Page:Heresies of Sea Power (1906).djvu/347

Rh guns in broadside ships. The heavy gun stood for everything in those days. In the Amiral Baudin and Devastation types France mounted heavy guns in small barbettes, carried high up for the express purpose of being used in all weathers and for a plunging fire on to the decks of ships of lesser freeboard. She also mounted in the Baudin a number of small guns, for no more definite reason apparently than that space chanced to be available for them, because at the date of her design, 1872 or before, there were none of those ships with huge unarmoured areas such as became so conspicuous later on.

Turkey purchased broadside or box-battery iron-clads in England, so also did Germany. Originality was only to be found in Russia, where the amateur spirit of imitation led to the building of some coast defenders with three turrets, and then, towards the end of the period were designed some distinct improvements upon past efforts in the Tchesma class, with six heavy guns as the main armament. These vessels took so long to build and were begun so long after their conception that they never attracted the attention that they deserved. The earliest of them was not commenced till 1883, but the design is believed to date from 1880 or before.

Italy took to the turret ship, and vied with England in building vessels which, while nominally improvements upon the Devastation, really fell away from that ideal except for their more powerful guns.