NEW BRITISH CRUISER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21278, 3 September 1932, Page 9

NEW BRITISH CRUISER

LAUNCHING OF ACHILLES DEFENCE OF EMPIRE TRADE ADMIRALTY'S CHIEF AIM By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received September 2, 5.55 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 2 The Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty, Lord Stanley, speaking at the launching of the cruiser Achilles, said that whereas the chief argument of the Disarmament Conference concerned the comparative size of the world's navies, what interested the Admiralty most was the actual size of the Fleet and whether it was big enough to fulfil its responsibilities. The value of Empire ships and cargoes was £700,000,000 and the Navy estimates totalled £50,000.000. That, was scarcely aii excessive insurance premium to pay for the enormous trade the Navy protected.

The Achilles is one of the class of six 5000-tons cruisers regarded as representing a return to sanity in design, compared with the overgrown and over•gunned 10,000-tons treaty type. She will carry eight guns in four turrets. The eight. 6in. guns are of an entirely new model. She will have also four 4in. arid six smaller guns, as well as six 21in. torpedo tubes. Tho Leander was laid down under the 1929 estimates, and the remainder under the 1930 and 1931 estimates.