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Show NOTES LESSON IN LONG RANGE FIRING Correspondent Declares Battle at Sea Showed Weakness in Modern Battleship Constructiou. (Correspondence of the Associated Tresa.) " LONDON. Feb. S. The majority of the hits made by the battle cruisers in the North sea battle of January 24 struck upon the decks of the ships. The naval correspondent of the Globe, In discussing dis-cussing this battle, which was fought at ; Jong range with the shells reaching the height of three miles In the curve of their projection, says it shows a weakness of modern battleship construction that the decks were bo easily penetrated. The decks, he says, are tlie weakest and most vulnerable of ail the above-water paru of the up-to-date warship. Another lesson he draws from this battle bat-tle is that the ship lighting end-nn is more llkeiy -to be hit than the one fighting fight-ing broadside to the enemy. "it has been generally believed," he says, "that a ship lighting end-on stands the smallest small-est chance of being hit, but that is no longer the case. The science of gunnery has been brought to such a standard that it is difficult for a competent man to aim off the proper line of tire. Thut !s, he may be depended on to send his shells in the right direction- Misses are mostly made by t?io shell" falling short or passing over the target; and It in therefore obvious that the longer the target tar-get is, not at right ancles to, out paraia-l with, the tlight f the shell, the greater will be the chance of hitting. The effective ef-fective target presented by a battleship end-on Is really much greater than when she Is broadside on, besides. In the former for-mer position, losing whatever protection might be afforded by her vertical side armor." |