Part 24 (2/2)
as these are known for short--were fully protected at the expense of less vital parts of the s.h.i.+p. Though smaller and less expensive than the _Minotaur_ she was a far more efficient s.h.i.+p. Her broadside was 1818 pounds. The _Sultan_, another s.h.i.+p of much the same type, had a broadside of 1964 pounds. During the early sixties another type of vessel came to the front. Captain Coles had invented the ”turret,”
which consisted of a turn-table or revolving platform, round which was a s.h.i.+eld of thick armour, turning with it: the top was also closed in. In the s.h.i.+eld was a very small port for the gun--which was aimed by revolving the turret till it pointed at the required object. The crew was thus completely protected from the enemy's fire.
In the American Civil War the Federals or Northerners, had provided two of their wooden frigates with these turrets and sent them to attack the _Merrimac_, a cut-down wooden frigate which had been armoured and provided with a ram. The _Merrimac_ steamed up to the _Congress_, delivering her fire with awful effect, and then proceeding towards the _c.u.mberland_, ran into her near the bow, ripping an enormous rent in her side, and hung on by her own sharp prow while she fired into the fractured chasm. She then backed out and repeated her tremendous onslaught, suffering little from the fire of her enemy, till the latter went down. She next attacked the _Congress_ with sh.e.l.ls, which killed the greater number of the Federal crew, and in half-an-hour the few survivors hauled down their colours.
Later on the _Merrimac_ was attacked by the armoured _Monitor_. The two s.h.i.+ps hammered away at one another for many hours without result; only five men were killed after a five hours action, for the armour beat the gun.
The result of these actions made it clear that turret-s.h.i.+ps to be of any use must be armoured, and as a first experiment it was decided to cut-down the _Royal Sovereign_, a s.h.i.+p of the size of the _Duke of Wellington_. Her masts and her three upper decks were taken off, her lower-deck alone remaining, so that she was cut-down almost to the water's edge. Ma.s.sive plates of iron were fastened to her sides and deck, thus converting her into an ironclad, while four turrets were sunk into the deck in a line fore and aft, three of them containing one huge gun each, firing 300-pound shot, while the fourth and foremost turret contained two guns. The muzzles of the guns were only a little way above the deck, and the bulwarks were hinged so that when the guns were to be fired they could be dropped over the side so as not to be in the way.
Amids.h.i.+ps was a circular armoured box, rather higher than the turrets, called the ”conning-tower.” Here the captain took his stand in time of action, communicating with the engines, turrets, and other parts of the s.h.i.+p, by speaking tubes. In more recent s.h.i.+ps the vessel is also steered from the conning-tower in time of action. Such was our first converted ironclad turret-s.h.i.+p. She was, however, found to be of little value, drawing too much water to serve for harbour defence, and not being handy enough at sea in manoeuvring.
Turret-s.h.i.+ps, as first constructed, were very heavily, armoured, and in consequence rather unseaworthy. Being intended for coast defence only, they always had a harbour available in bad weather, and sails were not required as they were never far from a coal supply.
In 1869, however, Sir Edward Reed designed the first sea-going turret-s.h.i.+ps, properly so-called, taking the bold step, as it seemed then, of providing no sails. These were the _Devastation_ and _Thunderer_, which, despite many faults, proved to be serviceable s.h.i.+ps for over thirty years. These were s.h.i.+ps of, 9,330 tons, and 14 knots speed, and the annexed picture gives their general appearance. Their hulls were protected by 12-inch armour, and the turrets by 14-inch armour, while an important improvement was introduced by providing what is called a ”protective deck,” that is, a horizontal deck, of armour several inches thick, which prevents shot from penetrating to the engines, etcetera, below. Their armament consisted of four 35-ton guns firing 600-pound shot, and as all these guns could fire on either side, their broadside was, 2,400 pounds. Their crews were composed of only 300 men, and though they cost about 150,000 pounds less than the _Minotaur_ they were far more efficient and powerful wars.h.i.+ps. They lay very low in the water, their bows rising only 9 feet above it, while the stern was even lower, being only 4 and a half feet above the waterline.
Amids.h.i.+ps, however, the deck was raised some 6 or 8 feet higher.
Between the two turrets was a large superstructure, the walls of which curved outwards all over the top. A pa.s.sage pa.s.sed through it from side to side, in which were the doors leading to the hatchways and to the hurricane deck above, on which were the conning tower, wheels, etcetera.
The boats were also carried on this deck, high above the water, so that there was no obstruction to the firing of the guns in the turrets below.
It might have been supposed, that a s.h.i.+p so low in the water could not venture out to sea in rough weather, but, though her forecastle was frequently completely submerged in a heavy sea, she has behaved very well.
Other turret s.h.i.+ps, however, had been built a year or two earlier with masts and sails, and bows of ordinary height. At first these s.h.i.+ps were over-masted and canva.s.sed, but after one of them, the _Captain_, capsized during a gale in the Bay of Biscay, this defect was remedied.
This cla.s.s was represented by the _Monarch_, completed in 1869, a vessel of 8930 tons, and 15 knots speed. She carried seven guns, those in the turrets weighing 25 tons.
The turret-s.h.i.+p reached its highest development in the year 1876, when the _Inflexible_ was designed. By this time, guns had so greatly increased in power, that the thickness of armour required to withstand their shot was very great, and, as this involved an enormous addition to the dead weight that had to be carried, some means had to be devised whereby an efficient protection could be carried. The ”central citadel”
form of design was that finally adopted, in which the armour was concentrated on a citadel in the centre of the vessel, amply protecting the engines, turrets, and other ”vitals” of the s.h.i.+p, the rest of the hull being left wholly unprotected, save for a ”protective deck,” about the level of the waterline. This deck being horizontal, would always be struck by shot at a very oblique angle, hence its thickness afforded a much greater amount of protection--about double--than if placed vertically on the sides.
The _Inflexible_ was a s.h.i.+p of 11,800 tons, and was driven at a speed of nearly 13 knots, by engines of 6,500 horse-power. The turrets were arranged one on each side of the s.h.i.+p, and thus enabled to fire both ahead and astern or on the broadside. These turrets were protected by armour 18 inches thick, and each carried two 80-ton guns, firing a 1700-pound shot to a distance of eight miles. These monster muzzle-loading guns were loaded from outside the turret, by means of hydraulic machinery. The armour on the sides was 2 feet thick, and the vessel was divided into 135 compartments, so that she would not be readily sunk. The _Inflexible_ was the last of the turret-s.h.i.+ps properly so-called. She was not the success that had been hoped; her engine power, which gave only 12 and a half knots, had been sacrificed to obtain heavier armament and protection, and as she was slower than much older s.h.i.+ps, she was laid aside before vessels launched earlier than she was. About this time, the combination of several important factors worked a revolution in wars.h.i.+p design. The Russo-Turkish war of 1878-79, taught that a torpedo was a more important element in naval warfare than had been imagined. Launches going at the rate of 18 or 20 miles an hour, covered a mile in about three minutes, and if they attacked at night, were so small, quick-moving, and indistinguishable, that they could attack the most powerful battles.h.i.+p with little risk of being hit by the snap shots of the few slow-firing heavy guns, with which modern s.h.i.+ps were armed.
The machine gun was first introduced to meet this danger; it could send a continuous shower of rifle bullets at the approaching boat, and riddle and sink her before she got near enough to do mischief; but when torpedo boats began to be armoured with iron plates, proof not only against rifle bullets, but even against the heavier Hotchkiss and Nordenfeldt half-pounder guns, except at very close ranges, it was seen that an armament of small guns was desirable to repel torpedo boats, or to be used against unarmoured cruisers, whose superior speed would soon take them out of danger from the slow-firing heavy guns. Another factor was the introduction of longer guns, and what are termed ”slow burning”
powders. These last do not explode with such sudden violence as the ordinary powder, so that there is less sudden strain on the gun, while a steadier pressure on the shot is kept up. The long gun enables the pressure of the gases formed by the burning powder to act longer on the shot, with the result that a higher velocity is given to it, not only increasing its range, but also its penetrative power.
The result of these improvements was to some extent a repet.i.tion of what had taken place when rifled guns were first introduced. Guns could be made lighter, and yet be much more powerful than the old patterns of the same bore, and it was seen that a s.h.i.+p could with advantage be provided with a ”secondary” armament, as it is called of these smaller yet powerful guns. Armour, too, was being improved, so that it could be made thinner and yet equally effective; higher speeds were also called for, and it was evident that wars.h.i.+ps must be designed on different lines to meet or take advantage of the new conditions.
The first s.h.i.+p designed on the new lines was the _Collingwood_, a vessel of 9,500 tons, 16 and a half knots speed, and 7,000 horse-power. She was the first s.h.i.+p of what was called the ”Admiral cla.s.s,”--several sister s.h.i.+ps named after famous admirals. The four heavy guns of the _Devastation_ type of turret-s.h.i.+p were retained, mounted fore and aft, but instead of placing them in turrets, the turret armour was fixed to the deck, forming what is known as a ”barbette,” or breastwork, over the upper edge of which the gun fired. Inside the barbette the gun revolved on its turn-table; its breech, together with the gunners, was protected by a hood of armour which revolved with the gun. This arrangement is probably less liable to be knocked out of action by the enemy's shot than the turret.
Amids.h.i.+ps was the ”secondary” armament of six 6-inch breech-loading guns. All the guns were mounted well above the water, enabling them to be used even in a heavy sea, which could not be done in the case of s.h.i.+ps lying low in the water like the _Devastation_.
A further impetus was given to the development of the secondary armament by the introduction of ”smokeless” powder--which, however, gives a _very_ slight smoke,--and the ”quick-firing gun.” By simplifying the breech mechanism, using metal cartridge cases for the ammunition instead of silk bags--which necessitated the sponging out of the piece after each shot to remove the smouldering fragments--arranging the ”sights” of the gun so that it could be aimed while loading was going on, and other ingenious arrangements, it was found that 6-inch 100-pounder guns could be fired many times per minute without any mechanical appliances. About the same time also, means were found of firing with safety what are called ”high explosives,” that is, explosives of far greater destructive power than the same weight of gunpowder. Similar improvements were naturally extended to the larger guns, and thus there has been a reversion to the type of s.h.i.+ps mounting a fair number of guns, the lighter ones, firing sh.e.l.ls of 100 pounds, being intended to wreck the unarmoured portions of the enemy, and demoralise his crew; the heavier ones, 200-pounders, 380-pounders, and 850-pounders, being adapted to pierce the armour and destroy the guns or the machinery. Some idea of the terrible power of modern quick-fire guns may be obtained when it is mentioned that a modern s.h.i.+p, armed with _one_ 6-inch 100-pounder gun could fire--and hit every time too, at three-quarters-of-a-mile range--a greater weight of metal per minute than could be kept up by the 52 guns on the broadside of Nelson's _Victory_, or even by the broadside of the more modern _Britannia_.
Such are the types of the princ.i.p.al battles.h.i.+ps constructed up to nearly the end of the nineteenth century, and we may now glance at the cruisers.
The frigate of the olden days, used for scouting and cruising, was the favourite s.h.i.+p in the great wars, as they bore off the greatest proportion of prize-money, and afforded their commanders greater opportunities of gaining promotion and distinction. As already mentioned, the French built faster and finer craft of this description than we did, and Nelson was always complaining that we had not a sufficient number of swift frigates to keep down whose of the enemy.
The frigates had from 28 to 50 guns, and did not vary much in general design, although the Americans taught us to build them of larger size and of thicker planking. When steam was introduced, engines were fitted to these cruisers, and they were given a few knots superior speed to the line-of-battle-s.h.i.+ps. To enable them to keep the sea for long periods without their bottoms becoming fouled by marine growths--which decrease the speed--their iron hulls were sheathed wood, which in its turn was covered by copper. s.h.i.+ps of this type were not armoured. The _Shah_, which fought the _Huascar_ in 1877, was a s.h.i.+p of this description; she carried 26 heavy guns, and had a speed of 16 knots.
Other vessels were specially designed as rams. The sinking of the powerful battles.h.i.+ps _Vanguard_, in the Irish sea, and _Victoria_, in the Mediterranean, after accidental collision with the ram of another s.h.i.+p in the squadron, shows the terrible effect of this weapon when it can strike home. But torpedoes render it highly improbable that the opportunity of using it will ever arise. Modern naval battles will probably be fought and decided, at the _minimum_ range of 2 miles, or thereby.
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.
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