NOTES ON THE ARMAMENTS OF BATTLESHIPS. 21 



and the mixed battery vessel, which, to fewer of the heaviest guns, adds a pro- 

 portioned number of comparatively light pieces variously called secondary or 

 intermediate. This is the type which commands the adhesion of Sir William White. 



The argument for the all-big-gun ship, briefly, is that it and the squadron 

 to which it belongs will always be able to keep at its own desired range; and that, 

 being so able, it can and will always choose such a distance that the smaller guns 

 of its opponents will be practically "out of action," an aim which SirWilHam 

 White accurately quotes as that of all-ship fighting. Under this condition, the 

 circumstances of the two fleets are reduced to the most heavy guns of the all-big- 

 gun fleet opposed to the fev»'er of the mixed-batter>' fleet. 



The repty to this is, that the fleet speed of any body of vessels is the speed 

 of the slowest among them; and the maintenance of the all-big-gun distance pre- 

 supposes a perpetual avoidance of close action by the fleet depending upon it, 

 that is, constant withdrawal; that an}- mishap lessening the speed of a single 

 member of the fleet entails the abandonment of that member or the acceptance 

 of close action, within the range of the mixed batter}^ The pursuing fleet follows 

 with its best speed, because its slower members are in no danger, and will come up 

 as a reser\'e. 



Much stronger assertion is made as to the inferior accuracy of the smaller 

 caliber, under conditions of modern action. Sir WiUiam White tells us (page 5) 

 that naval officers having full and accurate information on this subject have 

 assured him that the percentage of hits obtained with 6-inch guns under service 

 conditions is not inferior to percentages obtained with guns of larger caUber. 

 Accepting this, and also that, as was the case with battleships but a few years 

 ago, three 6-inch are carried for one 12-inch gun, the number of 6-inch hits "under 

 service conditions" would be to 12-inch as three to one. This is "volume of fire." 

 Considering the large amount of surface penetrable, and of crew accessible to 

 6-inch projectiles, it is a very material consideration. It is to be remembered 

 that the 6-inch projectile weighs 100 pounds, and that the repeated near burstings 

 of such in rapid succession, even where they do not penetrate, is a tremendous 

 nervous strain upon men subjected to them. This the Russians experienced at 

 Tsushima. 



The very striking success of the system of fire control developed within the 

 past few years has led those to whom the credit of this belongs to insist much 

 upon the difficulty of observation of the fall of projectiles, where two calibers are 

 used. The splash of the 12 -inch and of the 6-inch are often indistinguishable. 

 I think this argument presupposes a deliberateness of fire control which will not 

 obtain after the action becomes "hot." Till then, like two fencers measuring 

 each other's strength, there may be "passes" with the 12 -inch on each side to 

 ascertain distance, and this will and should continue as long as possible. How 

 long, is the question. 



The all-big-gun conception leads necessarily to the wish for as many such guns 

 as possible; or, what in aggregate impact is much the same, to each gun being 



