Weight of metal in action. are in action on almost every bearing, No. 4 allows only one, except right ahead where there are two, and on the quarter and stern bearings where there are none. An attempt is made in No. 5 to remedy this most serious disadvantage, but it is done at the expense of coal-supply. It is proposed to take from the weight of coal an amount equal to the extra tonnage required for carrying 8-inch guns in the after-turrets. In doing this a reduction is made in the steaming power of the ship from five and one-half days at full speed to five days; and from 4,600 miles at 10 knots to 4,300 miles. 1500" 1600 1700" XIIL Shah' NOTE. The battery of the Tourville is not only inferior in number and weight of metal thrown to No. 3, but the guns are inferior in power as rifles to the actual 6-inch guns of the Shah and the proposed 6-inch guns of No. 3. If long steel guns are substituted, the percentage of weight to displacement will be increased. The percentage, estimated, under these conditions is about 4.9. The weight of metal thrown, however, and number of guns would remain the same. The allowance for the armament of the 14-knot class of vessels given us by the board is 220 tons. Three batteries were chosen for comparison as before. The first was the battery actually represented on the Trenton, substitutimg the new steel guns for the converted ones. other two batteries were mixed ones of 8 and 6 inch. Trenton's battery, nine 8-inch guns. Gun-deck.-Six 8-inch in broadside. The Spar-deck.-Two 8-inch forecastle-pivots; one 8-inch stern-pivot. The present battery of the Trenton is eleven 8-inch guns. The substitution of long steel guns calls for a reduction of two guns to keep the same weight. Battery No. 2, two 8-inch guns, sixteen 6-inch guns. Gun-deck. Twelve 6-inch in broadside. Spar-deck.-One 8-inch forecastle-pivot; two 6-inch forward half-turrets; two 6-inch after half-turrets; one 8-inch stern-pivot. Battery No. 3, two 8-inch guns, seventeen 6-inch guns. Gun-deck.-Twelve 6-inch in broadside. Spar-deck.-Two 6-inch bow-guns; two 8-inch forward half-turrets; two 6-inch after half-turrets; one 6-inch stern-pivot. The graphic representation shows at a glance the inferiority of the Trenton's battery as compared with the others, which are of no greater tonnage. Battery No. 2 possesses the advantage of two 8-inch guns for broadside work, but in battery No. 3 the two 8-inch guns are available for bow-fighting, where it is thought heavy blows and long ranges are more necessary. The guns are mounted over water-borne sections of the ship, and the two 6-inch guns forward are of considerably less weight than a single 8-inch would be. Thus, this division of the battery is better distributed with regard to the strains on the non-water-borne sections. The pivot-guns of No. 2 cannot be protected from small-arm fire, while the bow-guns of No. 3 are intended to go under a topgallantforecastle. We therefore recommend battery No. 3 as the most effective one for the tonnage allowance given. As in the case of the 15-knot class, we have prepared a diagram showing the relative strength of the batteries of the British frigate Boadicea, the German frigate Leipsic, and the American 14-knot frigate: Boadicea, displacement 4,140 tons. Gun-deck.-Fourteen 7-inch broadside. Spar deck.-One 7-inch bow-pivot; one 7-inch stern-pivot. Total weight of guns, carriages, and one hundred rounds of ammunition, 263 tons, 6.3 per cent. of displacement. Leipsic, displacement 3,925 tons. Gun-deck.-Ten 6.8-inch broadside. Spar-deck.-One 6.8-inch bow-pivot; one 6.8-inch stern-pivot. Total weight of guns, carriages, and one hundred rounds of ammunition, 181 tons, 4.9 per cent. of displacement. American, displacement 4,269 tons. Gun-deck. Twelve 6-inch broadside. Spar-deck. Two 6-inch bow-guns; two 8-inch forward half-turrets; two 6-inch after half-turrets; one 6-inch stern-pivot. Total weight of guns, carriages, and one hundred rounds of ammunition, 229 tons, 5.4 per cent. of displacement. This battery was designed for a ship having a covered gun-deck, as we were under the impression that it was the intention of the Board that the class should be similar in type to foreign ships of a correspond ing class and to the Trenton. We found, however, that in the design prepared by the construction committee, whilst an increase of displacement of 23 tons had been allowed, the ship was a single-decked one, with no topgallant-forecastle, and that the allowance for armament had been reduced 37 tons, thus necessitating a complete remodeling of our battery. As with the other class, we have prepared a modified No. 4 battery, and an alternate No. 5 one, for the examination of the Board. Battery No. 4.-One 6-inch bow-pivot; one 6-inch stern-pivot; two S-inch forward half-turrets; two 6-inch after half turrets; six 6-inch broadside. Battery No. 5-One 6-inch bow-pivot; one 6-inch stern-pivot; two 8-inch forward half-turrets; two 8-inch after half-turrets; six 6-inch broadside. It will be noticed that No. 4 battery is much injured in effectiveness by the loss of two 8-inch guns for beam, quarter, and stern fire. To save this bad weakening, which, in this case, is of more vital importance than in the case of the larger ships, on account of the loss in number of broadside guns, weight is transferred from the coal supply to the armament, reducing the steaming power of the ship from 7 days at full speed, to 7 days, and from 5,064 miles at ten knots to 4,800. The allowance for the armament of the 13-knot class of vessels given us by the board is 125 tons. Two batteries were chosen for comparison, both entirely composed of 6-inch guns. Battery No. 1.-Two 6-inch bow-guns, two 6-inch forward half-turrets, two 6-inch after half-turrets, six 6-inch broadside. Battery No. 2.-One 6-inch bow pivot, two 6-inch forward half-turrets, two 6-inch after half-turrets, one 6-inch stern-pivot, six 6-inch broadside. The graphic representation shows the advantage that battery No. 2 has in the greater weight and number of guns for beam and after fire, which more than counterbalances the increased straight-ahead fire of battery No. 1. In order, however, to gain this superiority it will be noticed the one 6-inch gun is mounted in the cabin. Although this style of mounting has been almost universally adopted abroad it has never found favor with us, although it must be acknowledged that its neglect has made our corvettes and gun-boats completely wanting in quarter and stern fire. We recommend battery No. 2 as the most effective one for the tonnage allowance given, and in thus recommending a departure from established custom, we respectfully call the attention of the board to the fact that the surrender of the United States steamer Hatteras to the Alabama was directly due to the complete lack of stern and quarter fire of our ship. The Alabama took position under her stern in a dead-angle, and left the Hatteras not only disabled but totally unable to return a shot. We have prepared a diagram showing the relative strength of the batteries of the British corvette Volage, the French corvette Duguay-Trouin, the Dutch corvette Atjeh, and the American 13-knot corvette. Volage, displacement 3,078 tons. One 64 pounder bow-gun, one 64-pounder stern-gun, sixteen 64pounder broadside. Total weight of guns, carriages, and 100 rounds of ammunition, 150 tons, 4.9 per cent. of displacement. Duguay-Trouin, displacement 3,070 tons. One 5 inch bow gun, two 7-inch forward half-turrets, two 7-inch after half-turrets, one 5-inch stern-gun, four 5-inch broadside. Total weight of guns, carriages, and 100 rounds of ammunition, 120 tons, 3.9 per cent. of displacement. Atjeh, displacement 3,108 tons. One 6.8-inch forward-pivot, one 6.8-inch after-pivot, four 6.8-inch broadside. Total weight of guns, carriages, and 100 rounds of ammunition, 91 tons, 2.8 per cent. of displacement. American, displacement 2,967 tons. One 6-inch bow-gun, two 6-inch forward half-turrets, two 6-inch after half-turrets, one 6-inch stern-gun, six 6-inch broadside. Total weight of guns, carriages, and 100 rounds of ammunition, 124 tons, 4.2 per cent. of displacement. |