LATEST WARSHIPS.

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 July 1916, Page 3

LATEST WARSHIPS.

GROWTH OF 'GUNS AND SPEED. (By H. H. in the Wellington Post), The new battleships , Malaya,. Barham ; pliant, and Warspite, sisters of tin Jucefv Elizabeth, and also the Royal Oal; nd Revenge, took part in the battle ‘oh )enmark. That, the Warspite was ther< .•as early known through the Germar laim that „she was sunk and the Ad liralty rejoinder that she had returnee nd, at the worst, had been severely nocked about by the enemy's shells. Th< our vessels first mentioned are of specie, Merest because, with the Queen Eliza eth, they form ' the first group of tin Rest development of the Dreadnoughi iea. The other two belong to a still latei lass, usually called the “Roya, overeigns,” which are slightly smaller, s t'tle slower, but equally armed and prob blv equally, if not better, armoured, i With the exception of a couple of Gerf man battleships which may have been 1 completed, but which have not yet been I mentioned as striking a blow for the - Kaiser, no other belligerent has any yes--1 sols comparable with these. c They_- carry eight 15-inch guns —the most powerful naval guns ever used —and twelve 6-inch , guns, with a dozen 3-inch guns for defence , against torpedo attack, and several submerged torpedo tubes. The Queen Elizabeths arc of ’27.500 tons displacement and are over 600 ft long. They carry no coal, but burn oil fuel; and their turbine engines of 60.000 horse-power give them a speed of 25 knots. The Royal Sovereigns are -of 25,750 tons, are 20ft shorter than “Lizzie.” and have a speed of about 22 knots. In both classes the tremendous offensive armiament is allied with phenomenal protection. They have an almost complete main belt of 13i--inch Krupp armour, extended above 10-inch and Sin. plating. Only at the ends does it diminish to four inches. No earlier ships in the British fleet carry armour more than 12 inches thick. The thickest modern armour in- the French navy is a shade over 121,- inches. Germany’s latest ships • have Krupp armour about a third of an inch thicker than the latest British protection. These 15-inch gun British ships are of special interest, because they nia-k a tendency to revert from the battlecruiser to* the ‘battle-ship—a. tendency, which the lesons of the war promise to check. . r “Battle-cruiser” is a peculiar' technical terra which has caused perhaps as much misunderstanding amongst the genera! public as anv naval term in common use. When armoured ships began to develop, their individuality, it soon became apparent that if they were to be the main fighting foreg of a navy they must remain grouped. None could be used for cruisers in search of the enemy. On the other hand, fast armoured cruisers were not. dependable for tracking the foe, because if they sighted ‘him they could not prevent nig getting away; he could either move on and defy them, or blow them to pieces and still evade action with tl “ main fleet. The armoured cruiser was thus evolved. High seped, combined wi !i considerable gurt-;power vi(nd protection, fitted it for the special duty of hanging on to the enemy’s rear-il.he chose to make off, and to protect itself if he became aggressive. In either way such vessrE could delay the enemy till the main fleet came up. But the advent of-the Drea ’ nought class, • with, its battery of hug'.* • guns, ended their day. The last Brili u armoured cruiser built was the Defence, sunk in the action of 31st May. Their chance of damaging even the last ship, in a line of Dreadnoughts.-was too small t» be worth counting; their chance of s"i--viving the encounter about as small, 1 - evltably a cruiser armed, with guns eqn 1 to those-of the Dreadnought battloshn, took the place of the armoured cruisw. In addition to taking over functions of-' he armoured cruiser, it was .considered tint these vessels, -by reason of their gi" l , power and far from trifling armour, con d take their, place if needed ip the, m: , "i line of battle, and fight with battles!' n-s instead of hanging'on the outskirts-to ■m gage the enemy’s smaller fry. For 1 ' -I reason the term % “battle-cruiser "ns coined. It is interesting to notice 1 1 :• ‘ the Germans never-vise the term, b'd. ■ n'T' their ships of this, kind “large crnis' 1- s just as they never speak as we do ql .d-v stroyors, but 1 bring big and little ton-- ’y boats under the same heading, 'diatiogv’jh-, • jnps the “destroyers’’ merely as “largo ” When the.' British’ ■ Dreadnoughi -hH firmly, established the principle of y form armament of iB-inch guns (a pi** * •- had long standard in bat fV.t.Vy;? carryings only four gnus in the maip ’ydterv’j. Germany decided, after beimj faithful to the 11-iifch gun, to cqWv the British calibret The British ■ fn"-»''-erl with the 13.5-inch gun. in the Open'. Audacious, and Iron Duke ..classes. ■ jjj'isiag twelve shins.,. And so ruc1 w’e'iv tliey (.hat (lie Admiral tv,•' l " " 1 . any trials or' experience of a 15-r“‘h , and going,solely, upon,the splendid results ;i,->

of- the Ta.s k;-..3 giiii, o-dcr-d iho lo i.td gun, —c . r «..r lllg, j.io 1.,; ,-iiU.u. pt'idw *V» v«4 >»*-*•• ——'’ ‘ A A - 1 * *p LiJ‘ f „ o«a> x'if w ■' ■the -Vl.l, «.»U -» v., 0 . gvv. ..A.- . saiaii y l.j, w o--- - --.--- tne i. • ) i( .Di v' *tj Lx Lxi batl.e-ci i...--i „ .w„ 1 gun„. J.,.,. v uwu.- -V.w*W. «V 1“ .J-iion, i.. n . i ,--- ii..«» wi4ij <0 j WeUjjOii, -u, uu,C ~4i- >j 1444. C 1-fi.ljC 1 veii. A..c *j.vLvic-iji id tur*y *iiv. ■ gtUIJ too 4. 4 ■ ' ii,.o‘ i|..,csl4on uiings us back tu ill Qucv.. ' w.-u ioahs. muiu me > ifuyal tu'Av * reig.i.s, iHj "i..ot ij.'it.sji. DuviiO'C.ui. v I laVu u.jv.ft p ~an; the. "war was me ■ begv... in v.V pi liul v*i >Qi v.en a ,ci-i. , tvi i itts the iloj.. 1 bov.ojvigns. u i not continue the < y-.-as-i Spcii. ii.i .-o ..m,.4 ji a baU.e-.i i.-s • else * v---‘ v.-iU-'-.U-; iiivinoiblcs ' u kiuns.y \.ie.> ij «,■ i.mto, i.gvr’ o killin', »im .kv lams tii knots;. Tig r -v----knoid, nii.mill .jo kco-si Ineso liite slit; S .i.V -4 li.ivkVaiivi .Jj Luv,w> —-,i)e J a mivdy .i ,4,.uf.e-b.p s ~4.0it. it topics . if spiv.; in Tbps'so neavily arm,cl am am ;..ii mens i«j in-eil !vst, tu.» i.ii;*.] si.;t ; n.i f l.ic ui.U-e-c i u:s,r' is eu -j cr, m-. y,.l- ''if ' c.'.i -a,.;,nve i-y Tor oj.vis no n.iimJ IV) power. it.is U-C.c.\l; t the (Tucei Eli;'. :,t ji w s ior so ■eti ne d*s vibed as a In'". ■ -Vi i e v V t. that ’ rrvor s ems U hrx’i: ■ tu' *mi-riddle t<* the fact tint's }i{ ,uif ■) •'ur i k •hr K-iUlc'rids'* s : ca. • y oyI••• bop guns, instead of the ten ’ um.i'.u'-.; in.) 'nos- Vf the previous I) is Vf.i •*.' To i 13 in ii nuns p»»n*d Too b : : -a 1 y for one shin; and the .-re* din tin's i i onnib''!- was in n way wVI. co -i m’ in’ M'r ft* ■' i f bceiinsa f an; bjg g* n tm s I’cd: to be ihtv/jdcu.l tac ii’-.'i ,'o.oii attoU. ■ - k / - rv-C (i s Id fill for or.fjonfllt a,..-dVi-t (Ik* farts (.hat. *1 li-./cyWi-. lo*s made pv ■i|.i ii,. The It-uW-iTs* r liss -s v >own itsell' -rn inrriehsely o |)uwe;f;d arm, ’1 he Ka! t Ifi-ri i’ Vs -rs cvilM ■ • lisp ,i).-d lip *t.-ff .tUfi K. ikla .'di. !>hp battle- of the .Doggcs Bjs k, Iho ba/t '.p off the Dai’ifh roast.' No .other sliii s, ii/this last engagement,, could'have I'o.iiio;! to meet the enemy and held him-ao BUcwsinful y in - sp.tc of odds 1 j 1 the Graiid iyioel rmeisid tnc .pressure and dsove ijxr Gernnins off. E\evy naval tght has p-o>.Til then- value.; .oeevy natieh with a fibet ia. le.ii iespon. It lias been |. rui’i u Unit ifie ty.gger Use guns tile betlor; anil me batim-ci uiser will) 1b.5-iuvii guns is pravtieal.'and,,.successful, though c.'cpeii.iivG. TiiC desig. ets may h .ve loii.al I.;at a last'ship twined with 13-inch guns is not. Vet (..raetieawle, i by.t it is by nomeiwis proved ih.'.t such viss. s are esse ifaY I’.ven 12-hi eh gunned cruisers wduj.l Ii" better than hone, lio 13.5-ii K-- gun. can punish* an ysh.p afloat, ;and' : answer shot C-n* shot at any ra:**> the eye. can traverse. 1 he tide ’ First** fiord,. C’oloiid Cliurehill.' sTd that _ the 13 s,i:twi v i io inch guns (iu wdiieji,.he .t .kes, a interest)’ liacl 'ustified theuiscjves'in batttj. K’e mil lit iu equal Justice have aided that the b utie-cruisor. v fjord T'hshcr s bg- infant, bad proved its right to a mlig iaase