THE SHIELD SHIP.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 54, 10 July 1862, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE SHIELD SHIP.

The experimental firing from Captain Cowper P. Coles’s cupola was resumed at Portsmouth on Saturday, under the direction of Captain E. S. Hewlet, C.B. commanding her Majesty’s ship ‘Excellent,’ and was again attended with highly satisfactory results. Everything wascarried on as in action, even to the fighting lanterns, lit up, in their places inside the cupola. The target was placed at 3,600 yard’s distance, and the practice made was exceedingly good, the second shot fired passing through it. The two 100-pounders were fired singly and together, and in quick firing six rounds were fired in as many minutes. The concussion from the discharge of the guns was but trifling, and was, in fact, found to be greater outside the shield than within it. The smoke cleared off as effectually as on the last day’s experiments, and the guns, with their carriages, worked with the greatest facility. The shield ship which it is proposed to build on this plan will have no masts, and when afloat will show to the view above her deck merely her funnel, and the tops of her shields. Cleared for action, the ship’s bulwarks are thrown down all round her level with the upper deck, along the centre of which are ranged her cupola shields, resembling gigantic inverted tea saucers, each containing two 100-pounder Armstrongs of 88 ewt. These shields rest upon towers, which are sunk through the upper deck, and are fixed on a turn-table on the deck below, which revolves, with the guns, shield, and men as may be required. The height of the shield from the upper deck wall be about 5 feet, which will be but a small object for an enemy to fire at; shot can only strike it at an angle of 45 degrees. The muzzle of the guns will be 9 feet 6 inches from the water. The sides of the vessel will be covered with armour plating, the form and arrangement of which may most probably be a subject for future consideration, as the experiments that will be carried out both at Portsmouth and Shoeburyness with cellular and other plates, will be certain to effect a great change in our present mode of attaching the armour plates to our iron ships. The shield ship will be 2,500 tons measurement, and her estimated cost is, as far as can bo ascertained at present, £IBO,OOO. Her draught of water is to be only 20 feet, and her speed 121 knots. Many important advantages will be possessed by the shield ship over the Defence class. On a broadside the latter can only fight seven guns, protected by her iron plates, whereas the shield ship can bring her whole twelve to bear at one time upon any point desired, with virtually no limit to their training; whereas the Defence is confined with her seven guns to some 29 degrees of training. In closing, the shield ship by taking a slightly oblique course, can bring the whole of her guns to bear upon the enemy, while the latter can only reply with two or three guns from the bow or stern, as the case may be. It is evident that, in any contest with another vessel, should the shield ship be the faster of the two, she would be enabled to keep this position as long as she choose, and destroy the vessel opposed to her at leisure, and with almost absolute impunity. Captain Coles has arranged sets of tables applicable to the cupolas at each end of the ship for ascertaining the exact distance of an object. This is done on the order “prove distance” being given, by taking the degrees of training given to the cupola in directing it upon the object, and referring to the table of angles. The distance is thus ascertained in the time merely required to train the cupola and without the use of any instrument, and if the object fired at be a moving one the distance can be corrected and word passing along to the other cupola each time the guns are fired. It may be necessary to state here that the top of the shield itself is sighted like a rifle, independently of the guns it contains, and it is the cupola, therefore, which; it directed upon the object, the guns revolving-with the tower. The guns are placed parallel to each other, and the sights are immediately over them. The duty of directing the shield

is given to one man, who is termed the “director” and who occupies an elevated position in rear of the two guns, from which lie can look over the edge of the shield when bringing its guns to bear upon the object to be fired at. To protect his head while in this position, the front upper ed«o of the shield is fitted with two stout iron mantlets with sufficient space for a fine of sight between them. We trust that the midship sections of our finished iron ships will not bo repeated in the construction of the shield ship.— Times.