Two New Cruisers

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 97, 27 April 1938, Page 12

Two New Cruisers

LONDON, March 19. An interesting disclosure about the design of the new cruisers Manchester and Liverpool has been made recently by the publication of the official return of fleets of the leading naval Powers, says the naval correspondent of the Daily Telegraph.

Hitherto, there has been no mention of details of machinery. Now the official tables record that these two ships and the Gloucester will be slightly faster than the Southampton class from which they evolve. The horse-power has been increased from 73,000 to 82,500, but that considerable addition to the engine power will raise the estimated speed only from 32 knots to 32.3. The point is of importance as driving home understanding of the "-cat increase in power and cost that is necessary to get more speed. Italy, of course, has gone to extremes in this respect. Her newest cruisers, which are 2000 tons smaller than the Manchester, have machinery to develop 100,000 horse-power and yet have only an estimated speed of 33 knots, and they have put in 110,000 horse-power in others to attain 37 knots.

The return is a disappointing document in so far as foreign navies are concerned, for there is little disclosure of information; indeed, much that has already been made public in semiofficial publications is not given here. The agreement among the Powers for exchange of information about designs has now been in force for about a year. \draittedly. it is provided that the information shall be confidential until released by the country concerned. Britain might have set an example by disclosiug particulars of the main characteristics of her new designs in the return, but actually, apart from the cruiser speeds and the machinery facts about the aircraft-carrier Ark Royal, there is no important advance

in our knowledge. It almost looks a& though the Powers had agreed auioug themselves ts maintain a policy of secreey in order to ‘‘get their own back” on Japan, who has refused to lift the veil at all.

Russia is particularly secretive. The latest official information obtainable from her is dated February 1, 1935, although her officials have publicly stated stnee then that big building programmes are in hand, and during the Anglo-Russian naval talks certain information about them was given confidentially to the British negotiators. One or two interesting points • that emerge from study of the return may be summarised. The much-discussed reconstruction and re-engining of the Warspite has resulted in giving lier an increase of horse-power and a decrease of speed. She is now a 24-knot ship as against the original 25. Torpedo tubes have been removed from the Warspite, as frorii the Malaga, Royal Sovereign and Resolution. Japanese over-gunning of cruisers is being abandoned, the armament of the new and Tikuma being given as 12 Gin. instead of the 15 carried by earlier ships of the class. The British tribal destroyers will carry eight 4.7in. guns instead of four as in previous classes, but will only have four torpedo tubes, against the 10 mounted in their forerunners. The Japanese Mitisio class of destroyers will mount six sin. guns and eight torpedo tubes, a very heavy armament for 1500-ton ships. Italy, with 24 submarines under construction and 74 built, has more underwater craft than any other navy.

The new Egret vlass of escort vessels for Britain will be almost wholly antiaircraft ships, their armament consisting of eight 4in. high-angle guns. The "vast armada” of motor-toipedo boats which Italy is supposed to possess is shown to consist of 47 vessels, the top speed being 47 knots. The speed of the British boats of this type is not officially disclosed.