Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 January 1916 — TO GUAFID WARSHIPS [ARTICLE]

TO GUAFID WARSHIPS

Floating Shield Suggested as Protection Against Torpedoes. Carried Outboard, It Is Figured, a Sub-, marine’s Torpedo, Striking It, Would Explode Harmlessly**---™ Advantages Over Chain Net. Washington. —The battleship of the future may plow her way through the seas towing on either side an immense steel shield which will parallel the vessel from bow to stern and which will form a defensive bulwark from waterline to keel-level. Such is the plan of a Philadelphia inventor, who has filed with the navy department plans for thus safeguarding American battleships from torpedo attack in case of war. These steel shields would give a battleship much the appearance of a man carryinging a window shutter under each arm. In the case of the battleship, however, the long tubular float which would support the upper edge of the torpedo-shield on the surface would be the only part of the shield visible. The shield, as proposed, is remarkably simple in construction, and while the navy experts have not passed upon its practicable features it promises to supersede the old chain nets used with many war vessels at the present time. The advantage claimed for the shield is that it is towed on edge through the water and cuts down the headway of the towing vessel but little. This cannot be said for the chain nets, which seriously impede the vessel. The idea of a steel shield, carried from "twenty to thirty Teel out from the side of the vessel, is based on the fact that a submarine usually has a chance to fire but one torpedo at a ship. The shield would receive the blow of the torpedo and cause the projectile to explode far enough away from the vessel to make the explosion practically harmless in so far as the battleship itself is concerned. Of course part of the shield would be hopelessly demolished, but the whole shield, long as a battleship, can be furnished, it is estimated, for $50,000. These shields need only be carried when the battleship enters a war zone where submarines are known or are expected to be operating. One of the clever features of the plan is to disguise the floats, supporting the shield in the water by its upper edge, as submarines. The float, under ordinary circumstances, is a long tube of steel, which is but little wider, comparatively speaking, than the width of the shield itself.

Assuming tha.t these floats are made larger and painted to resemble submarines, an enemy submarine, rising for observations to port or starboard, probably would be deceived by the looks of the “dummy” on either side of the vessel, and, if she attacked at all, would attack by torpedo only from a distance, which would greatly diminish accuracy of aim. Should the torpedo strike the defense screen it would appear that a submarine itself had been struck and the attacking craft would, in all probability, escajjb before discovering the mistake. Particularly, however, is the shield adapted to protection of vessels in harbors, where submarines have occasionally penetrated and wrought great havoc to vessels of all sorts. When a vessel equipped with one of these shields goes into action the shield dm be cast adrift and packed up after the engagement. Another plan suggested is to equip these shield floats with life lines, which, when the shields are cast adrift $ the beginning of an engagement, would serve as a support for survivors of vessels which might be sunk. The greatest objection to the torpedo nets carried on vessels at the present time is their tendency to rise to the surface as the vessel gains speed, besides materially reducing the speed of the towing vessel.