FORMIDABLE CRAFT

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 28 September 1927, Page 6

FORMIDABLE CRAFT

GERMANY’S NEW CRUISERS EXTRAORDINARY ARMAMENT. CAPABLE OF GREAT SPEED. London, Sept. 26. The “Daily News’’ declares that Germany is now building warships which, in proportion to tonnage, are easily the most fromidablc craft m the world. The paper gives hitherto secret details of the latest German cruisers, Konisberg and Karlsruhe launched respectively on March 2u and August 21, and says they have so many new features that the Germans christened them wonder ships. The hulls are built of special steel of a formula unknown outside the Essen laboratories. It combines lightness and great strength. Weight is furthei saved by the use of electric welding instead of riverts.

The displacemtn is 6000 tons, length 556 feet and breadth 50 feet. They will be driven by high-speed geared turbines of 65.000 shaft horsepower. Working at high pressure steam from six oil-burning boilers, the full power speed will be 32 knots, but more is expected. When cruising the steam turbines are cut out the bessela using only Diesel motors’ carrying enough oil for 6000 miles.

The armament is extraordinary. There are nine six-inchers (Krupps’ latest), firing 101 pounder shells to an extreme range of 20,000 yards, housed in triple turrents intended for three guns each. The turret is loadable and fireable as a three-barrelled gun, resulting in lire exceeding a shed a second. There are also four 3.4 antiaircraft guns and twelve torpedo tubes.

The moderate freeboard and upper works are as inconspicuous as possible, with the object of reducing the area of the target. There are special devices for eliminating funnel smoke.

There is little doubt that they will overwhelm cruisers of much greater size. Moreover, their great speed will enable them to avoid action with superior gunned antagonists. It must be conceded that in designing the Konisberg and Karlsruhe the German naval architects have lived up to their pre-war reputation, which was the highest.—Sydney “Sun” cable).