The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1922-12-21
GUNS OF ENGLISH.
VESSELS SAID To.
HAVE MORE RANCE
Naval Committee Compares
Relative Fighting Strength
of American With Great
Britain'S Fleet
BY Associated Press

WASHINGTON, Dec. 20.-Rela-
tive fighting efficiency of British
and American battleships, particu-
larly at long range, were under
stood today to have been called
sharply to the attention Of the Sem
ate naval committee in considera-
ton of the pending naval appropria-
ton bill. Naval officers are known
to be greatly concerned on the
point, as the British have virtually
completed postwar modernization
of their 15-inch gun ships and no
start on similar work has been made
in the American navy.
The effect of the British post
war improvements, it was said today
in naval circles, was to give the en-
tire main British fleet a range of
10000 yards, against a maximum OF
about 10000 yards for all Ameri-
can battleships, but the Tennessee,
California, Maryland, Colorado and
West Virginia. In addition, as per-
mitted under the Washington
treaty, the British ships have been
equipped with ''blister" anti-torpedo
construction and their decks ar
mored against airplane bombs and
high angle fire.
Much Money Spent
rough estimate OF the cost OF
undertaking American ships in the
same way so far as increasing gun
elevations and strengthening decks
is concerned is approximately
s6O,000,000. In the British program
as much as s4,000,000 Is said to have
been expended on a single ship.
When naval estimates were under
consideration in the budget bureau
and later before the House appropria-
tions subcommittee, 1t was said
funds were asked by naval officials
for making over battleships to be
retained under the treaty. The items
presented call for conversion Tor
coal burning battleships of the IA
inch gun type to oil burners and the
installation of five-inch anti-aircraft
batteries to replace all present three
inch guns on the big ships. The items
went out both before the budget and
committee but there are indications
more urgent representations are be-
ing made beforeRthe Senate.
Substitution OF five-inch anti-air-
craft batteries means using shells
with a "50-yard burst" instead OF the
25-yard area covered by three inch
pruiectiles In other words, 1t was
said, a "curtain of fire" against air.
craft with five-inch guns would need
one-half the number OF guns in ac-
ton to make it effective.
LonR-RanEe Guns
The most striking point to which
attention is being directed, however,
Is that of long range, big gun fire.
Opposed to the modernized British
fleet today, navy officers have stated.
the bulk of the American fleet would
face the necessity of closing in five
miles under salvo fire before they
! could bring their own guns to bear.
As the British ships are also slights
~ faster, it is said. the possibility of
bringing the entire fleet into action
would be negligible. Older American
battle ships, as well as the British
ships now modernised. were designed
and built before the possibilities of
aircraft Shooting" were seen. Their
guns had range up to the limit of
vision from the sporting tops CT the
ships. which is 10000 yards under
most favorable conditions. Tests with
aircraft, however, have fully demon
strated both in American and Brit
ish naval opinion. based on war en-
perience, that fire can be made sue.
cessfully against ships entirely out OF
sight over the horizon, The British
are said to have acted on this
knowledge in making the change
necessary to raise .urret guns to
30-degree firing elevation as against
the old II or 12-degree maximum.