Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1924-12-22
SINKING OF OLD
ships PROVING
aid FOR future
Practice Aids in Prepar-
ing Designs for Ships
THAI Will Withstand
Heavy Bombardments
tBy The Associated Press.)

Wy Inc ASSOcldtcu frPSS.)
WASHINGTON. Dtc, 22.-With a six
o" sven year period ahead before the
United States may lay down its first
replacement battleship under the
Washington naval treaty, navy experts
will have ample time to max the ut
mS st use Of data obtained from cx-
rcriments on the hull Of what was to
have been the superdrC adnought Wash
ington and on other scrapped vessels
in preparing designs for new ships.
They arc expected to achieve a decided
advance in warshir construction as 4
result of their prolonged studies.
The Washington experiments, details
OF which are regarded as among the
most confidential matters in the Gus
tody of the navy department, afforded
an opportunity to obtain information of
an unusual character. Til four ships
Of this class, three Of which were com
rleted and are now with the fleet. re-
present the most powerful defensive
and offensive development in battlcship
building the world will! know until the
two new British superdreadnaughts are
launched and commissioned The only
vessel approaching the Maryland. West
Virginia and Colorado now afloat Is
the japanese l6-inch gunned. pos:-Jut,
land battlcship Mitsui.
Designs for New Ships
Designs for this class of ships were
prtpnred in the navy department while
the European war was in r:ogrc u. but
before the United Sta q entered the
cn,flitt. The submarine m4nace he'd
almost reached its climax in threaten,
Ing. allied defeat before the plans were
ehmplf ted. and there are many things
III. IN hull construction Of the ships
winch grew out Of raj experience Of
The allies as observed by American eN-
ports. These have to do for the most
part with better protection against tor
redecs and mines and the experiments
with the Washington hull afforded TIN
only chance naval engineers Of any M,
tinnality have had TO test the methods
II protection adopted Oh Il scale that
would furnish reliable data.
The designs Of the ships were based
IN part uF~n extensive experiments of
A similar ratEre with caiSNCas built for
fht purpose and subject to attack. At
hhst. however, this furnished only par
tal DATA rs 10 the stresses which must
he provided against in actual warfare.
II Is noteworthy hat the only an
touncemcnt as 10 tn Washington ex-
pciiments made by the navy depart
iment declared the expecta ions Of the
naval constructors who designed the
ships were realized, implying That ,ne
hull resisted underwater attack to a ae-
gree that no battleship previously built
could have been expected to do.
Protective Decks
The Washington design also included
additional protective deck construction
made necessary when the war proved
that sea battles could be fought at such
extreme range that projectilcs would
fall from high angles. making the decks
of combat ships the greatest danger
point. Bombs dropped from aircraft
also would be directed at TIL rccks. and
despite the added weight and changes
III stability that would result. it WIS
obvious that protective decks must be
adopted without sacrificing heavy side
armor necessary for protection at short.
er ranges with shells coming at flat
ter angles against the ships sides. The
protective decks Of the Washington were
subjected to attack also, both by bomb
and she'll fire which finally sent the un-
completed ship to the bottom off the
Virginia capes.
Extensive data as to the results Of
every method Of attack employed was