Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1917-02-06
American naDal experts
beEeue they can build a
sea fighter that zviM aston
ish The n,orld; it is a semi
submerged torpedo cruiser

: ! :. :. :: !: :" !" !.
swVExssMY HAT is the next surprise that naval
WK \ architects have in store for the
MAk world?
NW WN Is ii possible to modify radically
Wv " \ existing types Of battle craft?
IVA Has the naval strategist any
! thing in mind that will be totally
unlike present warshps-Some
thing that will upset the prevailing
order of battle tactics upon the sea? These ques-
tons are asked by Robert G. Skerrett in the New
York Sun, and he goes on to say that experts an
swer yes to questions two and three. One Of the
foremost Of American naval officers said not long
ago:
Il believe we can build ship here that win
make the whole world sit up and take notice if
want 10 do so."
This assertion brought ont by a debate on
the subject of naval increase, when the genesis
of the modern dreadnaught was discussed An
interesting light thrown upon the origin and
reason for being Of that era-making type of heavy
ship of the line The disclosure illustrates how
kindred forces may be at work in calling into
being another and less startling departure in
naval architecture. According to the officer in
question
England has been criticized for inventng the
dreadnaught type on the ground that if she had
not done she would have maintained 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
is that she did not invent the type, but 1t was
absolutely forced upon her.
'In the days when were firing at each other
at 1000 or 5000 yards dreadnaught not
logical thing st all, because at those ranges you
could use eight-inch gun with great effect or a
six-ihch gun. But as soon as Admiral Sir Percy
Scott showed how to train gun pointers with
his device it changed the situation material
ly. His whole invention was method of train
ing gun pointers.
'We applied It on our side and talked to
people this side and to people the other
side of the Atlantic about ii. went over to Eng
land and talked TO the gun people there and
finally, tentatively going from range to an
other found out that could hit target at
5000 or 5000 yards. which were considered
enormous ranges in those days.
'You cannot hit anything with six-inch gun
at those distances. 1t therefore perfectly
illogical for them to build any more battleshps
except with all big guns. Accordingly, the al-big-
gun ship had to be built.
1--WE would have built the first on this side
II the authorities here had listened to Eng
land did not invent the a-big-gun ship 1t was
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 viii do any particular damage at
long range.
sThe present conflict has made it plain that in
actual warfare the nation with initiative viii have
great advantage ana Germany mas unuOuDteoly
kept her foes guessing. No one knows what she
IS likely TO spring next upon her antagonists hut
past performances hint at certain possibilities"
Capt William S. Sims thus describes thor
oughly practicable novel order of battle craft Its
theoretical advantages evident to the ex-
perts that the likelihood of its appearing before
long is than possibility.
IF you build ship of 10000 tons that has
nothing but a protective deck, and so fat that
a4ndo hat has two
towers one forward and aft, TO control the
ship. and no guns at all, but armed with eight or
ten torpedo tubes a side and capable of max
ing 50 knots would like to know what fleet