SLOWER DESTROYERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12663, 17 September 1904, Page 5 (Supplement)

SL O WER DESTROYERS.

There has been much adverse criticism of late regarding our most recent tyne or torpedo-boat destroyer, those of the Doon and Colne class. Tho chief complaints against the new destroyers are that they mark no advance whatever in offensive efficiency; that they are distinctly defective in the all-important factor of speed; that the claim of better seakeeping qualities is not justified by the actual results; and that, 10 far from being stronger than tho type of boat they are designed to supersede, they are in reality weaker, in spite of their stouter scantling. The consensus of opinion is that the new destroyers are likely to prove a failure. " They will not adequately fulfil their function as far as I can see," said a lieutenantcommander of long experience in torpedo work. " How are they better than our present type? They are bigger, and therefore more weatherly, I grant you, but this solitary advantage is purchased at the cost of far too big a sacrifice. Sea-keeping qualities are only useful when accompanied by a greatly enlarged radius of action. Although the new 25-knotters have bigger bunker capacity, they burn very much more fuel at their top speed. "In point of fact their radius of action is considerably smaller than that of our 30-knot class. Take, for example, the Albatross, built, by i'hornycroft in 1898. Her coal endurance is ninety-fiv. tons, and her speed, attained on her full-power trials, is 31.5 knots. "Tha Dee, launched last year, has a coal endurance of 132 tons, .aid a highest speed of barely 25 knots. The difference between the two boats is that the older type can steam hard upon 3000 miles before emptying her bunker, while the newer craft will peg cut at about 2300 miles. "Then, again, speed is a vital quality lor a destroyer. Torpedo attack to be successful must needs be dashing. To build boatc for this specific work, and reduce their speed to very little above that of oui latest cruisers, u ridiculous. Cruisers mipH just as well be used for the sann.* work.

" I doubt whether the new boats will even prove safer. It is true that at the time of the Cobra disaster there was a great outcry against building torpedo craft of such thin scantling as one-eighth steel plating. " But we have never yet heard the official explanation of how the Cobra came to be lost, as established before the Court of Inquiry. She may have broken her back; and, in fact, I believe she, did. But this was not through the slenderness ot her scantling. The keel and the frames keep a ship rigid, not her plating. THIN PLATES NOT A WEAKNESS. "Those people who cried aloud in horror at the idea of a destroyer of 300 tons being built of one-eighth steel are doubtless ignorant of the tact that in this ."pparent weakness lies the safety of the vessel. The vibration caused by driving a craft at 30 knots into a choppy sea is prodigious. Slim scantling takes up the vibration by ' giving,' whereas stouter plates, being niore rigid, would inevitably fracture. " The new boats will be nearly twice as heavy as the present ones, and their scantling is about twice as thick. But, then, with double ths weight you naturally getdouble the stress, so that the gain is very much more apparent' than real. " Observe also that the new boats are to be a good six knots slower than the fastest of our present type. Knock six knots off our 31-knotters, and I warrant they will be as safe as the new vessels. " Besides, all this talk of safety is ridiculous. How often do we hear of accidents through buckling or breaking with the existing vessels, which are scurrying about our coasts yeai in and year out? The new boats of the Doon class are of 550 tons displacement, and 7000 indicated horse-power. Thej carry the same armament of one 12-pouuder and five 6-pounder quick-firers as the old type, of destroyer, and have a complement of 70 officers and men. The 30-kuotters of the Coquette class 1897) are of 335 tons displacement and 5400 indicated horse-powei, carrying 60 officers and men. The difference in cost between the two classes is that five of the older bouts can be built for the same outlay as four of the new pattern