Putt-Putts Holed

Within the secretive confines of the Navy Department in Washington, a small war went on last year. Shy but stubborn Acting Secretary of the Navy Charles Edison, who inherited the experimental instinct from his great father, Thomas Alva Edison, wanted the Navy to try out small, speedy, motor torpedo boats and submarine chasers. Motored "mosquito boats"* and subchasers did perilous and effective duty along European coasts during War I, afterward were further developed by the British and Italians. Grey, stubborn Admiral William Daniel Leahy, who until last June was Chief of Naval Operations, stuck by his principle that the Navy should aim to do its fighting as far as possible from U. S. shores. With their relatively short ranges (600-1,000 miles)," mosquitoes would be useful mainly in and around U. S. bays and harbors. If enemy ships ever got that close to the U. S., said Bill Leahy, the country would do better to call on its God than on a bunch of putt-putts.

Most Naval officers sided with the Admiral. They still had tongues in cheek when Charles Edison finally had the Navy award prizes for the best U. S. mosquito and subchaser designs (TIME, April 10), later let contracts to U. S. manufacturers for four 110-to 174-foot chasers eight 59-to 81-foot mosquitoes. Last week the Navy's Brass Hats ate crow. They conceded that: 1) their civilian Secretary was right, and 2) they now had to turn to the British for the best mosquito boats.

Great Britain's famed, red-haired racer and designer, Hubert Scott-Paine, last September demonstrated a 70-foot, triple-engined mosquito which could lug two torpedo tubes, two guns, a crew of 16, at 47 knots (54.1 miles) per hour--well above the best speeds expected from the U. S. boats still abuilding. For eleven mosquitoes and twelve subchasers based on "Ginger Dick" Scott-Paine's designs, the Navy last week let a $5,000,000 contract to the Electric Boat Co., which makes most of the Navy's submarines. When these and the twelve now on the ways are ready next year, the Navy will try them out in such harbors as New York's and Norfolk's, may detail some to the Caribbean. In that case, they will be under the upturned nose of retired Admiral Leahy, now the civilian Governor of Puerto Rico.

*"Moving mines with brains," Navy men call the mosquitoes. They are built to dart at and through enemy fleets, loose torpedoes at surface warships, make a quick getaway (if they are lucky). Submarine chasers, lighter than destroyers, carry depth charges instead of torpedoes.

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