CIRCULAR IRONCLADS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XII, Issue 4291, 14 August 1875, Page 3

CIRCULAR IRONCLADS.

A correspondent of the Times writes from St. Petersburg:— A remarkable speech, delivered by Admiral al Popoff during his recent visit of inspection to Nicolaeff, on the Black Sea, lias bad the effect of virtually putting an end to the controversy which has been exciting the public for some months on the subject of the round armour-plated ships of which the admiral is himself the inventor. This speech is not only important on account of the technical details which it explains in the construction of these vessels, but also on account of the light it throws on the policy of his Government and its effects upon Russian naval armaments. The great length at which the admiral expressed himself in exhaustively treating the subject prevents my giving you more than a precis of the chief points upon which he enlarged. The speech was originally published by the XicolaeJ" Ventnik, but has since been reproduced by the leading papers, and the sensation created throughout the country has been very considerable, owing to Jhis being the first, although only a semi-official, expose of the non-aggressive principles which actuate the present Imperial Government. After a short historical sketch, in which he showed that it was no longer necessary to strive for mastery over the Swedes aud Turks, who in the infancy of the Russian Navy disputed the supremacy of the seas which washed the coasts of the empire, the admiral went on to say that the introduction of steam had so entirely altered the nature of naval warfare, and that international relations were now so much more rapid and intimate that a coalition of foreign enemies combining several powerful fleets for the purpose of attacking Russia either in the Baltic or the Black Sea was no longer an improbable event. This was abundantly proved by the war of 1553-54, when Russia, having only fleets composed of large vessels, had the mortification of seeing one completely destroyed in the South, while tho lleet in the Baltic was rendered useless. The material and men, however, of the latter were employed to equip seventy-live gunboats and

fourteen armour-plated rafts, which alone became available to check the action of the allied fleets in the North. The fact of its being impracticable to create similar forces in the Black Sea led to results which would have proved jven more disastrous "if peace had not fortunately saved ua from still heavier trials." The lesson thus learnt turned the attention of the Government to the creation of a fleet only intended to act on the defensive. The importance of swift cruisers, such. as the Alabama, which could harrass the commercial navies of an enemy, was not lost sight of ; but the idea of a very powerful offensive navy, however important and desirable such an adjunct might be, especially when in co-operation with, other naval powers, was adjudged to be too expensive a luxury in addition to the defensive fleet, which was absolutely essential to the safety and interests of the empire. It was therefore Tesolyed to direct the principal energies and resources of the admiralty to the creation of a force capable of withstanding if necessary the combined navies of Europe. The necessity being only to defend points of great strategical and economical importance, such as St. Petersburg, the Straits of Kertch, and the mouth of the Dnieper, it was expedient to devise vessels combining enormous resisting power with light draught, t\ hich might give efficient aid to the fortresses specially established to guard these points. Fortresses, it had been truly said, could always be taken if properly besieged It was necessary, therefore, to organise means which would practically render such sieges impossible ; and it was resolved for this reason to construct ironclads, at the least possible cost, with the heaviest possib'.o armour, and the most powerful guns, which could lloat in 14ft of water, that being all that is afforded by the Straits of Kertch, the shallowest of the menaced points. These desiderata were fully satisfied by the circular ironclad ships which he had invented, and which were now known by the name of "Popofka." The admiral laid down as an axiom, " that round vessels, with the same draught of water, the same thickness of armour, and the same weight of guns, have less displacement of water than vessels of the ordinary form ; and, as the water displacement was equal to the weight of the whole vessel, and the weight of the vessel (made up of the combined weights of its armour, engines, and guns, and metal of which it is constructed) determines its cost, it'followed that the " Popofkas" could be more economically constructed than ships of any other form. This axiom was in no way confuted by the argument of his opponents that the "Popofkas" had cost more than. ships of the usual shape constructed in England, for it must be remembered that manufactured metal was incomparably dearer in Russia than in England."

The admiral then proceeded to illustrate his theory by comparing the Novgorod, circular vessel, with the Tonnere, Tempete, and Glatton of the French and English fleets, the Novgorod only drawing 13ft 2in, " while armed with llin. plates and 3iu. of elliptical iron, and mounted with guns weighing 28 tons each, while the Glatton, with 25-ton guns and 12in. of armour draws 19ft. 4in." The comparison with the French vessels resulted still more favorably for the Novgorod, A further development of his system was to be found in the new vessel, the Vice-Admiral Popoff, now in course of construction. Its armour would be 50 per cent, thicker, and its draught 40 per cent, less than that of the Glatton. He affirmed positively that when this ship was laid down no vessel existed in the world with so powerful an armour, but its construction had no doubt been the main cause of the English having decided to arm the luflearible with 20in. plates. Proceeding, then, to review the qualities exhibited by the different ships of the Russian fleet, and principally by the Peter the Great, the admiral quoted the terms of high praise in which Mr. Barnaby.the able chief constructor of the British Navy, had complimented him, as her designer, in a speech he delivered at the Institute of Naval Architects on the 3rd of April, 1573. lie maintained the superiority of his cylindrical flat-bottoms over the semispherical bottoms of Mr. Elder, both as regards less draught and less tendency to roll, lie was in favor of open turrets, as they permitted greater precision of aim. By increasing the diameter of the new circular ship, the Vice-Admiral Popoff, by 19ft., she would be able to carry 40-ton guns and lSin. armour without augmenting her draught. On the other hand, by adding more powerful engines, the speed might also be raised; but, as the ship was only intended for defence, tliis last was deemed unnecessary. If the ariiiour,a'_'ain T were reduced to 12iu., the ship would treble its offensive powers ; this, however, he deprecated, in view of what was now being done in England, where the Indexible was receiving 20in. armour and SOton guns In fact, were it not that the circular vessels could select their own lighting ground, they would be unable to resist the penetration of the new English guns even with lSin. plating. The theory of rams had been entirely discarded by the Russian Admiralty in favor of torpedoes, for 'which they had founded a separate department and schouL The circular ships were most favorably disponed also as regarded ventilation, ventilating engines being quite superfluous. As inconvenience, however, might result from having to cover up part of the turret to protect it from spray, a high asceudiug pipe has been devised out of the reach of spray, which could also serve as a rest for electrical lighting machines and for mitrailleuses. The rolling also would be greatly reduced. This tile Admiral illustrated by diagrams. He indignantly repudiated the idea of unmanageability, and uiaintained that the six screw 3 of his vessel possessed a great advantage in this respect. If desirable, these screws could be easily protected, but by reason of the probable position of the ships in action th'B would be unnecessary. Notwithstanding several serious drawbacks when tested, the speed of the Novgorod was found to be at least to that of the monitors, and the admiral was of opinion that even high speed was not incompatible with the shape of these vessels, as, he concluded, would be proved in the ship now building,which he again proved by various diagrams. In conclusion, the gallant admiral was happy to be able to state, that, notwithstanding all the many adverse criticisms and unfavorable predictions which the peculiar form of the Novgorod had called forth, she had been successfully launched, and by repeated trips had proved her seaworthiness entirely to the satisfaction of the designer and of the Imperial Government.

That the above speech, which is considered to announce a purely defensive policy on the part of the Government, should have made a profound impression here can easily be imagined. In business circles it is naturally hailed with the greatest satisfaction. A Government which concentrates its resources on purely defensive armaments has a right to be believed when it declares itself to be nonaggressive, and though this peaceful attitude may be unpalatabe to a few ambitious mind?, the bulk of the nation undoubtedly give to it the warmest support.