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Home , Barbette, Gun turret

Scientific American FEBRUARY 9, I907· 133

THE Ol!' THE l!'UTUlt.E.-I. priIllQry battery. The reason for this change is as invention and dillcovery Will in the .future, as in the BY FORREST E. CARDULLO. follows: past, permit of continual improvements in the material An unusual interest has been taken in the new Brit· Let us suppose that the "" engages our and mechanism of . The third is that indio ish "Dreadnought," not only by those whom we own "Connecticut." The "Connecticut" carries an in. vidual will continue to increase in size and might expect to find professionally interested in all termediate battery of unusual power, and is there· power, provided that there is a corresponding gain in naval affairs, but also by the average layman, who fore an especially good representative of the present efficiency. The fourth is that the designer must seek reads nothing more technical than the columns of the type of ship. If the vessels fight at long range, the to obtain the most powerful fleet possible with a given Sunday paper. To the latter she is interestiilg simply 12·inch guns of the "Dreadnought" will soon destroy annual money cost. It costs money to build warships, as the biggest and most powerful afioat, but to the "Connecticut's" intermediate battery, since they and it costs even more money to maintain them ready the man who concerns himself with naval affairs, she can easily penetrate the 7 inches of armor defending to perform effective service. The first cost of a ship is even more interesting as the forerunner of the new it, even at 10,000 yards range. While at this range the of a given type is very nearly proportional to her type of battleship. "Connecticut's" guns can inflict a tremendous amount displacement. The cost of maintenance of a ship is In most respects, the "Dreadnought" is simply a. fur· of damage on the "Dreadnought's" upper works, they nearly proportional to her displacement, being, how· ther advance along those same lines in which battle· can do nothing which will impair her fighting ability ever, less per ton in the case of the larger ships. ship design has been progressing for the past fifteen in the least, since all of the heavy guns, machinery, A large ship is more powerful in proportion to its years. Her armor is of J{jrupp steel, similar to that magazines, and other vitals of the British ship are size than is a small ship, and therefore more pow· carried by the present·day type of ship, being, how· protected by armor 12 inches thick. erful in proportion to fts cost. The limit to the ever, a trifle thicker than is usual in British ships. If, on the other hand, the vessels close in till the size of a ship is reached at that pOint where an in· Her speed is high for a battleship, being 21% knots. heavy guns of each can inflict serious damage on the crease in the number of guns carried does not produce She is driven by steam turbines, instead of recipro· otl).er, the four guns in the "Connecticut's" primary· a proportionate increase in the power of the ship, on

Belt, tnrrets i ch s Dbplacelnenl, 26,000 tons. Speed with producer-gas engines, 22.0 knots. (Jrubing radius, 13,000 miles. Al'lnor: 12 incbes; , 16.4 inches; (fMe), 16.4 n e . Arlll alllent: Sixteen 12.inch, 50.caliber, 75.ton guns, firing l,200.pound witll 3,300 foot-secouds velocity. defense, twenty 4.7·incb, 60·caliber guns, firing 50-pound shell witb 4,000 foot-seconds velocity. Note the ar l' d absence OfSlllokcstack •• The lllain battery elllplaced in two diamond-shaped barbettes at each end ofcentra1 lllo e , as in diagram Fig. 6.

THE BATTLESHIP OF THE FUTURE. eating engines. The is subdivided into separate battery would be overwhelmed by the ten guns of the account of interference between them. It is not possi­ a watertight compartments to an unusual extent, as a "Dreadnought," while the American's intermediate bat­ ble to arrange very large number of heavy guns on protection against torpedoes. To make all these im­ tery would be powerless to affect the result. Twenty a ship in a satisfactory manner, since either each provements possible, the ship is of great size, being of her guns would be ruled out of· the battle through gun will have only a smai1 arc of fire, or else the of about 18,000 tons nominal displacement. There are lack of penetrating power. Although they might be blast from one gun will prevent another from be­ many oth er unusual features in her construction, trained against the upper works of the British ship, ing properly served and aimed. It is next in order, Qdopted with the idea of making her more seaworthy, where they could destroy perhaps a million dollars' therefore, that we investigate the probable distribution more comfortable for her crew, or more convenient worth of property, the effort would not have the slight­ of gUlls on our battleship of the future. to operate, but none of them materially affect her fight­ est effect on the result of the battle. Neither would Of the possible arrangements of heavy guns, the ing efficiency. the intermediate battery effect any injuries of this most usual is to mount them in pairs in . This In one respect, however, the "Dreadnought" is a character which the of another "Dread­ arrangement combines a maximum arc of fire and a radical departure from the type of battleship that has nought" could not inflict. At all ranges, and for any very thorough protection with a minimum weight of been the accepted standard for the past fifteen years. service, the plan of having two calibers of heavy guns armor and mountings. A number of arrangements Her main battery consists of ten 12-inch guns, in place aboard ship is inferior to the new plan of making all of guns so mounted are shown in Figs. 1 to 4. Fig. 1 of the four 12-inch guns usually carried. She is with­ these guns of the same caliber. is the arrangem�nt to be used on the United States out any intermediate battery whatever, while the pres­ In the course of this paper the writer purposes to battleship "Michigan." It will be noted that there are ent type of ship carries an intermediate battery of develop in a general :way the lines along which battle­ eight guns, so mounted that all of them may be fired from twelve to twenty guns, varying in caliber from ship design may be expected to progress in the future. on either broadside, four of them may be fired ahead, 6 to 8 inches. All the weight generally devoted to Ou� ;leductions Will be based on several fundamental and four of them may be fired astern. Assuming that this battery, its ammunition, mQuntings, armor, etc., propositions, the first of which is that all her heavy broadside fire is twice as valuable as or stern in the case of the "Dreadnought" is devoted to the guns will be of the same caliber. The second is that (Oontinued on page 136.) 136 Scientific American FEBRUARY 9, 1907·

THE BATTLESHIP OF THE FUTURE.-I. will be 1772 per cent plus 12112' per cent, or 30 per basket is met by the answer that one basket in this (Oontinued from page 133.) cent. It therefore follows that the weight per gun is case may be more carefully guarded and thoroughly 2-3 X 130 per cent, or 87 per cent of its former value. protected. fire, we may estimate roughly the power of this The efficiency of this grouping is therefore 30 -7- The type and caliber of gun carried is second only arrangement as 2 X 8 +4, or 20 gun units. In like (12 X 0.87), or 2.88. to the number and arrangement, in determining the manner we may say that its comparative efficiency is The three-gun turrets may be arranged in any of the size and general construction of the ship. The type 20 -7- 8, or 2.5. groupings that have already been found possible with of gun will ,affect the thickness and distribution of Fig. 2 represents the arrangement of the guns of the two-gun turrets. Combinations may also be arranged armor, and indirectly, the size and speed of the vessel. "Dreadnought." In this case, although there are ten of two-gun and three-gun turrets on the same ship. It is of paramount importance that a battleship shall guns, only eight of them can fire on either broadside, What seems to be the most powerful practicable ar­ be armed with guns of such caliber and power as will and six of them can fire ahead. While theoretically rangement of guns is shown in Fig. 7. TWenty guns enable her to fight on equal terms with any ship of six guns may be fired astern, also, as a matter of fact are here gathered in two groups, one at each end of approximately equal tonnage, and all other consider­ there is a large space to the rear of the ship on each the ship. ,Each group consists of four turrets mounted ations are of secondary importance. That the guns of side of the center line, on which only four guns can be upon a diamond-shaped . Of these turrets, the the future will be more powerful and effective than brought to bear. In this design, none of the guns fire two on the center line of the ship are three-gun turrets, those of the present day goes without saying, but it is over the turrets of other guns, it being different in while the other two are two-gun turrets. Sixteen guns not so easy to see in what way this increased power this respect from all the others shown. The power of will be gained. 6+4 can be fired on either broadside, while ten can be fired ahead or astern: The power of the arrangement The power of a gun of a given caliber may be in­ the "Dreadnought" is 2 X 8 +--- , or 21 gun units, is 42 gun units, and since the weight of all the gun creased in one of two ways. Either the length of the 2 gun may be increased, or the pressure of the explo­ -7- and the efficiency of the arrangement is 21 10, or 2.1. sion may be raised by increasing the powder charge. Fig. 3 is a distribution of twelve guns after the The limit to the length of the gun is about sixty cali­ arrangement in use on our own "Connecticut." Eight bers, since when this length is reached, it is found to guns can be fired on either broadside, and six guns � �§i> . be better to enlarge the caliber of the weapon and ahead or astern. The power of the arrangement is 22 �'-'------diminish the ratio of length to bore. The limit to the gun units and the efficiency is 1.83. Fig. 4 is another Fig. 1.-Eight 12·Inch (Michigan). explosion pressure is about 17 tons per square inch, arrangement of twelve guns. No similar arrangement and this limit is set, not by lack of strength on the is in use on any ship at the present time. Ten guns part of the walls of the gun to resist a greater pres­ may be fired on either broadside, and eight ahead or sure, but by the fact that greater gas pressures pro· astern. The power is 28 gun units, and the efficiency duce too great erosion in the bore of the gun. Guns is 2.33. have been built and tested Which successfully endured In each of the arrangements so far discussed, each a pressure of 32 tons per square inch, and if sufficient is presumed to be mounted on a , or , --,, ' improvement can be made in powders, and in the mate­ cir!3ular armored , rising from the armored rial of inner tubes, so that heavier pressures may be Fig. 2.-Ten 12·Inch (Dreadnought). at the water line to the base of the revolving turret. sustained without too serious erosion, we may expect The armor of this barbette comprises more than half great advances in the power of guns. the weight of the whole structure. If we arrange the The value of a gun as a naval weapon depends on turrets in groups, each group mounted as close together two things, first on its ability to penetrate armor, and as possible, and all mounted on an armored citadel, in­ second on the weight of shot thrown in a given time. stead of several separate barbettes, there is a possi­ Given two guns of equal penetration at battle ranges, bility of a considerable saving in weight. In Fig. 5 their relative values are as the weight of metal thrown is shown such an arrangement, where the armament per minute by each. When, however, we are called

is gathered into two groups of four two-gun turrets F ig. a.-Twelve 12-Inch. upon to compare two guns of different penetration, it each, each group of turrets being mounted on an is more difficult to get an idea of their relative value. armored citadel,. diamond-shaped in plan. For the The writer is inclined to estimate their relative value same thickness of armor, the weight of the citadel is by comparing the range at which they will penetrate but two-thirds of the weight of four barbettes. The the armor to which they will probably be opposed. If power of this arrangement is 32 gun units, since this principle be correct, it will appear from the tables twelve guns can be fired on either broadside, and eight of gun penetrations and probable thickness of armor guns ahead or astern. Since the efficiency, on the that the power of a gun varies as the cube of its cali­ plan we have been considering, depends on the numbar ber, for a given muzzle velocity and form of projec­ of guns carried in two-gun turrets, each mounted on a Fig.

same number of guns and the same displacement, the One of England's most noted surgeons, Sir Michael ship having three-gun turrets will be more speedy, structures may be shown to be but 75 per cent of that Foster, K.C.B., died January 30, 1907. He held at more heavily armored, and more powerful in point of required to mount twenty guns in ten separate turrets, various tim'es the posts of professor of practical physi­ gun fire than her opponent with two-gun turrets. In the efficiency of the arrangement is 2.8. ology at University College, London; proolector of the writer's opinion, the advantages of the system very The few arrangements which have been here pre­ physiology, Trinity College, Cambridge; president of much outweigh its disadvantages. Accordingly, we sented do not by any means exhaust the list of desir­ the British Association; professor of physiology, Cam­ will consider the following possible arrangements of able combinations. They are to be taken simply as ; and secretary of the Royal Society. He repre­ guns. representative of what may be done, and the compari­ sented London University in the House of Commons, Fig. 6 is an arrangement of twelve guns in four son of them is interesting because it affords us an 1900-06. He was jOint editor of "Scientific Memoirs three-gun turrets. The entire twelve may be fired on idea of the principles by means of which their rela­ of Thomas Henry Huxley." either broadside, and six may be fired ahead or astern. tive value may be estimated. What will be a very The power of the arrangement is therefore 30 gun serious objection in the minds of many naval authori­ A landslide occurred in October on :he Thompson units. The efficiency may be 'estimated as follows: In ties to some of the plans proposed is the fact that they ranch at Scott's Valley at Santa Cruz, Cal., which un­ the case of the two-, the weight of the tur­ involve an extraordinary concentration of guns in a covered a bed of whalebone which apparently has re't and barbette together is very nearly 75 per cent small space. It will be argued that in the case of been there since the antediluvian period. The place of that of the whole structure, while the weight of the the arrangement shown in Fig. 7, for instance, a single where the prehistoric bones were uncovered is fully guns comprises the remaining 25 per cent. To allow shot could put out of action ten guns, or half the 600 feet above the sea level and six miles from the of three guns in a turret, the area of its ground plan power of the ship. On the other hand, it is to be shores of Monterey Bay. Other discoveries of the kind must be increased 50 per cent. This Will necessitate noted that the great size of ship required to carry so have been made in various sectfons of the county, and an increase of 23 per cent in the circumference of its heavy an armament, together with the saving in scientists who have made a study of the geological walls, or an increase of 75 per cent X 23 per cent, or weight effected by the arrangement, permits of the formation of the soil at different times claim that the 17 per cent, in the total weight of the structure. The application of armor so thick as to make its penetra­ present site of Santa Cruz, extending as far back as extra gun will increase the total weight by 112 X 25 per tion impossible except at very' short range. The argu­ the Santa Cruz Mountains, was once covered by an cent, or 1272 per cent. The whole increase in weight ment that it is poor policy to put all your eggs in one immense body of water.