THE INVISIBLE TORPEDO

Greymouth Evening Star, 4 November 1931, Page 6

THE INVISIBLE TORPEDO

foRFIg.N Na Vies* SfcCftfeTS : The ree'ent gunhery trials off Bogftbr. Which resulted in the sinking 6f tt.M.B. Empferbi- bf India (since tefioated), fcb’upied with the explosibn tests made op board her sister ship Maflhbnbigh, in Plymouth Sound last ftibnth; have attracted imbiic attention (Writes HtedfoF C. By water, Naval Cdrrespoftdeht of "The baily Telegraph’*). As these ekpdrifflehts were confidential, it Would tth improper to give any detailb. It is, however, no secret that the last fow y&aFs have witnessed extrabrdiilary develbpihdnts ih the power of h'aVal W'e’apbtib, both in this country aim abroad. ih this cohfibction 1 am ih a positibii tb 'dikclbhC Certain facts which haVfe no reiatlbii to recent Admiralty ekpertmehts’; indeed, I may add that' cbrtaiti fdFergn powers are spending much morb mbney bn naVal arfndmehts research thftn this country. Pfdgres's has besii especially Marked i ih the Sphere bjf fife control. In ‘one foreign tlavy a Rbbbt “control officer" has been tested With remarkable results. This mechanism appears to function without human aid, though it scarcely fieed be said that the directing brain ife hot a mechanical one. Once set in motion, the apparatus estimates and records the range of an enemy ship at any distance up Ho eighteen miles, and | it will do so .as accurately in darkness or fog as in. broad daylight! I Having found the range, the Robot! continuously plots the target’s speed! pnd course, so that the guns caff be! kept constantly bearing upon it. As the guns themselves can be laid and fired I by the apparatus, the human factor is I entirely eliminated; or sb any observer not in the secret Would conclude. This mysterious mechanism has proved sb successful that it will probably be installed in all the fnajdir ships of a certain navy. Unlike many otheF sydtemi of fire cofttFol, the Robot is virtually “foolproof” Save iff Fespect of the master brMa that represents the only sentient elhftfeirt.

IRRESISTIBLE SHELLS Since Jutland the design and manufacture, of naval, projectiles have been revolutionised. To-day there are shells which no armour of practicable weight can keiep out. The new projectiles will cleanly perforate the thickest plates, even when striking at.au Oblique angle. More remarkable still, they will penetrate the hull of a ship eVen if they foil some distance short, aS, unlike the older type shell, they are not deflected on impact with the water. The bursting charge bf a modern arnfour-piercing shell is so powerful that its explosioft iftSide a ship has all the effect of a mine. Ordnance experts deciare that no battleship now afloat could withstand mbre than a few salvos from heaty-calibre guns. The gun, in fact, has so completely beaten armour protection that the whole system of ship defence 'stands in urgent need of revision—or so it is claimed.

Incidentally, a modern Bin. shell, weighing from 250 lb. to -280 lb., is equal in range, accuracy, and destructive power to the 121 n 8501 b. projectiles that were fired at Jutland ! Bore for bore, tMe n'OW naval guns ate very milch lighter than those of the war period, though their Weight has been greatly reduced. Of all-steel design, built up by aiito-frettage, they are wholly free from the tendency to droop at the mu22le Which Was a grave defect in thfe old wire-wound pattern. As a result, longer guns'can now be used, thus increasing their range, velocity, and striking energy. Mountings have been improved to permit of higher rates of fire. Present loading speeds with a heavy gun and mountings of the latest design may be gauged by the fact that while the first shell was hitting the target, the second would be half way there, and the third just leaving the muzzle. Another novelty is the invisible torpedo. From primitive beginnings dur-

ing the war, this weapon has now been developed to a high pitch of efficiency. Unlike the ordinary air-driven torpedo, it leaves absolutely no trick, and thus gives no warning of its approach until

the moment of explosion. This lOFpadb, it is believed, will render submarine attack more dangerou than it has been hitherto, besides increasing the peril of torpedoes fired from other Craft. White the air-driven torpedo may ofteh be detected and evaded in time, it will be iiiibosslble to dodge th® new type, which delivers its deadly blow Wlthput Warning.

SHELL FROM THE Experiments have been made with yet another pattern of torpedo. Ob' hitting a rihip below the waterline, instead of simply detonating its war head against the hull, it fires an exdosiVe shell ihtO the Innermost vitals of the tatjet, where the mtmhihery or

the magazines may be. situated. A single blow of this kind might well destroy the mightiest battleship. Naval mines and mine-sweeping methods have not escaped the march of progress. It is of ten. stated that the paravane (which sweeps up a mine in the path of an pnfepming ship and automatically severs the mooring cable,: thus bringing the mine, bobbing up to the surface, where it can be avoided or sunk by gunfire) has practically killed naval mining, * That unfortunately, Ik; not correct; Mines are now made which cannot be. swept up. by the pWavahe pt any!

other form of sweep in general Use. When the sweeping wire meets the mooring cable of one of thd'se ftiines, it passes through the cable . without cutting it or disturbing the mine ih ahy way. Consequently Sweepers may traverse a large , tract of sea without fishing up a single mine. Although navies are decreasing in size their offensive powers are increase iiig. “Less weight but more sting” is the guilding principle of naval poliOy. at home and abroad. While the British Navy is believed to be keeping abreast of progress, it is [irhifed funds gyaimble for research.