SUPER-CRUISER

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 11 February 1933, Page 3

SUPER-CRUISER

NEW FRENCH VESSEL ANSWER TO “POCKET SHIP” END OF THE HOLIDAY PARTS, '3oth December. The battleship holiday which began teir years ago alter Britain laid down the 35,000-ton ships Nelson and Rodney, ended without great ceremony when the keel of the new 26,500 ton French supercruiser Dunkerque was laid at the Brest arsenal. There has been scant formality to the ending of the shipbuilding truce which saved the taxpayers of the world £100,000,000. It will take four years to construct the new super-cruiser, at a cost of £5.000.000. The tonnage will come from the capital ship tonnage which France was allotted under the Washington Naval Treaty, but which has not been drawn on before. The' new French naval policy demands laying “keel for keel” against Germany’s “pocket” battleships. The. Ministry of the Navy explained the end of the building holiday by stressing the necessity of having at least one warship to counteract Germany’s new Duetschland type, of which one lias been built and two are under way. It was understood here that the Italian Government also is hastening completion of plans for an even, greater super-cruiser, which will have a tonnage of at least 27.500 and yet be capable of speeding thirty-three knots. The French do not seem to he worried over reports, of the new Italian ship. The following table shows the comparative military value, of the German cruisers, the French Dunkerque, and the proposed llalinn rruiscr. the latter still in the blue print stage:—

DunItalian Tonnage land. 10.000 kerquo. 26.500 “X." 27.5C0 Speed, knots .26 .31 .33 Dig guns Dioad.side (llis) 6 llin. 4.020 9 13iin. 10.800 9 15in. 17.280 -Cost £31 £5 £6 000.000 omitted.