AMERICAN CRUISERS

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 24, 29 January 1927, Page 10

AMERICAN CRUISERS

POWERFUL NEW VESSELS

HIGH SPEED AND DEFENCE

Official particulars .are now availablo ■of the new type of cruiser which has been adopted for the United States Navy. The keel of the first vessel, the Pensacola, has just been laid at Brooklyn Naval Yard, and it is significant of the attitude of the working classes towards naval matters on the other side of the Atlantic that the first rivet was driven in by Mr. William Green, president of the American Federation of Labour, writes Archibald Hurd in: the "Daily Telegraph;" This Cruiser is the first of the Washington type to be. laid down in the United States —in other words, it will be of 10,000 tons displacement, and instead of the sixinch gun, which was usually mounted in such vessels before the war, will have as its main armament the eightinch gun. The significance of this change will be appreciated in the light of the following comparative figures:—

; The bearing, of these figures as to the power of the 8-inch gun as compared with the 6-inch gun on the design of the new American cruisers is apparent when it is added that each of these vessels will mount ten of these, heavier weapons. Ten years ago the American fleet, apart from the few odd armoured cruisers which have since been scrapped, possessed no modern cruising ship more powerful than the Birmingham class, which carried only two 5-inch guns in association with six 3-inch-weapons. -The Pensacola and her sia--ters will each have four of the new sinch anti-aircraft guns, and will be pierced for six torpedo tubes. These cruisers will be '585 ft 'in length, with a beam. of • 66ft and a draught of 19ft, the comparable figures of-the Birmingham class being 420 ft length, ,47ft beam,, and ißft 9in respectively. The Pensacola and her consorts will steam at the rate/of thirty-three knots, and will rank as the.swiftest vessels under the American (ensign. It is .apparent that, while some provision has evidently been made for protection against enemy gun fire, torpedo attack, and aerial, bombs,'the defensive qualities of these cruisers have beeir-subor-: dinated to the provision of.means of offence, and,that reliance has been plac-: ed mainly upon speed in order to avoid attack. The design reflects the principles which were strongly, supported by. the late Lord Fisher.•• They were embodied in a number of vessels for which he was responsible when the First Sea Lord, but have been considerably modified in later designs. • It would be improper to suggest that the United States naval authorities, in laying 'down- 10,000-ton !cruisers with 8-inch guns, are doing differently from other nayal Powers in conformity with the provisions of the 1 Washington Treaty. The. American people are, however, evincing keen interest in- all naval matters, as was illustrated when "Navy Day" was celebrated throughout the States, the Navy Department lending every possible encouragement to the movement for awakening public opinion, and' thus influencing ..Congress. The Navy Estimates for; the current year, as approved by. Congress, represented a reductiotton the suni: provided for the preceding twelve months,: as well>s. oil, the demand of the Navy Department, .and the Navy Department is: hoping to, obtain larger appropriations so that greater progress may be made in its plans for reconditioning the fleet. Under • votes'now effective ■ amounting to 335,000,000 dollars, provision was made for work on the two new aircraft carriers Lexington and Saratoga, and the laying down of five 10,000-ton cruisers, as well as six river gunboats and three submarines.' As; has been, stated, only one of these cruisers has yet beea begun. Six of, th« older battleships are being modernised, it having,been decided to give them increased protection against submarine attack, to convert their boilers from coal to oil burning, and to make better provision for launching aeroplanes.' The Estimates also provide for the purchase of 227 new aeroplanqs for the fleet, in addition to 399 which were ordered in the preceding: year.

6-inch 8-inch guns, guns. Weight of projectile (lb) ...'. 105 . 260 Muzzle energy (foot-ton) .. 5,707 , 13,360 Muzzle Penetration of armour ' (inclies) .... 8.3 . 12 Penetration at 9000 yds (In).. 2.3 4.4