SEA POWER.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 493, 28 April 1909, Page 7

SEA POWER.

SOME DRAWBACKS OF DREADNOUGHTS , ADMIRAL BERESFORD'S VIEW. LONG RANGE FIGHTS DISCOUNTED. (ni TELEGRAM -PBESS ASSOCIATION—COVTIHOHT.) London, April 26. Addressing a private meeting of seventy members of tho Parliamentary Navy Committee, Admiral Lord Charles Beresford declared that tho Admiralty was within '.Is rights in relieving him of his command of tho Channel Fleet. Ho had no feelings of animosity in connection with tho matter. Replying to tho committee, Lord Bereeford remarked that Dreadnoughts could not, owing to their size, bo utilised for somo effective purposes in tho same way as ordinary battleships. ' ! Tho Admiral discounted the idea of sea ' fights at a distance- of 7000 yards. Such engagements, ho said, weio unlikely to prove serious.

TOO, BIG FOR SHALLOW WATERS,

GUN-RANGES AND FOG

>The "points mentioned ,by Admiral Lord Charles "Beresford;; have been receiving considerable attention, at Home lately. Among, tho objections ;ufged to .the Dreadnoughts is that they are of such deep draught that-their usefulness -,is~.considerably ciroumsenbed.,■-. ~l n some portions "of the North• Sea, where .their presence "might be necessary,,.there would only bc/:a margin ■■of; -'five feet of water below, the depth'they draw:'.'- ;;■■:.:■:; r :_ ■':':. ■':■'.' ■ :'- : --- .•,.-. '■': The■'predominance'' of. henvy armament- in the "Dreadnoughts 'is considered to ■; unfit them for work in'the North Sea latitudes.: A: gun oan-only fire with.accuracy.as far as the.man who is firing it can see, and it is,, therefore, urged .that. in , the. North Sea,- waters—which are proverbially 'foggy, even on the finest davit is very- seldom. that .the atmosphere.sufficiently "cleats to allow 1 of a combat at such long ranges as 7000 to iO.OOO yards, for whichdistahcesthe^Dreadnought- armament.;is 'especially constructed. ...■■":",;. ■•■■'.' ; ■■". ■• ".'': ;.■■■■•: .-The ■defic'ionoy in■■' reconttary: armament has been remedied,' to:some;,extent, in later ;types of Dreadnoughts, but the;.shortcomings in this respect 'are , ' still -'considered, to-be very great. "The experience' of ■• the battle /of Tsushima, says'the "Naval Annual," "showed the value of 'a hail of. fire from guns of medium' calibre. , Moreover, the: Dreadnought policj involves further ; outlays '.unconnected ' with the -.actual construction.. s 'There ,ate: at present only'.three docks in- Great. Britain "capable o! takings a Dreadnought, .and 'only. ;pne ; ; of .those ,is Government 1 property;- , K , :' ■ >- ■ : ":-■■:■' ■;■,.■.'•' ■■ ':" vßut-whatovor:may be '.the-piactical; rangelimits \qf-, : sea battles, the improvement of .bigjun innges continues. The new British 12-incn wire' breech-loading ! naval gun (Mark- XI) is olairoed ■to have a higher /■•velocity-' than any EUiTiyot made, .arid 'to''have increased, the- effective-': range ■ ofthe . 12-inch ;gun -from;". 16 to IB;ihilesivv;-::■';•■"■■•V"'v:v v ; : v.'\ '-■?.-' f :i'-^:.\\"^\[--, PISHIIR'S INON-DREADNOTIG]ET':-WyXfOUGt. :;.■::- : ; ■ v..-; ( - '■ ,^:^ ; ffi:r^ "-'; ;; :--?,.'w:r' April-27/;;. at the Eight Hour Demonstration, tne; Pedef ■ Mr. ;Tisher,:said' ii;he Gtoyernment ha&ljno intention .of'-.adopting the'- suggestion" ■■{ .make : ,;the ,■ Dreadnought issue, a non-party 'question, and of submitting toihe will.of Pariiament if Parlianient- should decide in jFavouT. of .presenting a Dreadnoiiight to vthe'lmperiar.Goveniment. < ■■:;.. '■'[';< ;.- ":<-: l ',^- : . jThe. Federal :Goyernment,, ; Mr. Fisher 'said, had :dealt;-with.- the ■ defence'. question on: ita merits,yand';iitcMe4 to-staad or .faU.by; : rta proposals. M ; ;.- \ \ ',?• AUSTRALIA'S 'li ! ;k nfi". f-M^T ,, W° ■•' •'. ' : - i <} ; ? : ' ;: -The;Goyornqr-General,.'lord Dudley,;in a, : re' cent : ispet6h, v ..strongly' ..backed;., the: -local ,-.navj idea. '■'; His Excellency' said' lie 'did '■■n : ot;'ibeliey< th« ; ttddqiiate uVonetary , . cdniribiition to rhe'ltnperial Navy.'' At '"present',the ■ amount' given > was 8 rnor'e' 'drop in "the bucket: Sit would be -'.he'eesmry t6'giVa:twd : '6i , :-tlir6e:milliohe; ,, :a'nd ifT'waa iiot that sum without obtaining ivhatv^vas-impossible—a: voice in'..the managemout.or'coritrolVof polioy, _He bolieved thoy tfould : get £ar.more'•' irpm- .thisj.country, in th« waylbf. ships^and v ■■■;?',''"' ■■.' : -"-';\ -.'-iV'- ;: ■Vico-Admir.al. Poore, •Gommander-in-Chief : or, the * A iistrnlian - Station, (said: he had>.como tc the-conclusion,- for ;many>r«aspns, that a flotilla of destroyer's would be. of tremendous advatt tage to -Australia.'i'not'only for their actual fighting-value, -but:for their moral effect,-..if, in , case Of war, the; Imperial.Squadron had tc bo "withdrawn. - hoivever; , advocated Im. Derial control, for ;he regarded y dual control -as aangerousV' ; '.^^..,;^:>.';;;r/;,;; ; . '■.". '■.'.■:• ,-; :E : >' VT H E ! 'T\yO^POW ER STANDARD.-: .-;.:f. ; "The:,' programmes.'.of ■:the Powers' in.' Dreadno'nghfe and.''lnyinoiblGS ,(writes Mr. H, W; Wilson), have -been. 'ns , -follow:— i ..'■".; ... ■fe:;->":' r^K ; ";'-Brit;; Ger. Austria. U.S.A.' Fr'ceii: 1905 : ' ;;.'.l».Vr* ; . ; >, 0 ■- . 0 .2 . .SS .. : ; V-'' : 19fle-'-" : . , ...i.'..M ; 'B?.;' : 0 -.•■ 0v .6';, < r-i9o7'-:..^.i.v. ; V3 :;v: ; 3:'i,': 0- .a 2.'; . ;-: o", : -"'(-"M908'.-.'m.»V.'..'- 2;.'--'.:-4/.-V : ".0-';-"-- 1 ;2-.'-': 0 .' iS :1909/VV.V..».;; ; 4 '■ '■ - .4' ■•.:'■ r3 -V- ~2 ?/!,?.:. -.;-'"V: 19ip.'-'....;;V;-.-'.y; ! -"F-;.-A-... 4;: V;' -p.' "■ \ :j/r ■ &:,,.' , '3 / ;^vßfV,^ : V 'i .i'.'The four : supplementary; Britiab . Dread noughts are. not included,, as no money;is-pul down--ii)- the votes: for them, 'but.they, may.bt laid." down\in-1910.;,::. : .. : .. .1.:; ■■'■•■ ■■ ■■ ■'■', . '■ -"To; maintain:- the ■standard r of., equality i.tc two Powers/plus.a. 10 per cent, margin, Bntaii shoiild'--hove-;-'\'■'/■.:..■ ••:: i .. : .,-V, .:■:,.■'-',' \ ■■"■':. .-.''. ': : :j: ■ not. 16,: but;.2B:.Dreadn6ughts.'.;: ;.'■" To maintain:a lO'pef cent, .superiority.over the two:. German" Powers—Germany and. Austria irlutih' 1 are:.united;by an offensive and , defenslvt should, have ■ -.;.- ■■ : , .\[' :i - ] ■ not .16, but' 22 'Dreadnoughts..-.-. ;: 'fEven/'if.. all ,the "four : supplementary shipi \vhich ; may belaid 'down..-by tho British Govern ment .are 'begun: this':year 'she: will only: jinyf twenty.; 'Even' .-nith ihose. four the. Britisl positio.n ; :is not maintained, -y'■'■'.':■ '■■}/:'■"•■■•■■■!.■, -.'.'AUthe' ships.,; figuring ■In.-the.aboyo tabli may ■be , completed ; "by the .middle or end io; 1912.'?.-:-:* ..i'-.- ; ,:-i-v ;: . ~''.,.,.r-: : --"jpv: '-^<