BRITAIN'S FLEET

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXXI, Issue 4564, 3 November 1937, Page 7

BRITAIN'S FLEET

GREATER SUPREMACY. THAN FOR MANY YEARS PAST. ONLY TWO RIVALS. The influence of the error in naval policy which was made by the naval authorities of France and Italy and some other countries after the Great War is now revealed in the weakness of their battle fleets, writes Sir Archibald Hurd in the "Sydney Morning Herald." They assumed that the submarine would sweep the seas in any future war, and that it was unnecessary to lay the keels of any new battleships. Attention was, therefore, concentrated on the construction of submarines and surface ships of great speed, cruisers and destroyers. France now has in service, or building, no fewer than 21 cruisers, and Italy possesses 30, while the number of destroyers and torpedo boats are 81 and 103 respectively. The strength in submarines is even more notable; France has 89 and Italy 82, including the craft which are now nearing completion in the shipyards. What of the British Navy? By the end of this year there should be at sea at least 40 cruisers within the age limit, and 19 which, though still serviceable for certain duties, are over age, that is, upwards of 16 years old. So, in all, the British Navy can count on 59 cruisers, including three Australian vessels. In relation to the cruisers of France and Italy, the superiority is far smaller than in the past. In the light of the world-wide responsibilities of the Royal Navy, the Government realises that no time must be lost in increasing the squadrons until they reach the minimum fixed by Jellicoe and Beatty, of 70 cruisers, and by 1941 that aim will have been attained, though even then ten will be over age.

The Torpedo Craft. In relation to torpedo craft, the weakness of the Royal Navy in comparison with the forces under the French and Italian flags has been mitigated to some extent by the building programmes of the past few years. When the destroyers now under construction have been completed, the Admiralty will have at its disposal 187 of these craft and 65 submarines—some of them obsolescent. Recent Boards of Admiralty have been most insistent on pushing forward the building of torpedo craft as well as of sloops, of which nearly 56 will be at sea early next year. The strength in all these auxiliary craft is still admittedly inadequate to the possible demands of war and for that reason provision was made in the last Estimates (1937-38) for laying.down two flotillas of destroyers (16) and seven submarines. It is expected that the Navy Estimates for the coming financial year —to be published in March next—will include two more destroyer flotillas, as well as another seven submarines.

Generally the situation in European matters, where the only foreign fleets of importance are, those of France and Italy, since Germany and Kussia no longer count as first-class naval Powers, is that as a fighting force the Royal Navy is now more supreme than it has been for many years, especially as it is generally admitted that a well-balanced fleet must contain not only cruisers and torpedo craft, but also battleships. The idea that the battleship has been rendered obsolete by the torpedo of the submarine or the bomb of the aeroplane has now, in face of war experience and subsequent practical tests, been abandoned everywhere. In other words, a country which relies only on cruisers and small craft, above and under water, may obtain some successes, but can never win a war. That is the lesson of history which the Great Wiar, now that its record has been examined by the highest experts, confirmed. So not only in British, but in all the European shipyards, battleships are being built. A Consistent Policy. In this matter, the British Admiralty has pursued a consistent policy. When the battleship was said to be practically useless, it obtained the right under the Washington Treaty of 1921 to lay down two, the Nelson and Rodney, which remain the most powerful vessels of the type afloat under any flag. When, as a result of the crisis in the Mediterranean in 1935, the necessity of building up the Royal Navy was admitted by all political parties in the United Kingdom—for the Opposition in the House of Commons decided not to vote against the Government's proposals last session—the naval authorities concentrated on strengthening the battlefleet, while continuing to lay down cruisers, destroyers and submarines. It had pigeon-holed plans long before for a battleship of 35,000 tons, with thick armour protection against attack by gun or torpedo or aerial bomb, with an armament of 14in. guns of a new type, with great penetrative power, and high speed—no less than 30 knots.

While in other countries specula-

tion was still going on as to the best design of battleship, the British authorities were in a position to begin at once, not one or two, but a complete

squadron. These five ships arre now building at a cost of £40,000,000; two of them indeed are nearing the launching stage. They are regarded by experts as far superior to any vessel which has been or is at present being built in any other country, for America and Japan have not begun work on their new vessels. France and Italy. At the date (1941) when the British Battle Fleet has reached full strength, France will have of modern battleships possibly three or four, apart from six absolescent vessels with guns below the 14in. calibre, vessels which a quarter of a century ago. As to Italy, she will have four old battleships, completed in 1914-15, and possibly the two which are now under construction may have been completed.

The action of the British Government in agreeing to the Admiralty's bold scheme for hurrying on with the construction of five battleships simultaneously may be accepted as an admission that Ministers realise that the peace of the world will be more secure when the British Battle Fleet has been restored to reasonable strength.

The extent of the task to which the British Government has set its hand is reflected in all of the shipyards of the British Isles, where in spite of a shortage of steel and of certain categories of skilled craftsmen, rapid progress is being made with a larger number of men-of-war than at any time in British history. Ships of 660,000 tons are now under construction—five battleships, 20 cruisers, five aircraft carriers, 40 destroyers, 18 submarines, 13 sloops, 10 motor boats, and a great many smaller craft. Early next year orders under the 1938-39 programme will be placed, and the activity will then probably be at its peak.