ANTITORPEDO BOATS. The ideal antitorpedo boat is the destroyer. It is big enough to stay at sea in all weathers. In the United States navy it carries an armament of several four-inch guns and with its speed of from 30 to 35 knots an hour it can swiftly dash down upon torpedo-boats — or submarines — and effectively dispose of them. An essen tial part of antitorpedo boat defense is de cent realization. The conditions of attack are such that each defense unit must act on its own initiative, and for torpedo craft the best unit is the single gun. For administrative purposes the unit may be a group of two or three guns, and the gun group commander would have the same duties and responsibilities as a battery commander of medium guns; but for tactical purposes the gun is the best unit, and the gun captain or gun group commander, if single gun groups are employed, must act on his own initiative. The passing of orders, once an ac tion has commenced, would be almost impos sible except to each gun separately. Constant readiness for action at night and in thick weather is necessary. Consequently the de tachments must be divided into watches, enough mein mnst be kept closely to the guns ready to man them at a moment's notice, and a look-out sentry must be posted at each gun, which must be kept loaded, with an ample supply of ammu nition ready to hand on the gun floor. The
duties of the sentry are to keep a sharp look out seaward, and to open fire, without waiting for orders, on any torpedo craft moving at night; only if the gun group commander were actually present on the gun floor would he take his orders before firing. In case of the alarm being given by means of the alarm gong be fore a target has been sighted, the sentry would pass on the alarm to the detachment. As night attacks are the principal danger, the effective ness of the antitorpedo boat armament de pends on the relative position of • the electric lights and guns; and, if fighting lights are used, on their speedy manipulation in accord ance with the wishes of those in command of the guns. These conditions absolutely dictate elaborate and expensive preparations in ad vance; and are quite incompatible with change of position. See SUBMARINES; TORPEDO BOATS; TORPEDOES.