"THE SHIP OF VICTORY."

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 233, 11 March 1915, Page 6

"THE SHIP OF VICTORY."

The Dreadnought design, it will be re membcred, occasioned more than a little controversy, and some ; iigh naval until orities did .not hesitate to condemn tinnew design most forcibly. Admiral of the Fleet Sir Gerard Noel, for instance, said that iu 'Mi opinion the increase n: the size of ships was uncalled for, and that he believed it was the rapid hitting of the Japanese which enabled them to win at Tsushima, that rapid hitting being due to tlm G inch rather than to the he/ivy guns. He also said it was a fallacy to suppose Wo were going to fight battles at v-H-y great distance. We could not do so on the north-east coast, and as regards speed, he thought it wjould bs better utilised if put into guns or armor. liven a great naval architect like Sir William White did not favor these ships. He said that in his opinion the ease in favor of higher speed had not been made out, even on strategical considerations, and on the tactical side the argument in its favor was relatively weaker. He described the Won as a "hybrid, conception which runs ccuntei to the teaching of naval history." Tbo opponents of the design ti re in favor of ships w.'th mixed armaments, which meant weak primary .irmrnents and more protection rat'ior tf an higher speed. Aa flier gentleman, siid to o=; an Adnr'ral, but who preferred to write on naval matters under the nom de plume of "Jiaillcur;' wrote of this claos of vessel in 1907 thus:—

"IjNTER' THEM DECENTLY." The lnrincibl<? ) b'ke the Dreadnought, approaches, when fully loaded, 20,000 tuns in. displacement, and £1.750,000! in coit. The three or four knots extra ■speed which she has must involve a iarge sacrifice of fighting power. - Tie details available, are insufficient to determine its extent. The want of information is not material, because the omission of such ships from the new programme (that of 1900) is an eloquent indication that ships of that class are dead, and that no more will be built. By argument the class have been killed! and it-'only remains to inter them decently, awa- from the public gaze. The Admiralty, however, were so convinced of the value of the remarkable combination of gunpowcr with speed i which they had obtained in the Invincible and her sister ship? that they went on building them. Having begun three in the 1905 programme—they laid down two others in 190'J, a further one in the following year, as well a s two for the dominions, a ninth in 1011, a tenth in 1912, and five more (called hattleships, but really improved battle-cruiser.?) in 1913, and one other under tin's year's programme. Instead of interring the battle-cruiser class the naval authorities continued to build them, and in the light of recent events there does not seem to be a ercat deal of room for doubt as to the wisdom of their procedure.

SI'EED AND HITTING TOWER. The features of tile battle-cruisers are great hitting capacity at lung range, combined with great mobility on a relatively small displacement. Thus the Lion cau throw a weight, of metal on the broadside of or over i'our tons, twice in every minute, and the range of her guns enables her to do this at distances of more than ten miles, and when the target is only just visible bv those who are directing.the firing. Th e licanco of tbe increase in hittiDg capacity of the battle-cruiser will perhaps be more fully apreciated when it is stated that the latest of the pr<S-Dreadnought j cruisers could discharge from her four •0.2 and five 7.4 guns a weight of metal of 25201b, or a little over one ton. Of I «ourse, the pre-Dreadnought, could discharge more quickly, but ner broadsides would not have the same effect even at much shorter ranges than those at which liattle-cruisers of the Lion type can, operate. According to Admiral Boatty his big ships commenced work on the enemy at 18,000 yards—nearly ]o<4 miles —and began to register hits at 17,000 yards.

BUILT TO HUN AWAY! Although the British ships had a marked superiority in gun-power, sun-i day's engagement took the form that to some extent neutralised this advantage. The German sbip« had to be chased, and as it happens the armament of the enemy'o cruisers is disposed in such a fashion that, they can put mora weight of metal into astern fire than they can to fire aVad. In the Lion. Tiger and Princess Royal the armament is disposed on the opposite lines. Out of their eight big guns they each possess, four can fire abead, and onlyi two astern. In the ease of the Vow Zealand and Indomitable six of their eight heayy guns can be used both fore and a f t Jn tin Moltkc and Sc-ydlib., out of the ten heavy guns, six can fire ahead and eight astern. Thus two of the German battlecruisers, in the circumstances in whiob the action was contested, could bring to bear just double the number of the heavy guns to the principal ships opposed to thern, that is to say, eight.as compared with four, whilst the Blucher and Derfi'linger could bring to bear, so far as the information available in regard to the latter ship shows, half their heavy guns for ahead or astern fire, six B.2in in the case of the Blucher, and four 12in in the case of the lOcrifringer.