. Scientific American Volume 92 Number 08 (February 1905) . igned solelyto do scouting work. They carry only sufficient arma-ment to drive off or destroy an enemys torpedo boatsor destroyers. Should this vessel meet with a hostilecruiser, it would not attempt to fight, but would in-stantly turn and run; or cruise in the offing out of gun-shot range, but keeping in touch with and observingthe enemy. The prime requisites for a vessel of thisclass are that it shall be very fast, faster, indeed, thanany protected or armored cruiser; that it shall be ofsufficient size and power to maintain its spee
. Scientific American Volume 92 Number 08 (February 1905) . igned solelyto do scouting work. They carry only sufficient arma-ment to drive off or destroy an enemys torpedo boatsor destroyers. Should this vessel meet with a hostilecruiser, it would not attempt to fight, but would in-stantly turn and run; or cruise in the offing out of gun-shot range, but keeping in touch with and observingthe enemy. The prime requisites for a vessel of thisclass are that it shall be very fast, faster, indeed, thanany protected or armored cruiser; that it shall be ofsufficient size and power to maintain its speed in heavyweather; that, compatible with the preceding require-ments, it must be as small and inconspicuous as pos-sible; and that it must be thoroughly staunch and sea-worthy. Its armament need only be heavy enough to defeat any craft such as a destroyer or torpedo boatthat is fast enough to overtake it; and it need carrybut a moderate coal supply, its sphere of action beingalways within easy steaming of the main fightingfleet and its attendant PHOTOGRAPH OF A BLAST OF DYNAMITE. These vessels were laid down a few years ago inaccordance with the modern policy of the British navy,which is to reduce the larger ships of the navy to threedistinct type%—the battleship, the armored cruiser, andthe fast scout. The battleship will form the nucleusand the main fighting element of the fleet. Spread outfanwise beyond them will be the fast armored cruisersof 23 to 24 knots speed, and beyond these in a widercircle will stretch the scouts of 25 knots speed. Hither-to the extreme outpost duty or duties of reconnaissancehave been performed by cruisers of large dimensions,6,000 to 10,000 tons displacement or more. But thenumber of large vessels is limited by their great cost;and it was realized that by reducing the size, raising the speed, and trebling the number of vessels, the workof reconnaissance would be carried out over a farwider area, and by units that were in closer touchw
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