The Duguesclin, referred to on [page 84], is an armored cruiser built of steel and iron and sheathed with wood and coppered; an iron armor belt 9⅛ to 6½ inches thick encircles her, and the four barbettes are protected by 8 inches of compound armor. The armament consists of four 9.45-inch guns in the barbettes, of one 7.5-inch gun in the bow, and of six 5.5-inch pieces on broadside, in addition to two 6-pounder rapid-fire guns, twelve revolving cannon, and two above-water torpedo tubes. Her displacement is 5869 tons, draught 23 feet 3 inches, and she has developed 4100 horse-power and 14 knots. The Sfax is a partially protected steel cruiser, which is sheathed with wood and coppered, and has an under-water curved steel protective deck 1.5 inches thick. There is the usual water-tight subdivision below and above this deck, together with the lately adopted cellulose belt. The armament consists of six 6.3-inch guns, four mounted on sponsons, with bow and stern fire, and two in recessed ports with bow and beam fire; of ten 5.5-inch guns in broadside on the main deck, and of eight Hotchkiss revolving cannon. In May, 1887,[29] “with natural draft, the mean indicated horse-power developed for four hours was 4333, and the speed 15.9 knots. With forced draft the mean results of a six hours’ trial were, indicated horse-power, 6034; revolutions, 78; mean speed, 16.84 knots. The trials for coal endurance showed that with full natural draft speed the consumption was 1.96 pounds per hour per indicated horse-power developed, and with forced draft it was 2.10 pounds. During these trials the draught of water was 19 feet 4 inches forward and 25 feet 1 inch aft, which was in excess of the normal designed draughts of 19 feet 8 inches and 24 feet 8 inches. Notwithstanding this fact, and the fact of the indicated horse-power falling much below the estimated power of the engines (5000 with natural, 7500 with forced draft), the speed realized exceeded the maximum estimated of 16.5 knots.”
France has been very active in the construction of torpedo-vessels. On the present plane to which the science of naval warfare has advanced the great tactical question is whether torpedo-boats or flotillas are, in high-sea duels or engagements, to take the place of huge ships or large fleets. There are, even in France, very marked differences of opinion upon this point, but so far as official policy and programme can assert a belief, there is no other nation, Russia alone excepted, which appears to hold the torpedo in such high esteem. The manœuvres of 1886 were notable for the prominence given to that type, and of the forty vessels assembled this year for drill and instruction at Toulon, twenty-one were torpedo craft of some kind. The French navy has over two hundred torpedo-boats, which vary in length from seventy to one hundred and thirty-three feet, and in speed from fifteen to twenty-three knots; England has one hundred and eighty-one, of which eighty-eight are built and ninety-three are under construction; these differ as much among themselves as the French boats, their speed range being about the same, and their lengths varying from sixty-three to one hundred and fifty feet. Generally described torpedo-boats may be divided into two classes, the first including such as are of a size to keep the sea and act independently, and the second those carried by ships. The Whitehead torpedoes, the type most generally used, are ejected from their firing tubes by various means, slow burning powder being employed in some cases, though more frequently compressed air or steam. The success of the French boats in China has revived the use of the spar torpedo in combination with the locomotive type, and with us the promised success of the Howell design may cause another revolution in this system of attack.
“Boats exceeding one hundred feet in length,” writes White, “have been shown capable of making long sea-voyages unaccompanied, and the fact has been seized upon by enthusiasts in torpedo warfare like the late Gabriel Charmes as evidence that the days of the armored ship, of the large and costly cruiser, were numbered. Actual experience is not favorable to this extreme view. There is a clear and marked distinction between the capability of making long sea passages in safety, when specially prepared for the purpose, and the sure sea-going qualities of large ships. Boats of the largest size and small swift vessels cannot equal large vessels in the power of maintaining their speed and fighting efficiency or rough war. Life is scarcely endurable for long periods in these overturning boats and small craft, cooking is often a difficulty, and it is not every officer who can rival the foreign commander of a torpedo-boat I once met, who had acquired the power of living for long periods on sherry and eggs. M. Weyl stated a fact when he said of the grand manœuvres with the French iron-clads and torpedo flotilla last year (1886), ‘In my experience as a sailor I have always found that the sea is merciful to big ships and hard upon small ones.’ A moderately rough sea that scarcely troubles the iron-clad or the cruiser of considerable size, suffices to render inevitable a reduction in speed of the small vessels, and a serious loss of power in the accurate use of their torpedoes and guns. As adjuncts to fleets, the small swift vessels and boats are undoubtedly of immense value under many circumstances; for the defence or attack of forts and coasts they are well fitted, but as substitutes for all other types, and as the successful rival of large war-ships in sea service, their claim is not, and probably will not be, established.
“The discovery of the minimum size of swift torpedo-vessels or torpedo-boat destroyers really capable of independent sea service with a fleet is now engaging attention in all navies. In France the first attempts were made in the Bombe class in 1883; some vessels of this class were tried in the recent manœuvres and favorably mentioned. In England the Grasshopper class was designated in 1885, and the first completed vessel, the Rattlesnake, is now completing her speed trials.” Since this last sentence was written the Rattlesnake has made 18.799 knots with a collective indicated horse-power of 2718.27, and though the weather was boisterous, proved that under normal conditions she could furnish a fairly steady platform for her battery. Chief Constructor White continues as follows: “These vessels are of 450 tons, and estimated to steam about 19 knots an hour. Messrs. Thomson, of Clydebank, have just completed another example of the class, intermediate in size between the Bombe and Grasshopper, and said to have attained the very high speed of 22½ knots on trial in smooth water. Experience at sea with these vessels will be of immense value to future designs. They combine an armament of light guns with torpedo armaments, and can act either as torpedo-vessels or as destroyers of torpedo craft. Similarly in the largest classes of torpedo-boats light guns as well as torpedoes are provided for. In fact there has been a departure from the original idea of having the torpedo as the only weapon, as the boats have increased in size, and this change cannot but commend itself.”
The Milan mentioned in the text was designed in 1879 for a torpedo despatch-vessel, but is now used as a scout. She is 303 feet in length, 32 feet 10 inches in beam, draws 15 feet 1 inch aft, and has a displacement of 1550 tons. She carries a fair battery but no torpedoes, is propelled by twin screws, each worked by two compound tandem engines, and has Belleville boilers. On her trial she made 18.4 knots in a rough sea, and developed with natural draft 4132 horse-power, or more than was expected with forced draft; she carries three hundred tons of coal and has a three-masted schooner rig.
The rapid development of torpedo-vessels since her day has resulted in the evolution of different types suited to different demands, and of late France has adopted the following classification for her torpedo flotilla:
| Displacement. | |
| 1. Torpedo-cruisers (croiseurs-torpilleurs) | 1260 to 1280 tons. |
| 2. Torpedo despatch-boats (avisos-torpilleurs) | 320 to 360 tons. |
| 3. Sea-going torpedo-boats (torpilleurs de haute mer) | 50 tons and over. |
| 4. Coast-guard torpedo-boats (torpilleurs-garde cotes) | a, 25 tons; b, 50 tons. |
| 5. Picket torpedo-boats (torpilleurs-videttes) | less than 25 tons. |
The Condor, Epervier, Faucon, and Vautour are examples of the first class, and combine the lightness of hull and the gun armament of the torpedo-catcher with the sea-going powers of the cruiser. They are twin-screw steel vessels, 216 feet long, 29 feet 2 inches in beam, 15 feet 5 inches in draught, and with 3200 indicated horse-power are expected to develop 17 knots. The armament consists of five torpedo-tubes, five 4-inch and six machine guns. In England the Scout, the prototype of this class, is a twin-screw torpedo-cruiser, 220 feet in length, 34 feet 3 inches in beam, and with 14 feet draught displaces 1450 tons. Like the Condor she is subdivided into water-tight compartments and has a steel deck; on her trial she developed with forced draft 17.6 knots and 3350 horse-power. Her armament consists of eleven torpedo-tubes, four 5-inch rifles on central pivots, and eight Nordenfeldt guns.
The Fearless is a sister ship to the Scout. So highly was the class esteemed that eight others known as the Archer class were laid down, and of these the Cossack, Mohawk, Porpoise, Tartar, Archer, and Brisk have already undergone satisfactory steam trials, while the Serpent and Raccoon are approaching completion. All these vessels have a protective deck extending throughout their length, and carry a battery of six 6-inch guns on sponsons, two at each extremity, and two in the waist. On the final trials the Archer developed under forced draft 17.8 knots and 4122 horse-power, the Brisk 18 knots and 3954 horse-power, the Cossack 18 knots and 4003 horse-power, the Porpoise 17.5 knots and 3943 horse-power, and the Tartar 17.28 knots and 3824 horse-power. They have a very low coal consumption, and a coal endurance which was estimated in the Archer’s case to be sufficient for six days, or 2600 knots at full speed, or for 7000 miles at a 10-knot rate. Both the Russians and the Austrians have vessels of this type, and there is no doubt of the favor with which it is looked upon.
Besides the Grasshopper class mentioned in the text, and which includes the Rattlesnake, Spider, Sandfly, and Sharpshooter, there are two steel cruising torpedo gun-vessels, the Curlew and Landrail, of 785 tons; these are fitted with a protective steel deck throughout their length, and have a battery of one 6-inch gun, three 5-inch pivots, a supply of machine guns, and four torpedo-tubes. They were intended to develop 14 knots and 1200 horse-power, but on trial the Curlew attained 15.081 knots and 1452 horse-power. Owing to a faulty design these ships draw with their proposed weights two feet four inches more water than was expected. In addition to these ships the English have the composite gun-vessels Buzzard, Swallow, Nymphe, and Daphné of 1040 tons; the Icarus and Acorn, of the Reindeer and Melita type; the Rattler, Wasp, Bramble, Lizard, Pigmy, Pheasant, Partridge, Plover, Pigeon, and Peacock, all of 715 tons displacement, with an average speed of 13.5 knots and from 1000 to 1200 horse-power; and the two despatch and scout vessels Alacrity and Surprise. The last named displace 1400 tons, and were designed for 3000 horse-power and 17 knots. Both exceeded these expectations, and the Alacrity was lately assigned a battery of four 5-inch guns on sponsons, four 6-pounder rapid fire, and two five-barrelled Nordenfeldts.