The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1917-02-02

could do when one of them comes down in its
midst" he says
'rhere would be nothing to hurt If you did hap
pen to hit her, and she could fire all the torpe-
does she wants to at you One of young off,
GERS recommended vessel of that type. Natural
conservatism on the part of the older who
control the upper end Of all services-and 1t Is
the natural conservatism of large bodies that
troll our government-stands In the way OF Just
such Il proposition those do not quite like
the radical idea. But just the same one of those
novel craft will pop up Of these days: and
for all we know 1t will come out Of Wilhemshaven
before this is over"
1t is n well-known fact that the destroyer has
proved the submarines worst enemy. and for two
reasons: First, because Of Its speed, combined
with effective gun power; and, second. owing to
the difficulties of retaliation through torpedo
attack, the submarines only sufficient answer to
the destroyer's rapid frers More often than 9TH
erwise the underwater boats principal weapon has
sped harmlessly under the destroyer without scor-
Ing simply because the destroyer draws far less
water than the submarines intended quarry. the
big vessel.
The torpedo is ordinarily set to run deep enough
to strike well below n large ships belt,
and therefore is apt to pass without hitting below
the keel Of a destroyer. It was this idea that
Captain Sims had in mind when he said that the
novel battle craft to be built that moth
Ing could get under it,
There Is another advantage too, in this arrhnge-
ment ship so constructed would be able to
operate In waters where ordinarily only light
gunbOats or destroyers could maneuver in safety.
Accordingly 1t would be easy for a craft Of this
character either to hide where least expected
to to cover when the odds offered by nrmored
ships too heavy against her.
Great Britain has found is necessary to utilize
monitors, especially modified for the work, in her
offensive operations against the German positions
on the coast of Belgium. Shallow draft and fairly
heavy armaments have made these vessels reason
ably effective. However the monitors have not
1LI 20 thn ovo1 fott tnn
at Zeebrugge and the kalsers designers have no
doubt long been busy devising naval foil to the
British attack
This probability in part Is warrant for Cap
tain Sims assumption that something out Of the
ordinary likely to issue from Wilhelmshaven
before the end Of the present struggle 1t ~ takes
the form suggested the ship will not be formid-
able foe only for England's monitors, but 1t would
certainly prove very dangerous antagonist for
well-nigh any of Great Britain's heavy fighting
ships
As with so many things concerning national
defences secret has been made here Of this
proposed order of craft Captain Sims has
said:
at has been before people for a long while.
1t has been discussed at the War college and pa
pers have been written on it,
Foreigners have undoubtedly made themselves
familiar with everything that has been given out
about the ship and certainly the type would go a
long way toward offsettng the disadvantage in
numbers under which the German fleet labors.
Moreover, there are economic reasons why
fighting ship Of this peculiar type would commend
itself especially to people circumstanced as are
the Germans now.
AS Captain Sims says: 81 have always believed
that vessel could be designed in that way with
out any necessity for waste Of side armor, be-
cause she would have nothing above her water
line to protect that is. substantially nothing. She
would have no turrets. which cost much in
weight, and she would have no big guns, which
cost in the weight Of the gun, ammunition. etc.
"She would carry two towers, from either Of
which the ship could be controlled: One to be
used in case the other knocked ou.. They
would be of sufficient size to hold the people who
maneuver the craft Her smoke pipe would be
armored so that 1t could not be shot away
close to her deck to do any particular damage.
She could be armed with eight torpedo tubes
her side and she could carry a great many tor
pedoes for each one Of those tubes"
At the Naval War college strategic experts have
given this suggestion numerous theoretical tests.