THE SEAPLANE CARRIER

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2137, 1 May 1914, Page 11

THE SEAPLANE CARRIER

A NEW fACTOE IN NAVAL WAR-. FARE. Among the <lot-jiila of "further new eousmiation" in tiro Bstji.uakes for 191445 are two novelties. For tile first turn there appears after the usual list of ships of tlio' new prograninio the <*!itry "aircraft," lvhicij may, a«d pro* bably lafiau both airships and se> planes. Wot beginning those aircraft tfig House of CornmoßS will bo asked to vets £167,008-. *Bo second and eveii mote iuterestin? novelty is a "ship,for! carrying seaplanes." i.ijd for this ves* sel'e eenstrnqtion the first instalment- of cost is £50,972j or more than the aggregate sue wanted for licguininjj. the ■ threo ligJit. armoured which nro !to tic built oflwtfact. Manifeß% this is a- vessel ih« wmplction of whifih it ! is desired to accelerate., There i-3 nothing in its ivav moto noteworthy about tlio jiaval sMjjbiiiWtag <?f late ypars tha».t-h-e steady growth .of tiits svusiitaty. It is just upon ten years age that the convcrsio/j of sonis?. «bsoicsce-nt fighting ships into oil-fuel vessels began, and was felleived Ky tho ooimtraetron of a slii{> to carry petrol to j submarines, a distilling vessel, aiid a i'<?--.! pair ship, Noiv in addition to older war vessels which have been converted, into mine-layers and so on. there are nearly ■ 50 vessels which have been built or purchased to ho employed as soa-going auxiliaries to Ho Hoot, w the flotillas of torpedo oraft. B«t a staplaao cafricf na a Jic*' construction is a no-v-Mty. The function of this vessel is lo increase tlio ratsijo of action of th.<j seaplaiio. Sho wiii pw!>sl?ly also act assmother ship tp submariiKs. .For sn<v ccsisful submnrino warfare w must have the mastery of the air. Bio subjnarintf has ho eyes, and thus 6nd« it disriru.lt to locate tta iwoy. A wider range of rtsion is what tlio seaplane ca.u give it, but for this purpose the aircraft nuist acrenipan.y tiro subiHariws to sea. Honcc the plano-carrior from which the airman'will risi , , hy "wireless ,1 to the motor ship will direct the submarine to its quarry. During the manoeuvres of last year a« attciii.jit was made to utilise for this purpose an old oriiiscr;, eomfithmg was Itai'nt, but tho trial was not entirely sfttisfsifttovy. 'Urn lioiv vessel is- a further experiment, And, I if surocssful, will soon harp, sisters. In ', tho submarine, piloted by {tie seapiane, ■ lies tho vjnkuowii factor which may be . decisive in tho naval warfare of the future. — London "Times. ,, .