Page:Heresies of Sea Power (1906).djvu/326

 and smooth-bores because Nelson won using sails and smooth-bores than to demand moderate dimensions because his ships were seventy-fours! The processes of reasoning applied to the one can equally well be applied to the others. Let us, however, suppose for a moment that a nation, instead of determining to build so many ships, determine instead (which no nation does) to build so many thousand tons of shipping and decided to have five moderate ships instead of four more monstrous ones. Suppose, for instance, Japan had constructed five Fujis instead of four Shikishimas, then the loss of the Hatsuse, instead of being the loss of one sixth of her battle fleet, would have been the loss of one seventh; but would a Fuji have survived the hammering that the Mikasa took at the battle of Round Island? The Hatsuse struck by one mine kept afloat (it was pure chance that another struck and caused her to sink), whereas the smaller Yashima was totally disabled and finally sank from the effect of one. We cannot logically base an argument on the fact that the Hatsuse was struck twice—yet this is what the moderate dimensionists unconsciously do. They ignore that big ships are much better fitted to survive damages which will assuredly sink smaller ones.

Tsushima occasionally resolved itself into duels.