FLYING TORPEDOES AND COAST DEFENCE.

North Otago Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4070, 28 September 1885, Page 4

FLYING TORPEDOES AND COAST DEFENCE.

An "Engineer" contributes an interesting article on coast defence to the Pall Mall Gazette, from which the following passages are extracted : C l will now point to some seriouß limitations that lmve been found to exist as regards the practical utility of submarine torpedoes First, they are excessively bulky compared with their explosive charges. This arises from their having to contain their own propelling apparatus. Secondly,their ran?ciscomparatively short, so that a torpedo boat to be of service mv t come within reach ol the enemy's machine guns, and this fact almost prohibits the u?c of torpedoes in daylight. Thirdly, their speed is low, and therefore they may be readily evaded, as was seen in the recent evolutions ; while this same want of Tilocity renders t'.iem capable of being easily stopped by nets and other light obstacles, to say nothing of the action of currents and the fouling of their propelling gear by ropes, seaweed, and the like. Fourthly, they cavnot be carried in any great number by a single vessel, so that when a torpedo boat has discharged its few projectiles it is practically, hors dc combat If, then, the defence of any port wero to bo entrusted to a squadron of torpedo boats, an enemy'a^man-of-war ought to be master of the situation, shelling the town with impunity in the daytime and retiring out to eea at night. Nor would the port fare much better if dependece were placed on heav3 r artillery. Suitable fortifications are out of the question, if only on t*ie ground of expense. Heavily a r med cruisers are equal l\ out of the question. An adequate supply of puns and shells simply docs not exist, and is not likely to be forthcoming. Suppose, however, that it were possible to load artillery with torpedoes instead ol shells. A email torpedo striking au ironclad would be equal to a volley from many heavy guns, and yet could be fired from a comparatively small piece of ordnance. Even as a spent shot it would be fully effective ; for, ns above explained, the blow struck by a torpedo is not dependent upon the velocity of the projectile. A 'fl)ing torpedo,' therefore, could be efficiently used nt a distance of several miles, and the gunboat from which it was fired could keep well out of the enemy's range. No skill in handling a ship would avail to evade a projectile flying through tho air with the swiUncss of a cannon shot ; and no nets or booms would stop its course. What would a 'flying torpedo' be like ? The answer is almost absurd in its simplicity. An ordinary shell, charged with a propci explosive, is a ' 11} ing torpedo' — that is to say, it is a projectile which prc•tuceß its effect, not by per.etration, but by rtcre impact. And when we consider that a !><'/, (h nainitc cartridge skillfully explodul is sufficient to tear asunder many leet of solid rock, it does not seem extravagant to suppose that a 01b dyuatnitc shell would inflict a death wound upon tho Infloxil l.\ Our American cousins have not been blind to these considerations. For some time past they have been experimenting with dynamite shells, propelled at first by compressed air, and latterly in the ordinary way by gunpowder. The following account which appeared recently in Iron, is. instructive : Four shots were fired with 0 inch shells, carrying 11 H> bursting chrtryes of nitro gelatine. The range \\a" 1000 yards, and the target was "a perpandiculnr ledj-.c cf solid trap rock m the south bank of the river. The firtt shellstruck near theeastern margin of the ledge, and exploded by concussion, shattering the face ol the rock for a radius of about 30!t, and carrying awa.v several tons of debris which were hurled for hundred* of yawls up and down the Mrcam. The second shell stinck nearly in the centre of the ledge, exploding like the Uret si ot fired It opene ■ a cavity in the face of the ledge about 25ft in dianie ter, and excavated a pit orciato- about G!> deep. Some of the U admen's of rock from thi« explosion were hurled half a mile. Here, then, we have a feasible plan for the defence of our ports and coasts. All that is required is the provision of small gun boats armed with light long-range artillery, firing shells charged with the most powerful explosives that the progress of science from year to year may render available. Such vessels could engage hostile men of-war with practical imj unity, and could keep them sufficiently far away to protect a coast town from bombardment. It will be obvious that the cost of such a method ol piotcction would be trifling compared with the expersc attendant upon any plan involving the employment of great guns and pubmaiinc fop' does. And the rapidity with which siuh a scheme pould be carried into effect is an equally important consideration. Light aitillery can be had in large quantity at short notice, and can be fitted and efficiently worked on all kinds of biuall cralt, What is wanted is systematic organisation."