โ Scribed by Louis Thompson
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
An attempt to measure the relative effectiveness of certain weapons or classes of armed ships is likely to be unsatisfactory, at least in definiteness of results, since so much depends on the conditions prevailing in their use. Conceivably, there are predicaments in which a fleet commander would prefer to have an additional plane carrier or two rather than another battleship division; likewise, it is presumed that there might occur a sequence" of military conditions in which he would ghdly give a considerable portion of his air "kingdom" for a battleship--that stablest of all sea-horses.
It is possible, nevertheless, to make some useful comparisons from the standpoint of ballistics, that is, with respect to available range, precision of fire-control, rate and volume of fire for a typical period of action, and the effect of actual hits when made. One may then choose innumerable combinations of the kinds of weapons in an investigation to find optimum distributions for specific purposes.
Probably no practical application of ballistics has ever aroused so general an interest as that which has been shown in the efficacy of the bomb as a major weapon. The possibilities in exploiting attack by air for the spectacular consummation of some of the steps of war have been emphasized (Note.--The Franklin Institute is not responsible for the statements and opinions advanced by contributors to the JOURNAL.
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