20 NOTES ON THE ARMAMENTS OF BATTLESHIPS. 



8,000 yards soon becoming possible, although that is probably an extreme 

 view not likely to be realized. This development of torpedoes has been 

 held in some quarters to imperil the supremacy of guns in naval warfare. 

 Designs have been prepared for armored torpedo vessels which should possess 

 high speed to carry a great number of torpedo ejecting tubes and be practically 

 gunless. Other persons have advocated and designed in outline types of vessels 

 in which a large number of torpedo stations were associated with special 

 types of guns intended to act chiefly as howitzers and to fire shell containing 

 large bursters of high explosives. These speculative designs need not be 

 seriously considered. The gun still remains and will remain the supreme 

 weapon of offense. Its greater accuracy, especially at long ranges, its 

 much greater rapidity of fire and the possibility of efficiently mounting in 

 a single ship a considerable number of guns all tell in its favor as they have 

 done throughout the period since artillery was first introduced into warships. 



Note: — This last paragraph was contained in the original manuscript, but was omitted inadvertently 

 from the preliminary copies issued for discussion, time not permitting proof reading before distribution. 



The Secretary. 



DISCUSSION. 



The President: — You must have noted with pleasure the inferential com- 

 pliment paid to our own naval constructors by Sir William, that it was a new and 

 bold departure in the Michigan and South Carolina to place two turrets in each of 

 the supreme positions, and to arrange for firing the guns in one turret over the top 

 of the other turret. This paper is now before you for discussion, and I wish to say 

 that the discussion is not to be limited to the actual membership. Any gentleman 

 on the floor will be ver\^ gladly heard in these discussions. I first ask the Secretar}' 

 to read the written discussion. 



The Secretary : — The Secretar}- would state that owing to certain unfortu- 

 nate circumstances existing in New York recentty, the papers have had to be 

 handled by mail, causing delay in distribution. He will now read a memorandum 

 from Admiral Mahan on this paper. 



Rear Admirai^ A. T. Mahan, U. S. A. (Commtmicated) — My comment upon 

 the paper, which I have read carefully, must be confined to a brief expression of 

 my general agreement with the conclusions of Sir William White (page 16) and 

 the following summary of the leading principles I conceive to be involved in the 

 controversy between the all-big-gun ship, which, barring torpedo defense, is to 

 carry no armament except a few of the verj' heaviest caliber used by its nation, 



