TORPEDO EXPERIMENTS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 120, 23 May 1877, Page 4

TORPEDO EXPERIMENTS.

{British Mail, April I.]

Some very interesting* experiments were made recently at Cherbourg wish the little submarine vessel called ihe Thorneycroft. It was the fir3t occasion of testing in French waters whether a torpedo could be launched against a ship in full sail. AccorJingly Admiral Jaurez, who commands the equadron, ordered a disabled ship, tbe Bayoonaise, during a rather rough sea, to be towed out by a steamer belonging to tbe navy. A second lieutenant, M. Lemonnine, wes sent for, and informed that he had been selected to make the experiment of launching the Thorneycroft against the Bayonnaisa while both were in full sail. He nccep'eJ the mission without hesitation, pb-keJ out two eiiginemen and a pilot, and went down with them iuto ibe interior of the Thorncycrofi, of which only a small part was above water; thia visible portion being painted of a greyish color, so as to be easily confused with the 6ea. The torpedo was placed so as to project from the bow of the vessel. at the extremity of which were two lateen eailyards about three metres in length. Tbe towing steamer then

took up its position in front of the squadron, and the Thorneycroft also assumed the position assigned for it; ah interval of three or four marine miles separating the torpedo and the Bayonnaise. On a signal being given both were set in motion, the steamer advancing in a straight line and the Thorneycroft obliquely, so as to take the Bayonnaise in fltnk. Thh steam-tug went at fourteen knote the hour, going at full speed in order to escape the Thorneycroft, The latter went at nineteen knots en hour, a rate not attained by any vessel iv the squadron. The chase lasted about an hour, the Equadron keeping in the rear, so as to witness the operations. At the end of that time the distance between tbe Thorneycroft and the Bayonnaise had sensibly diminished, and at a given moment the former, in order to come up with the litter at the requisite distance, had to slacken speed to eight knots an hour. The whole squadron watched tbis last phase of the struggle with breathless interest, and people asked themselves whether the shock of the torpedo would not infallibly destroy tbe little vessel which bore it. It was feared that be tlives of the second lieutenant Lemoinne and his three companions were absolutely sacrificed. However, the two vessels got visibly nearer. All at once the Thorneycroft put on a last spurt, and struck the Bayonnaiee with its whole foroe on the starboard bow. The sea was terribly agitated, a deafening report was heard, and the Bayonnaise, with a rent as big as a hov e, sank with wonderful rapidity. As for the Thorneycroft, rebounding by the shock about fifteen metres off, even before the explosion occurred, it went ro'ind and round for a few moments, and then quietly resumed the direction of the equadron. No trace remained of the Bayonnaiee; it was literally swallowed up by the sea. Unanimous plaudits greeted the courageous sailors as tbey joined the admiral's equadron to report upon the mission tbey bad accomplished. The experiment was repeated two days later under the same conditions, with another disabled ship, and with the same success; and, in the opinion of competent men, this is one of the most decisive torpedo experiments which have yet been made. The little torpedo boat with its lateen stilyards, resembles a small grey lizard, and it is scarcely discernible in the water. It is evident that a single boat of this kind would be unable to approach an enemy's ship unless at dusk, or when it would be impossible to distinguish it at a distance, for had such an attack been attempted in broad daylight the Thorneycroft would manifestly have been knocked to pieces by the guns of the threatened ship before it could have carried out its project. On the other hand it would be quite impossible for o one or even several ships lo defend themselves against a simultaneous attack, say" by tweoty or twenty-five Thorneycrofte; and as these cost only a fiftieth part of the expense of a man-of-war, this experiment presents a formidable problem to State Navies. What is certain is that those who witnessed the affwr. were greatly impressed by it, and are persuaded that it is the starting point of an inevitable transformation in naval tactics.