Two great points must be considered before we can have an efficient torpedo fleet: (a) efficient boats, (b) efficient personnel. In regard to an efficient fleet, it is at first necessary that a torpedo depot be at once established. This depot should be situated on some harbor south of, or near New York, or in fact in a climate where drills can be carried on daily, irrespective of the weather. At this depot should be machine and boiler shops, foundry, torpedo repair shops, air compressor room, store-houses, magazine, armory. Quarters for officers attached to the boats and barracks for their crews. No officer or man should be required to sleep or mess on board a boat except during the maneuvers of the torpedo fleet, or at certain other times as desired in order to accustom the men to life on a torpedo-boat. The depot should be supplied with a marine railway capable of hauling out boats of about 400 tons displacement, and another railway connecting with, and perpendicular to, the marine railway should be built, so that the boats when hauled out for repairs, or to be laid up, may be run clear of the marine railway and at the same time can be put into the water at very short notice. All shops and store-houses should be built close to this railway, as should also be the barracks for the crews. The depot should have a floating derrick capable of lifting 25 to 30 tons. Diving apparatus and skilled divers should be ready at the depot, and when not actually at work, could be utilized in instructing the crews of the boats. There should be a large coaling dock where at least five boats can coal at one time; and the coaling of all boats should be done by laborers from the torpedo depot.
There should be a good harbor near the depot where drills can be carried on. This harbor should have at least six fathoms of water, be free from strong tides and currents, and have, if possible, a sandy bottom. Torpedoes frequently fail to run, and if the above conditions do not obtain, much time will be lost in recovering them.
The boats should be of two types: (a) the destroyer, (b) the sea-going torpedo-boat. The destroyer should be from 300 to 400 tons displacement and have a maximum speed of 30 to 31 knots. The torpedo-boat should be from 130 to 140 tons displacement with a speed of 25 knots. All boats should be kept in commission constantly, not only to keep the men properly drilled in their duties, but to keep the boats in their highest state of efficiency. A boat laid up for any length of time, even if in an efficient condition, requires much readjustment and examination before she can again be placed in service where maximum speed is required. For instance, joints of various steam pipes will dry out and leak, valves will rust or get dirty and require overhauling, air compressors will have to be overhauled, etc., whereas if the boats be kept in commission this is looked after by the crews, and the boats are constantly ready for service.
All destroyers should be exactly alike in every respect as should also be the torpedo-boats. All should have twin screws and triple expansion engines of either the three- or four-cylinder type, preferably the latter; the engines of either type when running at maximum speed should not make over 375 revolutions per minute. When engines run at much over 350 revolutions per minute the chances of accident increase rapidly.
The type of engine and boiler should be decided upon with great care, taking into consideration first of all the efficiency of the boat as a whole, and when once decision is reached it should be rigidly and carefully carried out, so that boats of a certain type will be exactly alike in every respect to the minutest detail. This is absolutely necessary for efficiency, as men who have qualified for torpedo service will be at once available for duty on any boat, and time will not be lost in teaching men their duties. All parts of each type of boat will then be interchangeable, spare parts, tools and fittings can then be kept in store and ready for immediate use. All supplies can be kept on hand and both efficiency and simplicity obtains.
All spare parts should have a number, together with an initial designating to which department it belongs. For instance, E-5-1 would be a connecting rod, starboard engine, 1st or H.P. cylinder; T-2, a part of a torpedo, etc. These articles, as well as supplies, should be drawn from store without requisition, the commanding officer of the boat deciding what is necessary and receipting for same.
A type of valve gear for the main engines should be adopted, having the fewest number of moving parts, thereby greatly reducing the liability of accident. The efficiency of the entire boat must be considered above the efficiency of any special part, regardless of any special economy of that part. No torpedo-boat can be run with any great degree of economy, and the highest state of efficiency should be sought irrespective of any slight saving of fuel or supplies. The boat is not built for long distance steaming nor for comfort; and her steaming radius does not depend on the amount of coal she can carry, but upon the amount of fresh water necessary and the endurance of her crew. A torpedo-boat steaming at maximum speed uses about six tons of extra feed-water per 1000 H.P. per 24 hours, so it can be readily seen what an important item fresh water is. At a speed of 10 or 12 knots the torpedo-boat can generally carry fresh water to equal her coal endurance; that is, providing the evaporator is kept going constantly. The ordinary torpedo-boat cannot steam at full speed much over 4 hours before the water supply is exhausted.
All dynamos and anchor engines should be retained in the destroyers and removed from the torpedo-boats. The anchors of a torpedo-boat can be handled easily by the crews, and the engines in addition to heating up the meager living spaces of the crews, occupy valuable space and weight. Put the extra weight into the air compressor, rather than into a dynamo or anchor engine.
No deck gratings of any kind should be fitted on the boats of either type as they only add unnecessary weight. Supply the crew with rubber-soled shoes and the same result is obtained in a much more satisfactory way, and at the same time about a ton of weight is saved. Make the signal mast of ordinary brass pipe instead of wood, thereby saving much weight. The deck over the boilers should be secured with bolts, so that it may be easily removed and boilers can be hoisted out for repairs. A large hatch should be fitted over each engine, in order that proper ventilation may be obtained, and opportunity given for overhauling the engines.
In regard to the personnel. Each destroyer should be commanded by a Lieutenant, with two Junior Officers, one for deck duties and one for engineering duties. These officers should exchange duties every six months, so that they may qualify for any duty. A gunner should also be attached to a destroyer. All of the deck force should consist of gunners' mates and seamen gunners only; in this case each man of the deck force will understand the care and maintenance of the battery, torpedoes, and their appliances, and efficiency and simplicity prevail. In the education of seamen gunners it is absolutely necessary that they be trained in a machine shop, and all chief gunners' mates should at least be able to qualify as first class machinists. The engineer's force of a destroyer should consist of two warrant machinists, and a sufficient number of the following rates: chief machinist, oiler and water tender. No 1st or 2d class machinists nor 1st or 2d class firemen or coal passers should be on board. All machinists and men of the fire-room force should stand the same watch, the latter being required to attend water while on duty, and men doing the duty should have the rate and pay for same.
The torpedo-boat should be commanded by a Lieutenant, with a Junior Officer for both deck and engineering duties as his assistant. One warrant machinist should be attached to a torpedo-boat and all deck men should be gunners' mates and seamen gunners, while the engineer's force should consist of chief machinists, oilers and water tenders.
No man should serve on a destroyer until he has had at least three months of service on a torpedo-boat and has qualified for torpedo service.
Men who have qualified for service in the torpedo fleet should receive, while doing duty with the fleet, 25 per cent, extra pay of their rate, and wear some distinguishing mark on the sleeve. They should be supplied yearly with the following articles free of charge: 2 pairs of working clothes, 2 pairs rubber-soled shoes, 2 watch caps, one suit of oil skins (deck force), one pair gum boots (deck force).
All spare parts and supplies not used daily should be stored on shore, and weights kept down as much as possible in order that the boats may be kept at their designed displacements. In case any improvement be determined for a type of boat, these improvements should be carried out at once in the entire lot of boats, thus keeping the boats alike in all details as far as it is possible to do so. The most vital point of our torpedo service is frequently lost sight of—efficiency first, and economy second. Any appliance for war purposes, if good, is cheap at any price.