FLEETS OF THE POWERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20244, 2 May 1929, Page 17

FLEETS OF THE POWERS.

END OP NAVAL HOLIDAY.

FUTURE CAPITAL SHIPS.

GERMANY'S GREAT SURPRISE

JS : E\V E/.tA IN DESIGN OPENED. BY SIR ARCHIBALD KURD. Thf, naval holiday which was declared St Washington in 1921 is coming to an It applied absolutely to capital fc'nips and partially to cruisers, for any new cruisers which might bo built were not, it was agreed, to exceed a displacement. of 10,(XX) tons or carry any guns of larger calibre than the Sin. gun. The 01 mist ice in the war of naval armaments has saved the taxpayers vast sums of money, but probably less than some people imagine, for the \\ ashington Conference IjcU. had curious and unexpected reactions. In accordance with the provisions of the "Washington Naval Treaty the naval {Powers which accepted its implications are ri"w about to regain their freedom to build capital vessels—battleships or luttlo cruiseis—in accordance with a schedule framed with a view to maintaining the ratios which graded the navies practically ns first, second and third class. jn the first category fell the British Empire and (lie United Strifes, which it was arranged should bo of equal strength; in the third France and Italy were placed, while Japan was, in isolation, set almost pi id way between these two groups. Programme of New Ships. Under the schedule attached to the {Naval Agreement the construction of capital ships, each of not over 35,000 tons end armed with 16in. guns, might be returned in accordance with the following fjinc-table:— British Empire and United' States.— £l »'c snips each to be laid down in the years 1931, 1932, 1934, 1936, 1938 and 1039, with one ship in 1933, 1935 and 1937, making a total of 15 ships during til a whole period. Japan.—One ship each year from 1931 jto 1939, a total of nine ships. France and Italy reserved (he right of (employing the capital tonnage allotment based on the ratio "as they might conEider advisable, subject solely to the limitations that the displacement of individual ships should not surpass 35.000 tons, and the total tonnage should keep within tlie limits imposed by the present treaty." I'or .several years after the signing of the Washington Treaty the French and the Italians were of one mind—they would build no more large, heavilv-gunned and heavily-armoured ships, involving a great expenditure in construction and maintenance. Th« experts —over-impressed, as is noxv generally admitted, by the value of the torpedo—urged that such money as could be spared for naval defence by tl;ose two countries should be invested in Cruisers ot modest fighting power but bif;h speed, destroyers with a maximum late, of steaming, and submarines. On these lines the shipbuilding policies of (these two countries were framed. The German "Pocket Battleship." While 'hey were still convinced that they were acting in accordance with their Elrategic needs as Mediterranean Powers tlie Germans dramatically announced that they had evolved a new type of capital ship, conforming to the restrictions of the Peace Treaty, having a displacement of .only 10,000 tons, . and mounting nothing heavier than the llin. fun. but remarkable in other respects. Full particulars are now available of her design, which is to be incorporated in four "pocket battleships," of which the. first has been laid down. She combines in some degree the offensive and defensive powers.of a capital ship with the speed and sea-keeping endurance of a cruiser. The hull oi the ship is composed of the highest grade steel and there is an end-to-end belt rising to a considerable height above the water-line, many of. the armour plates being incorporated as elements of the hull proper; double armour decks are worked over vital spaces, and extensive subdivision has been adopted as a defence against underwater explosions. The freeboard is comparatively lofty, and the guns have a high command, which should enable them to be fought in almost any weather, however rough the sea. The main armament consists of no. fewer than six llin. guns iin triple turrets, with mountings permitting a high angle, of elevation; eight 5.9 in. guns behind shields; four 3.4 in. anti-aircraft guns in tandem; and six 19.7 in. torpedo tubes are to be fitted on triple carriages, one carriage at each side of the quarterdeck, so as to give broadside fire The big guns, it is said, will have a range of 30,000 yds. High Speed and Radius.

The 5-hip is (o be driven by infernalcombustion engines developing up to £O,OOO b.h.p., and will have a maximum speed o! 26 knots. The vessel will carry tufficient fuel for a continuous voyage of 30,000 miles at a speed of 20 knots. What other man-of-war or liner is able to steam anything like that distance at the speed stated ? The latest County cruisers have a maximum endurance of 10,400 miles. Lilt only at an economical speed of about 23 knois. What the extreme radius of the German vessel may be at economical frpccd can only be conjectured, but it ynay be as much as 18,000 miles. Some Novel Features. It is apparent that the German constructors have produced a noteworthy chip, the completion of which bids fair to mark an epoch in naval design. She will be unique in many ways, not least, in respect of cost, since the estimate for jthe ship, complete with armament, is £4.000,000 or £4OO a ton. The appearance of this vessel—t j be followed by three sister ships—may have far-reaching reactions on the international naval situation, for a factor in naval construction is being introduced that was not contemplated when the Washington Treaty was drafted. 'Jn fighting power the German fchips will he superior to treaty class of 10,000-ton cruiser, wliu-h may carry 3)0 heavier gun than the Bin. weapon; they'are faster than any existing battle-t-hip, and it is difficult to see how anv vessel other than a battle-cruiser could <Jeal with their heavy guns. Possibly, therefore, the Prcussen, as the new German ship is to be named, may eventually necessitate some revision of * the treaty rules governing ship design.

How it has come about that the Gorman navel architects have been able to produce such a ship, powerful in offence and defence and with a good turn of f-peed, was at first a secret. It is now ];nown, however, that they have made a close-study of various methods of reducing the weights in the hull, as well as in the engine-room, so us to be in a position to mount more Runs and fit more armour. The weight of the hull has been kept down by arranging for the plates to ho welded instead of rivetted. This inno,vat ion, long apo recommended bv naval architects in other countries, but frowned upon by (hose in supreme authority, has Jed to a great economy of weight being effected. Another departure from the usual practice lies in the use wherever possible of aluminium alloys instead of liteel or iron. Since these alloys, though [very expensive, are light, further savings in weight became available to be transDated into fiphting power. By these and iother expedients the German naval authorities, making an entirely fresh investigation into the design of the capital K'lip, have evolved what has been termed "the pocket battleship." In comparison •with the 41,000 tons of the British battle cruiser Hood, and the 32,000 tons of the latest American battleships, the, Germans Lave contrived a remarkably effective fghting machine which displaces only

19,000 tons. , It, is a revolutionary ship and its appearance, with the prospect that three more of the same type will bo laid clown in the next few years, has led tha French and Italian naval authorities to reconsider their shipbuilding plans. A new era. of naval competition will open unless another conference of the naval Powers'is held to impose fresh restrictions. As was prophesied would bo the case when the Washington Treaty was signed, the 10.000-ton cruiser was coming to be regarded, for strategic, tactical and economic reason's, as the capital ship of the future, but now the situation has changed. The Germans have shown the way to a new struggle and the French and Italians, nervous as (o their position in the Mediterranean, are considering whether, after all, they can afford to continue to concentrate attention exclusively on auxiliary vessels, ignoring the possibilities suggested by the new type of "pocket battleship." In knowledge of what the Germans * have accomplished in the design of this "pocket battleship," what will the other naval Powers decide to do now that the naval holiday is approaching its end ? It is known (lnit British and American and Japanese naval architects have been considering plans for new capital ships, each planned to the limit of displacement (05,000 tons) laid down in the Washing ton Ireaty. If built, they will be very costly vessels, representing in each case «n expenditure of at least £7,000.000, an immense sum to invest in a single naval unit. Such a vessel would, of be tar more powerful in offence and defence and have a much greater radius of action than the German model. But when the question comes up for practical discussion, it is doubtful if the taxpayer of any country will look with favour on investing £7,000.G00 in this way. It is more likely that, if capital ships arc to he built, pubIk opinion will refuse to go beyond a limit of about 10.000 tons or 12,000 tons, and insist that, from £3.000.000 to £4,000,000 :s as much as should be devoted to the construction of a single man-of-war. 'I hat is considerably more than was being spent, before the helium taceus between <he British and Germans developed in '•he early years of the present century, .ind the. world is much poorer than it was then. Even among naval officers who had experience at sea in the Great War, ihere is a growing feeling that the construction of ships costing "£7X00,000, .and even more in the United States where wages are high, cannot bo justified.