NEW DREADNOUGHTS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 657, 6 November 1909, Page 5

NEW DREADNOUGHTS.

.... •'.'■,';..—■ —: — '-*>-^ —f^-—'■'■'.-'•': :i SPEED RECORD. BY UNITED STATES NORTH DAICOTA. AVERAGE 21 4-S^KNOTS. ( ;;, IDy Toloiraph.-PriiM Annclatlon,-Oopyrlßhl.l (Rec. November 5, 10.15 p.m.) .NewjYork, November 5.' Tho second United States- Drondnought, tho North Dakota, 20,000 tons, ten 12-inch guns, in a test off the coast of Maine developed a maximum speed 0f,22J knots, .and averaged-21 4-5 knots, a world's record : for a battleship. The stipulated speed was 21 knots. The first United,- States Dreadnought, the Delaware, sister ship to the North Dakota, during her trials attained a speed of 22 knots (the contract stipulated 21 knots), and her engines developed 30,000 horse-power (an increase of 4000 over the figure stipulated). • [A speed of 21i knots was reported to have been obtained at the full-power .trials of the British first and third Dreadnoughts (Dreadnought and Temeraire). ■■-■■ The second Dreadnought. (Bellerophon) was credited' with 20.75 to 21 knots. The fourth Dreadnought (Superb) did over 21 knots, and is said to. be an economical coal user. The Delaware and North Dakota are bigger and moro heavily powered than these vessels,; and are, as shown below, the representatives of a later type. Tho Delaware ie- 510 ft, long, 85Jft. beam,,2'ift. draught. In addition to the ten 12-inch guns, there are fourteen 5-inch, also emaMer arms.], OUT-DREADNOUGHTING, ■'; ~,'■ GROWTH OF THE MONSTER WARSHIP. . ■ To trace the growth of the' modern battleship, it may be pointed out that the first Dreadnought was a ship of 17,900 tons; aud 490 ft. long, carrying ten 12-inch guns (eight firing on either broadside), and some 12, pounders In their second, third, and fourth (the Bellerophon, Superb, and Temeraire/ all in commission) the British Admiralty addedv7oo ( to tho tonnage, and reinforced, the ten 12-inch guns with a secondary armament: of sixteen - 4-inch. In the fifth, sixth, and'seventh (thevSt. Vin- 1 eent, Cdllingwood, ond }:■ Vanguard;''all completing), the tonnage has;grown,to 19,250, ten feet has ;been' added to the: length, and it is understood that the armament will be the same, except that there may be four more 4-, inoh; guns. : Concerning the ■- eighth British Dreadnought-battleship, the Neptune, launched last month, not so much is known, but it is stated that the tonnago will bo 20,250 (another increase of 1000 tons), a further ten feet will bring the length to 510 ft., and : thb-armament will probably be the same as the Neptune's predecessors.' But, according to various authorities, there will be an important departure in the Neptune in that all.her ten 12-inch.guns will be arranged to fire on, either beam, thus eclipsing .the eight-gun broadside if preceding type?.-.:'•'.'.-'.."■■.'-■ !■'■'• ';''.'' ■'■ Biggest.Broadside Af10at.;'.,.;.-' .' :'V;(l;;;;;' The: first'-United' States .Dreadnought-battle. 6hip,' the Dftlaware.has a tonnage of 20,000 or 250 loss than the Neptune), her length (510 ft)' is the oamo, * she' carries the! same number of 12-inch guns ;as all the British; Dreadnought-battle-ships, and, like seven of them, has a secondary armament, the "American'plan: being fourteen 5-mch guns. The faot which, it is argued, puts the Delaware ahead of the first seven British Dreadnoughts, and v on an .equality with 5 the Neptune,-is'that all the ton 12-inch guns will bear-on'either broadside. The Delaware has three sister ships, the ' North Dakota, riorida, arid Utah.' The earlier German Dread-nought-battleships will have twelve big guns, bearing ten:on either broadside, but they are U-inch guns.; The Americans, therefore, claim in tlj'e Dclawato and North Dakota, 'the heaviest broadside at. present, afloat, :', '..--,-.;'■.' ; .;■;' -.' Following immediately,; however, comes the 6uper-Dreaonought..'.Britain 'is understood to bo building'a'26,ooo-ton ship, with ten guw bearing otf. either beam, and they, are 13.5 guns (the projectile weighing 12501b., f as oomparod ' with the 8501b. projectile of the 12-inch gun), i According to calculations' recently referred ,tc , in- this paper, the broadside \of ten' 13.5-inoh guns in ( the British' super-Dreadnought '-will outweigh the* broadside of twelve 12-inoh guns 'in the 1 German super-Dreadnought j, the/ figures i being,l3,ooolb. and 11,7601b.' .- :;"..:-, ,„ ?; ■' -. ;.';■'■ ■■J'})H c f.■ V'■.Wyi<*i- >".' After .the Record. ~-.../ .■.'■■.',■.;■ jT;';;. Recent cablegrams indicate that the Amori cans; are again after:the super-Dreadnought re cord/ The Germans^htiving.advanced from 11 ' inch guns to 12-inch, and • the British from 12 • inch to 13.5-inch, the United StatesjNavyi?,l l - try a 14-inch gun;'twelve of which wpuld' pro f bably ■■ mean for the battleship ■ a, : toniiage :!, o ■ 80,000: -The object of enlarging";the:big gmri 8 for greater striking power. Tho ;rangO'.of th : 12-inoh; gun already, exhausts the : limit of ,vis J ion, 'but the larger guns will have greate } muzzle energy, < -.::-'•.•'■ ..-'-v. ';.>': '■■','■■" -'■':'■/'■ ; The three; .United States ..tyjjea.-lcomplete - 1 building, orproposed r are:— ;i-' ■ r Ship:-- ■''■';.:' Tonnage."■'■'-.' Broadside. : e Delaware ......... 20,000 ; Ten 12-inch, r Wyoming ..;.... -26,000 Twelve 12-inch: ; : Projected;....../;,30,000i-Twelveittinch. ~ 0 It-will be seen that the Delaware pairs, oi ■ with the, Neptune, and the Wyoming with, th a German; super-Dreadnought; while the objec r of the'projected type'is to'eclipse, the broadsid ' hre or '.'• the' British . super-Dreadnought, b: n answering the 13:5-inoh giin with the 14-inoh.