range.
"The present conflict has made Il plain that In
actual warfare the nation with initiative will have
n great advantage and Germany has undoubtedly
kept her foes guessing. No knows what she
IS likely to spring next upon her antagonists. but
past performances hint at certain possibilities"
Capt. William S. Sims thus describes thor
oughly practicable novel order OF battle craft. It's
theoretical advantages evident to the
perts that the likelihood Of its appearing before
long Is more than possibility.
"If you build a ship Of 10000 tons that has
nothing but protective deck. and fiat that
nothing could get under IT, that only has two
towers, forward and one aft 10 control the
ship, and no guns at all. but armed with eight or
ten torpedo tubes on side, and capable of max
Ing 30 knots. would like to know what feet