Small Boats

Last week the U. S. Navy had news of the biggest and some of the smallest fighting boats in the world. Big and little, the boats were on paper, but they were near enough to water to catch the interest of admirals, dictators and all those, including Franklin Roosevelt, who thrill to anything that floats.

Admiral William Daniel Leahy let Congress, and the world, know that the U. S. Navy plans to build two 45,000-ton, 880-foot battleships. They will be 10,000 tons heavier, 130 feet longer, and better armed by three guns than any of the six battleships now being built for the U. S. Fleet. They will be bigger even than the two 42,000-tonners which Britain has laid down. And as the President explained at a press conference, Japan is reportedly building three ships of around 42,000 tons, refuses to tell other powers just what size they will be. House Appropriations subcommitteemen, however, declining to be rushed, asked why the U. S. needs ships costing perhaps $90.000,000, about $15,000,000 more than its new 35,000-tonners.

Upping battleship tonnages by 10,000 is like stepping from a twelve into a 16-cylinder car. Last week the U. S. Navy also prepared to get itself a motorcycle. It awarded to seven civilian designers prizes for motor torpedo ("mosquito") boats, 54 to 70-footers which any fireside sailor can comprehend.

First prize ($15,000) for 70-foot mosquitoes went to the Manhattan firm of Sparkman & Stephens, whose Partner Olin Stephens in 1931 skippered the 52-foot racing yawl Dorade across the Atlantic in 17 days, 2 hours 14 minutes, later was a codesigner of Harold Vanderbilt's Cup-winning Ranger. As a specialist in sailboats for rich men, famed young (30) Mr. Stephens left the designing of a motored mosquito to his expert helper, Gilbert Wyland, was modestly annoyed when Designer Wyland gave the credit to his boss. Another $15,000 for the best 54-footer was won by Henry B. Nevins, Inc.'s George F. Crouch of New York. Also awarded: $15,000 and $20,000 first prizes for 110-and 165-foot submarine chasers.

Real mosquitoes, as distinguished from subchasers, must be fast enough and small enough to dart among an enemy fleet, loose torpedoes at murderous range. Benito Mussolini's Navy perfected them, used them to good advantage against Loyalist Spain and even showed the way to British mosquito designers (including famed Racer Hubert Scott-Paine). For the price of a 45,000-ton battleship, the U. S. Navy probably could build 750 mosquitoes, as an experiment plans to order four immediately. On the theory that the U. S. probably will never have to fight a naval war at home, Navy men in Washington last week still discounted the value of mosquitoes. But the idea of a little boat snapping at a big boat intrigues taxpayers and Congressmen. And in wartime, a healthy small-boat industry will be useful to the Navy.

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