NAVIES OF WORLD POWERS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 116, 17 May 1902, Page 4 (Supplement)

NAVIES OF WORLD POWERS.

THOSE OF GREAT BRITAIN, J A p A ~ AND RUSSIA COMPARED. < According to the latest published a counts, the number of Great Britain^" officers, seamen, and marines provided f/ ' in the estimates for 1901 are as follows! Officers and men M Coast g-uard ' * «.S2I. Marines * 4.20Q - •••• 15.500 In addition to these there are 0,520 b..», in training. -.» .' uys The British vessels complete and T eadv for sea in January, 1901, include the f n , lowing:- m" First class battleships ; ~ First class battleships (buildine)*""" iSecond class battleships ..... """ H. Third class battleships !!!!!!!!!."-" ii Armoured cruisers \ ~ Protected cruisers ...'. "'" .£ , Torpedo gunboats "". "* S Destroyers V 5-!.;' Torpedo boats, first class !""!"""" ,? Torpedo boats, second class ...... '"'' j. Torpedo ships •■...!!!.'."!"" j In January, 1901, there were 174 ships In commission, distributed as follows:— Mediterranean ~ ■ Channel squadron .'" * v North American and West indies "it - East Indies "" ix China. " ' m ■ West Africa ," fj. Pacific i.V.'.".'." » Australia ....!.." ij Special service ..' \'\ Surveying- service .......; ......"," 7 Training squadron ; u | ± The first class battleships of the Royal1. Sovereign and Empress of India type are about 14,150 tons displacement, and the battleships of the London, Magnificent, Formidable, Victories, and Prince George class are about 14,900 tons. : Japan has :— Tons. Six first class battleships** with a_^ ' gross displacement of .:.".•"'86,299 ■•■ ■ Two second class battleships .. 11,113 Ten coast defence ships 18,225 Six first class cruisers .'. 58,778 . Nine second class cruisers ' ZSfi \ Five third class cruisers , 14,078 Two first class gunboats 8,657 r. Fourteen second class gunboats 8,013* Two third class cruisers .. 6,800 The first class battleships are all over 12,000 tons displacement. The total number of officers and enlist* : ed men in the Russian navy, according to the latest published accounts, is be-" tween 40,000 and 45,000. The fleet consists of six first class battleships. The |jsorodino, Alexander 111., and Oral have a disV placement of 13,400 tons each, and carry four 12-inch, twelve 6-inch quick filing and twenty 3-inch quick firing guns eachi'. and many smaller guns. The Tavricnesky : ; has 12,480 tons displacement, and carriea four 12-inch, sixteen 6-inch quick firing, . sixteen 3-inch quick' firing guns, and tnlif- ; ty smaller pieces. The Retvizan, 12,700 tons displacement, has four 12-ineh,twel.V6 : : <i-inch quick firing, and twenty 3-inth v quick firing guns, and the Tsarvitch 'wiil - have the same armament, but will be of 1000 tons more displacement. These first class battleships, although they are put on the official list of the Russian navy's fleet, are in course Of construction, and none had been complete . ed on January 1, 1901. Since that tiM X much progress has been made, several'tit the ships have been made available, ana the Retvizan, which is being built, at tib Cramp yards, will be ready for delivery to the Russian Government on March 16, The rest of the Russian fleet is composed as follows:— Second class battleships ; $ Third class battleships 8 Coast defence vessels 1 Armoured cruisers :■;.'....'. !' '■': Protected cruisers JI.:V. Gunboats 80Old. armour clads .8 According to published reports there are in the British navy 82 vessels of more than 8000 tons displacement, aggregating ■ about 1,000,000 tons displacement. This includes the vessels in course of con-" ;. struction. The tonnage of Japan's 12 vessels of more tha.n 8000 tons displacement is about - 146,000 tons. Russia's 27 vessels of more than SO® tons displacement aggregate 322,800 tons, The naval strength of France, which is also a matter of general interest at thi» time because of possible, combinations, is reported in the recent official document* as follows:— ;.; j..-: First class battleships -...* «* » First class battleships (building) .... S Second class battleships * , Second class battleships (building) « 7 V Third class battleships 19 = Third class battleships (building) ..-12' Germany has no first class battleships in icommiasion. Tjhere are seven of th^ second class in service, and eight of th» ■ same class are being built. The United States haa six first class battleships in commission) and 12 are ttt\ course of constructions These are some of the fighting shij>s of the world in. commission:—l England .- ....... $® Jat>an .„.„.......•. S5 Russia , ».».... 2^ France ...> m gwi. Germany .„„«... »1 United States iv. 80 This list includes cruisers, destroytfß* etc. '