§ LORD CHARLES BERESFORDI beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether, considering the recent statements made by distinguished Naval Officers as to the possibility of the unarmoured ended class of battleships being put out of action by small gun fire without their armour being pierced, he will reconsider his objection to giving a fair and practical trial by perforation, in order to settle the doubt which exists as to the stability of these vessels with their unarmoured portions wounded; the names of the vessels referred to are the Ajax, Agamemnon, Anson, Benbow, Camperdown, Collingwood, Howe, Rodney, Colossus, Edinburgh, Inflexible, Sanspareil, and Victoria?
§ LORD G. HAMILTONI am not aware that any distinguished naval officer with a knowledge of modern ordnance has advanced the opinion stated, but even if that opinion had been stated it only alludes to one of the many possibilities that will occur in a 364 future naval action. To test this possibility and exclude all others would be a most misleading and mischievous experiment. I may add that in the opinion of my naval and technical advisers there is no ship afloat or building belonging to any foreign Navy of the same date as the vessels referred to in the question that has not an inherent weakness of some kind which will expose her in action to risks just as great as, if not greater than, those alluded to by my noble Friend.
§ LORD C. BERESFORDIn consequence of the answer of my noble Friend I shall on the first possible occasion call attention to the necessity of removing the doubt as to these ships' stability under certain circumstances.