LAND AND .W, A T E R. 
March 20, 1915. 
torpedo-boat destroyer and tlia Tvthinia, with possibly also 
some effort to work ia a liydroplane after-body. 
I should give the full body, with its high forecastle and 
flaining bow lines, very much the form of the latest 
destroyers, keeping draft at lowest possible limits, and round - 
ing-up the keel from midships to stern. The full beam would 
be carried very far aft on the load-line, very much as iu the 
case of the Tiirbinia already referred to. Perhaps an en- 
larged Maple Leof would best represent the type advocated. 
Such a vessel at raoder.ite speeds up to twenty knots 
would travel very easily with moderate change of trim, but 
at speeds of thirty knots or thereby "squatting" would 
occur to a considerable extent, a tendency which might be 
utilised to advantage in quiet waters to obtain a hydroplane 
effect, very conducive to quick handling on the rudder. 
Roughly speaking, such a vessel could be worked out on 
a length of 200ft., a displacement not exceeding 350 tons, and 
a draft of 7ft. at normal trim. Twin-screw turbines and 
two express boilers, oil-fired, would be fitted to develop five 
to six thousand s.h.p. 
A word as to the tactics to be used with such vessels. 
Flotillas of eight or ten would bo based on each large shipping 
district or naval base — e.g., Thames, Forth, Mersey, Tyne, 
Bristol Channel, and so forth — with special enlarged flotillas 
for strategical points, such as Dover Straits. Mull of Cautyre, 
St. George's Channel, &c., &c. Ships making port or ap- 
proaching danger zones would be shadowed by one or more of 
these special craft rapidly varying their positions relative to 
the vesrel shadowed by alternating periods of slow with 
sudden bursts of high speed, than which there would be 
nothing more disconcerting to the submarine. It is not too 
much to claim that no submarine would think of wasting 
torpedoes in attacking a vessel so protected, nor would it be 
safe for a submarine to even show its periscope in such a neigh- 
bourhood. Flotillas of these vessels would also employ 
"scatter" tactics in waters where a submarine has been 
located. It is at present impossible to locate a submarine's 
course after it has once dived, but a number of fast vessels 
can from a given point " scatter " over the points of the com- 
pass and with fair prospect of locating the submarine again 
at its ne.xt effort in surface observation. 
Unfortunately, such a programme as I have outlined re- 
quires the building of at least a hundred new vessels of this 
special type. Frankly, this is quite out of the question at 
present; at least, in this country. All our available ship- 
building resources must be utilised to provide the units for 
immediate necessities, such as cruisers, torpedo-boat 
destroyers, submarines, and other types which the Censor 
might not like to have enumerated. It might be possible to 
get round this difficuity, but here again publication is inad- 
missible. 
In my opinion, some of us ought to help the authorities 
by building and experimenting with some such craft as I 
have outlined, giving special attention to siraplicty of con- 
struction and standardisation of parts for rapid reproduction 
in batches. One thing may be definitely stated, and that is 
that the mere design of a thoroughly practical anti-submarine 
craft presents no difiSculty at all. To provide a hundred such 
for early delivery is quite another matter. 
J.R. 
WASTAGE. 
To the Editor of L.vnd .vnd W.vtee. 
Sir, — Seldom indeed can it be said that Mr. Belloc does 
not make his meaning abundantly clear. But his criticism iu 
your last issue of the military writer's figures is difficult to 
follow. 
Mr. Belloc has told us that the total German casualties 
are forty per cent, of their whole force in the field, which ho 
puts down at 6,000,000. This, it v.'iU be noticed, would give 
2,400,000 casualties in all. 
On the other hand, he estimated last month the per- 
manent losses of Germany alone at 1,250,000 (to be doubled 
if Austria is included). This fairly corresponds with the 
larger figure given later by the military writer. 
If, then, Mr. Bellce's 2,500,000 refers to pennanent 
losses only, is he now including those of the Austrian Army 
as well? If not, is he estimating the total list of casualties, 
and not (like the Jiiilitary writer) the permanent losses onlv? 
Yours faithfully, 
Shrewsbury. A. L. O. 
MILITARY HONOURS. 
To the Editor of L.vkd .\nd \V.\ter. 
Deab Sir. — Your military correspondent may be able to 
explain to those who, like myself, are not conversant with 
things warlike the following approximate figures based oa 
the recent list of Military Honours : 
Pcrcenta;?e of ironour? awarded to Regimental Officers 
ia Ilia Field 5 p.O. 
Parcenlftgo of Honours awarded to Staff ORioers ia the 
Field 35 p.O. 
Casualties among JSesiment.al Officers 30 p.c. 
CaauaUieii amoug lliu .Staff 5 p.o. 
It would seem from above almost as easy for a Regi-« 
mental Officer to acquire a place in the " Boll of Honour " at 
for a Staff Officer to appear in the " List of Honours." 
While at the same time the Regimental Officer runs six 
times as much chance of being knocked out, with one-seventh 
the chance of being noticed. — Yours truly, 
Civilian. 
March 2, 1915. 
ARTICLE ON SUBMARINES. 
To the Editor of Land and Water. 
Sir, — Now that submarines are so much before the publio 
would it not be useful if your paper, which has so many 
interesting articles in it, was to get some naval expert who 
can v^rite intelligibly to give us an article on submarines! 
The public know very little about their strong and weak points 
or really what their capabilities are or how they can be best 
attacked or guarded against. I would suggest the following 
points would be of interest : 
(1) ilow long can they slay under water, and liow do they stay 
Uenaath t!ie surfiice? 
(2) How loiiij does it take thorn to sink or rise! 
(3) Wh.it rate do they travel as a rule above and below th« 
surface ? 
(4) What 13 tho smallest rifle, gnn, ballet, or shell which will 
pierce tliem ? 
(5) How long can they keej) the sea without replenishing thei» 
stores ? 
(6l \yhat is their armament besides torpedoes! 
(7) Ho'v do men-of w-jr and torpedo-boats attack and defezid 
themselves agiirist submarines' 
— Yours truly, 
P. C. S. P.4YNE, 
2ud Lieut. Beds. Yeomanry, 
13, High Street, Olney, Bucks. 
LA MEDAILLE MILITAIRE. 
To the Editor of L.\.nd and Water. 
Dear Sir, — I should be much obliged if you could giv» 
me the follov/iug information through your paper, with regard 
to the French decoration " La Medaille Militaire ": 
(1) How many classes are there ? 
(2) What class are the W.O., N.C.O., and men to 
receive whose names appeared in Army Orders 
under date November 5, 1914 J 
(3) What colour is the ribbon? 
(4) Is the ribbon colour the same for all classes ? 
Waverley Hotel, Bournemouth. 
X. 
MISSING. 
To the Editor of L.\.nd and Water. 
Sir, — We see daily iu the newspapers reports from our 
front that " a section of our trenches have been lost or recap- 
tured," and that besides the " killed and wounded " many 
hundreds of our men are ' ' missing. ' ' It seems hardly 
possible that a section of a trench can contain so many. Aa 
explanation of this — to me and others a puzzle — as to where 
the missing come from, and where they go to, and how they 
get there, might quiet our doubts. — Your obedient servant, 
Y. 
Tangier and Constitutional Clubs. 
MR. HILAIRE BELLOC S LECTURES ON THE WAR. 
Ne-.vcastle Town Hall Friday 19 March, 3and8.30, 
Gla.sgow St. Andrew's Hall. Monday 22 March, 8.15 p.m. 
Edinburgh Usher Hall Tuesday 23 March, 8 p.m. 
Manchester Free Trade Hall.... Wednesday 24 March, 8.30 p.m. 
Southport Cambridge Hal!.... Thursday 25 March, 8 p.m. 
Seats may now be booked for the ne.xt series of Lectures at Queen *■ 
Hall ; these are to be given on the first Wednesday in April, May, 
and June. 
MR. JANE'S LECTURES ON THE NAVAL WAR. 
Bournemouth.... Pavilion Friday 19 March, 3 p.m. 
Guildford Borough Hall Saturday 20 March, 3 p.m. 
Hove Town Hall Tuesday 23 March, 3 p.m. 
Bath Assembly Rooms.. Thursday 25 March, 3 p.m. 
Malvern Assembly Rooms.. Friday 26 March, 3 p.m. 
Shrewsbury Assembly Rooms. Saturday 27 March, 3 p.m. 
JNIr. Walter Leaf, D.Litt.. will lecture on "The Dardanelles " at 
the .Slolian Hall on Friday, Mardi 26th. at 8 p.m. Tickets, pric* 
73. 6d., 5s., 2s. 6d., and Is., can be obtained from Miss P. Strachey, 58, 
Victoria Street, .S.W. 
Printed by Tub Victoria Houss PaiNiiNa Co., Ltd., Tudor Street, Whitefriars, London, E.O. 
