GERMANY'S GIANT WARSHIP.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 177, 21 April 1908, Page 9

GERMANY'S GIANT WARSHIP.

' BATTLESHIP -NASSAU. LAUNCHED... • The first gia'n ( t warship of the German navy was successfully launched lioro to-day (says - a Wilhclmshavon Press, message; of. March 7), and named Nassau, By the brand Duchess of Baden. Emperor 1 William, a tho . Grand Duke of Baden', Prince Horiry of Prussia, Henry! of "the: Netherlands, with,a: brilliant assemblage.of :pr6nji-. nent officials/" were, present. t v : The ■' launching of v the ■: giant' -battleship. Nassau inaugurates a new era in tho Gorman . navy. She' is • tho': first of'the /great' vessels of-which,-.the: activc squadrons are, in ; future to.-. be composed,, and ' is ;: in size, ; a'rmamentj v speed, and installation, -superior'.to any,:warship ; hitherto built in- Germany:,'.: ' A naval' authority; said that''tho. following are: approximately the dimensions - of 'the new'warship:—Length,- .472 ft .; : beam, 82ft. 9in.; -draught,'2oft.; tonnage,'lß,ooo; horse-' power, 525,000,' and speed, '19 knots '.an' hour; Tho/armament-, will consist-,of. twelve. llin. 'gunsy twelve 6.6 in. guns, and eight'3.4in. guns, together with six, torpedo, tubes for tho discharge of a torpedo 19in. in diameter. 1 Her . crow is, to number 806, .including 27 officers: Her. radius'of action at a speed of tori' knots -is 5000' miles.'. This, indicates that tho vessel.; is for 'use in homo ..waters.

. AlthoiighUihe new battleship'was' formally laid 'dowii in July, 1907, this dato hardly lepresonts/correctly tho' speed of tho German yard in ' shipbuilding, beciausb several months had .been spent previous to the lay. ing of /the keel. in assembling the materials 1 .- ■The battleship - will bo : ready to ko to sea tho end of 11)09. ':/■ ■ . • ■

The cost of construction, including trial 'runs, V ; will v: reach '£1,830,000, of - which' £1,113,000 are for the liull arid internal fittings'/ £675,000 for artillery, and £49,000 for torpedoes. j ' - " A twin ship in'every rbsßect,'. tho Sachseni is soon ,to. bo launched from the Weseryard at Bremen, while work is proceeding-rapidly on tho 'Wurtemberg at . tho Viilkaii yard, Stettin,' and on- the Baden at "tho' Germania works, Kiel. The latter two'ships, although classed Vitli - the Nassau,. are' to /h'avo an oven 1 larger displacement •namely, 18,700 tons;" and ■' are/ to bo fitted with turbines' probably, of the ' Parsons typo. Two other battleships:! arc' also to be laid down this' ;yeaiy and. theso, .it-is believed, are to displace over 20,000 tons. f' , ;'lt < has"'been .stated in well-informed naval circles, that /each of.' these vessels is to be armed with ten- llin. guns of. fifty calibres m lengthy with' great muzzle velocity. The projectile of these weapons weighs, between 700 _ and }800 • pounds, 'and, as the guns . are to ; be'placed -so-as "to: fire simultaneously ,from-either'broadside, it will hn Possible to, ;disohargo an enormous weight' of motal at one time. The previous largest German battleships are those, of .the Deutschland class,' of ,13,191 tons, carrying crows of :730. . '