GERMANY'S DREADNOUGHTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 232, 28 September 1908, Page 5

GERMANY'S DREADNOUGHTS.

THE THIRD LAUNCHED. (Received 5.42 a.m.) BERLIN, September 27. The third German Dreadnought, the Rheinland, has been launched at Stettin. The Nassau and Westfalen. the first two of the Oerman Dreadnoughts, were launched in June. The extent to which the four vessels differ from the British Dreadnought is more remarkable than was anticipated. Their heavy armament will consist of 11 in. guns, and they will also possess a secondary battery of 6.Tin. quick-firers, which is a surprising development. The name-ship of the British fieet and the four Geryian vessels compare thus in general characteristics: British German. Tonnage . 17.900 17.750 H. power 23.000 20,000 Armament 10 12-ln 12 11-in 24 12-pounders . 12 6.7-in 7% machine puns 8 smaller 5 torpedo boats 6 torpedo tube« The German 11-inch gun is not equal to the 12-in weapon of the British Service. It weighs just under 40 tons, and fires a projectile of TfiOlb., so as to perforate 13.7 inches of Krupp armour at 3000 yards, while the British gun weighs over 05 tons, and fires a projectile of 8501b., so as to perforate 20in. of hard steel at the same distance. The fact that these German vessels carry such a specially heavy armament, including the secondary guns, in association with engines developing 20,000 horse-power, reveals that economics of weight have been effected in other directions. The displacement of the German vessels is actually less than the Dreadnought, and consequently in the. inevitable compromise, something has gone overboard. There is no evidence yet as to what has been sacrificed, but it is probably coal. At any rate, on paper and judged by the Admiralty's statements, these four German vessels will , be more heavily armed, though with a . somewhat inferior primary gun, than the Dreadnought and her sisters. Four more , are to be laid down. ]