RUSSIAN NAVY. ANOTHER BATTLESHIP LAUNCHED.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXII, Issue 63, 12 September 1911, Page 7

RUSSIAN NAVY. ANOTHER BATTLESHIP LAUNCHED.

at . PETEP^BURG, llth Ser>tember-. The Tsar witnessed the launching of tho new battleship, th©< Petropavlosk. The Admiralty contemplates the provision of a forty thousand ton floating dock in the Black Sea. Tho dock will bo built in England. "/[The Pekopavlosk, which was built at the Baltic works at St. Petersburg, is a sister ship of the Sevastopol, which was launched a few weeks ago. Another battleship of the same type, the Gangut, is under construction at the new Admiralty yardsA These vessels are of 23,000 tons, with turbine^ engines of 42,000 horse-power ; they are 590 ft long, with 87ft beam, aoid 27£ ft draught. Their armament consist* of twelve 12in guns, with twenty-eight guns of smaller calibre, and the contract speed is -23 knote. Each vefcsel is estimated to cost £2,800,000. There has been considerable criticism in Russia of this type of warship, which were supposed to be of an inferior design. It was asserted that they would be out of date before completed, while it was freely alleged that for the sum to be expended in Russia on four battleships, six of the same type could be built in England, and five in countries on the Continent. It was also stated that the side armour would be too thin to keep out heavy shell, and that there were other structural defects. It is probable that some of the adverse comment was based on imperfect information, full particulars of the design of these battle-, ships not having been made public]