BRITAIN'S DREADNOUGHTS.
DOCKING OF CRIPPLED SHIPS. By Telegraph—Press Association.—Copyright
London, April 27. Mr. Reginald McKenna (First Lord of the Admiralty), in reply to a question in the House of Commons, admitted that there was not" a single dry dock on the East Coast of Britain which a Dreadnought could enter if drawing more water than usual owing to some of her watertight compartments being flooded, though there were five clocks in Germany with this capacity. The Government, he added* was considering the construction of floating docks on the east coast. .-
Mr. McKenna was heckled on the absence of first-class battleships on the China and Australian stations.
The Admiralty is . expediting the building of the Neptune (the latest of the Dreadnought type), and she will be launched in August instead of October, in order to allow of the keel of her successor being laid down early in November.
The 10 great guns of the Neptune will be Mark XI. 12in 850-poimders, of 50 calibres, and not the newly-perfected' 13.5 in, with 1250-pounder. The turrets will be slightly altered in position to allow all 10 guns to firo on the broadside. The middle centre lino turret is raised higher than the after turret, so thai its guns can fire right aft. over the latter, giving a stern fire of eight guns. This arrangement obtains ,in the Brazilian, American, and German Dreadnoughts. Her dimensions will probably be: Between perpendiculars, sioft; beam, 86ft; draught, 27.5 ft, giving a legend displacement of rather over 20,000 tons; when at deep load— is, with full coal, ammunition, and stores, the displacement will be nearly 24.000 tons, according to Sir W. White's calculation. <
THE NAVAL INQUIRY. (Received April 29, 12.30 a.m.) "•'
London, April 28.
Mr. Asquith's committee to-day examined Mr. McKenna (First Lord of the Admiralty), Admiral-of-the-Fleet Sir John Fisher (First Sea Lord), and Admiral Lord Charles Beresford on the disposition and organisation of the Home fleets.
Admiral Lord Charles Beresford has been permitted to call what witnesses he chooses except the commanders of the several divisions of the fleet, and they have been guaranteed that their evidence will be no bar to their promotion.
BRITAIN'S DREADNOUGHTS.
New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14047, 29 April 1909, Page 5
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