THE FASTEST CRUISERS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 16 August 1929, Page 6

THE FASTEST CRUISERS.

NEW ITALIAN SHIPS. MORE POWER THAN THE HOOD. War history is perpetuated by the names chosen for the latest Italian cruisers, four of which are shortly to be laid down. Two of these vessels of the 10,000-ton Sin. gun treaty class, are to be named Gorizia and Bolzano, states the naval correspondent of the London “Daily Telegraph.” The other two. which are scouting cruisers of 5300 tons, will bear the names of Maresciallo Co.dor.na and Mareiscialio Diaz, who were the successive cotm-mamdeirs-dn-ehief of the Italian armies in 1915-18.

Tenders have also been invited for four destroyers of 1450 tons and five 600-ton submarines. All these craft were authorised in the supplementary programme introduced last year 1 , avowedly as a “retort” to French naval expansion.

Italy now has 12 new cruisers, built, or on the stocks, or provided for. They constitute the fastest cruiser fleet in the world. Of the s.ix 10,000-tomiers Trento, Trieste, Zara, Frame, Gorizia, and Bolzano—the first two are already at sea. They were designed' for 36 knots, but on trial reached 37, a figure never before approached by anything heavier than torpedo craft.

Each has turbine machine of 150,000 horse-power, which is 6000 horse-power more than that of His- Majesty’s ship Hood, a battle-cruiser four times as large ate the Italian ships. The latter , vessels of this group, will be still faster, and are expected to steam at 38 knots. Equally. remarkable is. the. class of six scouts, to which the Gadonna and Diaz belong. Although displacing only 5300 tons, they have turbine engines of 95,000 horse-power —as compared with 75,000 horse-power in the Mauretania, a liner of 41,590 tons —and their contract speed is 37 knots. No oilier nation has cruisers which can attain this phenomenal speed. In spite of their light weight and tremendous engine-power, the new scouts are strongly armed. They will cany eight Gin guns on twin mountings, eight 4in. anti-aircraft guns, and four torpedo tubes. Their design is of peculiar interest, in view of the prospect that two of the British cruisers to be laid down in the current financial year will J>e small ships-, mounting Gin glillS.

Resides her unique fleet of highspeed cruisers, Italy will soon possess tire strongest torpedo l flotilla in the Mediterranean. including a number of old boats stall retained for coast defence, she has 140 torpedo craft of various types. No sess than 49 flotilla leaders and destroyers have been completed, built, or authorised since the war. There are also (30 .submarines, 33 of which are ocean going boats, a.nid numerous small bat speedy motor craft, styled “M. A. S. ’ ’—JUotdbardhe Anti-Sommer-gibilii”—armed with guns, torpedoes, and mines. These sea hornets would be useful for patrol work or surprise attacks in favourable weather. Thanks to her powerful array ■of mobile vesels, ranging from cruisers to tiny torpedo craft, supported by hundreds of aeroplanes and .seaplanes specially built for naval service, Italy is not only in a position to exercise command over wide areas in the Mediterranean, but is relatively more powerful at sea. than ever before.