FUTURE OF FIGHTING SHIPS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2336, 18 December 1914, Page 4

FUTURE OF FIGHTING SHIPS

One of tho most important of tho lessons to be drawn from the various naval Engagements which have taken place on the high' seas einco the commencement of the war is that victory is practically assured to the side which excels in speed and gun-power. The truth of this is so obvious that one marvels at the recklessness which has characterised the policy of allowing ships of low speed and light-calibre armament to venture far from their bases, or from their heavier consorts, into waters where they are liable to bo over-matched. Tho application of this truth applies of course to all sea belligerents, and raises an interesting subject for speculation regarding the future of naval construction and fleet distribution. The British Admiralty has lately committed itself to the creation of a class of. light cruiser whose usefulness, except for coast patrol duty, or oversea service in peace-time, has been greatly discounted by recent experiences. The opinions of Admiral Sir Percy Scott notwithstanding, it seems clear that tho day of the fast )ig-gun ships is by no means past, but that some departure from existing types is necessary seems equally clear, especially for tho safety of tho Oversea Dominions, who have lately had ample cause to reflect upon the folly of tho "Little Navyitcs." With the defeat of the German Empire people in these Dominions need not run. away with tho idea- that the menace of, naval molestation .will have disappeared for all time, for the march of decades, commercial rivalry amongst the nations, mistakes of diplomacy, questions of alien immigration, the shifting condition: of public sentiment, compel adequate preparations for defence, backed by an intelligent and , ' far-sighted policy. Laying aside matters of detail regarding subsidiary ships for routine service, the indications point to the creation of a first-line fleet unit composed of fast ships armed with long-range guns, as tlio ideal to be aimed at for, say, the Pacific defence. This docs not necessarily mean ships of the type of the cruiser-battleship Few Zealand, but of equal speed, smaller size, armed with at least two long-range guns, in addition to the secondary iirmnmont. A strong argument has lately been put forward by sound opinion for the single turret <?f hifsb spfisd, nnr.i.ivittg b, maximum of speed for manoeuvring

and a maximum of gun power, while at the same time offering a small target to tho enemy's guns. Such a ship, by comparison with the New Zealand, would be cheap to build and cheap to run, for the New Zealand is just such a ship multiplied so many times. A fleet unit of this class would have extraordinary mobility and high destructive power. The Scharnhorst and Gneisonau were safe until thej wore out-raced and outranged, for these two disadvantages, it is indisputable, turned the scale: the German Emden was outsailed and outranged: and the Good Hope and Monmouth were outsailed and outranged. The moral seems plain.