NEW BATTLESHIPS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 124, 24 April 1940, Page 9

NEW BATTLESHIPS.

NEARLY READY IN BRITAIN. LONDON, April 23. The News Chronicle says that Britain’s now 35,000-ton battleships King George V, Prince of Wales, Duke of York, Jellicoc and Beatty, are nearly ready for sea. They arc the most powerful and most strongly protected warships in the world. The King George V was launched by the King on the 'Tyne on February 21, 1939, and the Prince of Wales at Birkenhead in May of last year, and it is. possible that they are already in commission. 'lhe Duke of York, building at Clydebank, tho Jcllicoe. on the Tyne, and the Beatty, at Govan, on the Clyde, must also be well advanced toward completion. These five battleships arc the first capital ships built in Britain since the completion of the Nelson and Rodney in 1927. In addition to these five ships, work has been proceeding for more than 12 months on tbe Lion and lemcraire, the former building on the Tyno and the latter at Birkenhead. They are battleships of approximately 40,000 tons, and are to Ixj armed with 16-ineh guns. It is understood that two others of a similar type have also been ordered.