THE LATEST THING IN WARSHIPS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 914, 6 September 1910, Page 5

THE LATEST THING IN WARSHIPS.

DREADNOUGHT-SMASHERS. BRITAIN AND GERMANY WORKING , ON HUGE MONITORS. A RUMOUR FROM BERLIN. By Telegraph—Press Association-Popyrisht (Rec. September 5, 10.10 p.m.) Berlin, September 5. The Socialist journal "Vorwaerts" states that both the .British and German Navy Departments aro now working feverishly on models of a vessel, of tho monitor type, .which is intended for the destruction of' Dreadnoughts. The monitor will- havo a length of 2Eoft;, a'beam of 40ft., and a draught of 20ft.; and a ■ freeboard'sft.' Her armament will consist of two 16.7 in. guns, .to carry a projectile weighing 5940 pounds, and with a. tingle turret amidships turning in all directions. . ,Tho. normal speed will bo nineteen knots,'but on forced draught a speed of 27 knots,will be attainable. ■ The vessel' will be driven with four motors, each of 6000 horse-power,.-: and will cost considerably less than a Dreadnought. . , .""■.'■■'■■: ; Sho. will be invulnerable : by twelveinch gun, fire. ■,'.'■ '■■'- AN "ALL-ROUND", SHIP. ..'The foregoing introduces a very important subject—the- problem which ' is before all naval architects at the. present time, and of which more will undoubtedly be heard within tho next few years. The problem is : really to produce & ship whose whole- battery can be used simultaneously.over a training arc of 360 degrees—a complete circle. No such arrangement of tiie hitting power of a ship has yet been attempted, and even the Dreadnought typo falls far short of the ideal. Of the Dreadnought's ten guns, only eight can train on the beam, whilu for end-on fire,'the big ship can only train six guns straight ahead, and sia .astern, ■'.'.' Obviously, the; only type of ship which. could develop a complete all-round tire, with all her guns, Would be ' one with a. single- turret, and -a. perfectly tuibb. servable deck free from superstructure, oonning, tower,-,.: bridge, superstructure, masts,, boat deck, and. smoke' stacks. Tho: removal of these .presents great difficulties, alike .from, the points, of view of lmbil'ability, navigation, (ire control, and steaming, all of which aro\ obviously of extreme-, importance. ... -. Ericson's Monitor. ■The nearest approach to the type desired was .obtained in Ericson's. famons monitors which figured extensively in tho American Civil War. Of theso the Monitor, Weehawken, and Dictator, were prob-ably-thol - most:; efficient but; even in theuV the .sweep of the turret guns was obstructed by .'. a pilot-house, and a funnel.. Except on the part of such writers as the late Admiral P. H. Colomb, the complete possibilities -of the "all-round" ship received little : attention in Britain in the seventies and later and,, under tho regime .of Sir William-, White, the- ideaof .broadside fire ;(as- distinct from end : on fire)-'.vros'-'ahvays paramount. On the other hand (French designers strove hard for the: "all-round" ship, but such ad-; vantages as they gained .in one direction' were' lost in- another, for every'battleship is, at best, only a compromise. With the advent of later. British ships, the .'struggle for a big training 'arc,;for ,all guns ,has begun again. : . :The question 1 involves,; among: other difficulties,, the substitution of smokeless fuel of some, kind for coal, as it. is-only in this- way that some stacks can be dispensed with. '-. . If the ideal ship is evolved,, she will bo probably a vessel of/about .8000 to 10,000 tons, flush-deck,: and her single turret will : carry three' guns..'.. That will be her. sole armament. Of course, this would mean, the .end of. the' racer in '.: ; ; :; V;. ■■ .' ; The Latest Guns, : v': .- With reference, to another phase of the question—the increase in, calibre of big guns—the "Daily Mail" of July 26, to hand by. last night's mail, contained the following:— . ' "Our Berlin correspondent telegraphs an important article' in tho . 'Berliner Neueste. Nachrichten,' which for the first time authoritatively, discloses, the: fact that Germany is preparing to arm . her future Dreadnoughts with a 14in. gun. In view of the 'Nac'hrichten's' close connection with, the firm of Krupp, this news may be taken as trustworthy. ' "The heaviest!. giin yet tested for the British' Navy-is the -13.5 m.-, -. firing ' a 12501b. .shell. :The heaviest weapon yet actually mounted.is the 12in., firing an 8501b: shell. The German 12in. gun is believed to fire a 0901b. shell, , 'and the new 14in. weapon would -therefore discharge a projectile weighing from 15001b. to.lCOOlb. . ' "A fresh advance in the Dreadnought race is indicated by this telegram from Berlin. According to : report the new: German, ships which will carry the new gun will be of 27,000 tons, or more than 8000 tons larger than.the original-British : Dreadnought." v .