128 Book of Steamships 



brought out. Here was an enlarged 

 torpedo-boat with superior speed, armed 

 with quick-firing guns, and also torpedo 

 tubes. Speed quickly mounted in this 

 class, and each succeeding type brought 

 something remarkable in the matter of 

 speed, if not in armament. 



Both France and Germany pinned their 

 faith to the torpedo-boat in the 'nineties, 

 doubtless thinking that whilst they could 

 not compete with us in capital ships, there 

 was no reason why they should not have 

 a larger number of these mosquito craft. 

 It was thought by both these Powers that, 

 with a preponderance of torpedo-boats, 

 the odds against them would be greatly 

 lessened in case of war. 



If we remember that in the 'nineties 

 the Germans were busy with their new 

 Navy, and the French fleet was then second 

 to ours, and quite as likely to fight Britain 

 as side by side, we shall see the line of 

 argument quite clearly. But, as in most 

 engines of warfare, an antidote was looked 



