THE ROYAL NAVY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1366, 17 February 1912, Page 10

THE ROYAL NAVY.

h NEW SIIll'S ADDED LAST YEAR. Tho battleships included in last year's list are (ho King Clem-go V. and the Centurion, launched respectively at Portsmouth and Devonport, and lieing supplied with their machinery by the Parsons Marine Sleain-Turbine Company, Limited, and Messrs. Hawthorn, Leslie, and Company, Limited. Three ships of the line wero also launched from private works— tho Thunderer, by Ihe Thames Iron Works and Shipbuilding Company, Limited; the Conqueror, by Messrs. William Beardninre mid Company, Limited; and the Monarch, by Sir \V. G. Armstrong, Whitwnrth and Company, Limited. The two dockyard ships named belong to a new class; tho three others ore of tho Orion type. All of them are fitted with 13.5-in. guns. It must be accepted as creditable and perhaps comforting (says "Engineering") that we have obtained such a great load among tho nations in tho fitting of these morn powerful weapons in our ships, as we have, noiv afloat—all rapidly approaching commission—ten ships fitted with tin's new gnu, while two others will be launched in a few months... 'J'hc weapon nrnved on tho trials of the Orion to Ik aft that was desired, and it is further gratifying to know that notwithstanding the increase of power of attack, neither the .defensive efficiency nor the speed of ships lias been adversely affected. The newer ships, in addition to mounting ten of the l.'i.j-in. guns, will havo more powerful 'torpedo-repelling guns than any of their predecessors, and these, moreover, will bo so arranged as to enable them to be effectually protected behind armour. BATTLESHIP CRUISERS. The battle-cruisers launched are the Princess Royal, built by Messrs. Vickers, Limited, Barrow, the New Zealand, built by the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Limited, Glasgow, and the Australia, built by Messrs. John Brown and Company, Limited, Clydebank, tho turbines in all three cases being supplied by the builders of the ship. Tho two latter vessels aro being built, under Admiralty supervision, to the order and at tho expense of the Colonies, and they will servo as flagships for the units of the Pacific fleet, to be maintained by the respective Governments for whom the vessels aro being constructed. The colonial ships are of the Indefatigable class, their displacement being IS,OOO tons. The Princess Royal is of the same type 'as the Lion, for-which also Messrs. Vickers, Limited, have provided the machinery. This latter vessel is now at sea on lier trials, and theso will bo watched with tho greatest interest, as the ship is cot only tho most powerful cruiser yet

built, bni has an installation of turbine machinery which is only equalled by that in the Mauretania and Lusitania, so that lier speed performance is ■ expected to show a considerable advance on anything yet done by armoured fighting ships. A third battle-cruisor of tiro class —tho Queen Mary—has been laid 'down this year at tho works of the Palmer Iron and Shipbuilding Compmy, Limited, Jarrow-on-Tyne, and a fourth will be ordered in a few months. These vessels aro 060 feet long between perpendiculars and of S9 feet beam, their displacement tonnage being 27,000 tons. They havo armoured protection and u broadside gunfire equal to any of our battleships. PROTECTED CRUISERS. Of protected cruisers there have been launched four,, three of the Town class— the Dartmouth, by Messrs. Vickers, Limited; tho Yarmouth, by the London and Glasgow Shipbuilding and Engineerin" Company, Limited; and the Chatham, from Chatham Dockyard, the machinery for this last being by tho Thames Ironworks. The fourth cruiser included in tfie iist of the year's launches is of lighter type, the Active being about 3)00 tons, with turbines of 18,000 horse-power, bv Messrs'. Hawthorn, Leslie, ami Co. Quite a succession of theso vessels have corue from the Pembroke Dockyard, their feature being their high speed, their designed rato of 25 knots having in all ca°ses been exceeded. The earlier boats were equipped with J-in. guns, of which they carrv ten, but in the later boats there has" been an advaneo in this respect. Indeed, it might be'said of almost all our ships that periodically thero seems to havo been exercised, voluntarily or compulsDrily, a .-'elermination to reduce size, and it lias not infrequently happened that ill this reduction gun-power has suffered; so that, alike with battleships, arnuured cruisers, scouts, and destroyors, during the last few years, each succcssivo ship has grown, so that heavier guns might bo installed. This upward trend continues. The liighor results are achieved with a surprisingly small addition to displacement, without any diminution in speoJ, and with e. comparatively small augmentation of the power of the propelling machinery. Twenty-thrjo destroyers have been lauiiehei, including one for the Colonies. Thero was launched also a coastguard cruiser by Messrs. llall, Russell, and Co., of Aberdeen, two lender.-; for submarine depot ships—the Adamant and Electra, ot 830 tons displacement. 1-100 horse-power, nn<l 15 knots speed, by Messrs. I'anunell Uiird and Co. (Limited;, Birkenhead, and a surveying vessel.