DEFENCE AGAINST TORPEDO BOATS.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2058, 28 September 1880, Page 2

DEFENCE AGAINST TORPEDO BOATS.

The Admiralty baying been desirous of asoertiming if a torpedo boat w; u'.d stand a better chance against the Nordenfelt service gun at the full speed of a torpedo boat than it did in the trial when the gun was fired from the Medway some time ago, the Iris, Captain Seymour, was ordered to make a few runs at full speed towards the bow of a torpedo boat model to be used as a target. The Iris is one of the fastest vessls in the navy, and starting with a couple of miles spurt eaoh time registered 17.2 knots per hour when the firing; began. As the tide g-ro two and a half knots more, the gun actually travelled at about 28 knotc, or t ay 23 miles an hour. Ist run—The Iris steaming straight at the bow of the torpedo boar, fired 700 yards distance until close up, 102 shots in lmin. 9jec. 2nd run—Same firing repeated, 111 shots in lmin. Usee. On inspection the boat was found to be hit by mo lesß than 110 bullets out of the total of 213 fired in the two runs. Result, 93 shots and 43 hits per minute. 3rd run—The Iris ran past the boat parallel with her at a distance of 200 yards to represent the position when a torpedo boat dashes past a vessel for the purpose of discharging a Whitehead torpedo. The gun was limited to an aro of 90 ieg., and fired 5S shots in 22aec, during which the boat remained within the range fired. The number of hits was 38. 4th run—A first class torpedo boat was got under way, and ran parallel to the Iris at the rata of 18 knots per hour, the two vessels thus passing one another at 200 yards distance at the rapidity of over 40 miles an hour. The gun was fired through tue stme limited aro of 90deg., but of coarse this time with "dummy" cartridges, as the boat was manned, so that the hits can only be assumed ; but as 40 shots were fired in the 15 sees, within the limited range, it is certain that t';o bjat would been disabled. These experiments show that excessive speed doee not interfere with the efficiency of the gun, and on the other hand they prove how short a tiyrie.l of time is given for defence against torpedo boats.