THE DREADNOUGHT.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1775, 14 March 1906, Page 68

THE DREADNOUGHT.

WORLD’S GREATEST WARSHIP. The cable recently informed us that the great warship Dreadnought had been successfully launched, liis Majesty the King being present to set the miglity engine of war on her way. The launch of the battleship Dreadnought, the largest and most powerful man-of-war ever consti'ucted, will direct attention to a great -achievement. When ready for sea this vessel will displace 18,500 tons, but her size is the least remarkable feature. In her design are embodied a number of revolutionary ideas, which have fretted the naval authorities of the world. The details of the Dreadnought’s construction still remain a secret, so well have the Admiralty guarded the plans. In the United States, in Germany, m France, and in every country in Europe (the naval correspondent of the London “Daily Telegraph” writes) unavailing efforts have been made to ascertain the new principles incorporated in this snip, and in consequence of the panic occasioned by the uprising or tJ-u behemoth upon the slip at Portsmouth, all the schemes for strengthening the great foreign fleets have been nervously reviewed, and in many cases abandoned in favour of the new ones.

The Dreadnought is an ■embodiment of the lessons of the late war in the Far Elast. The Japanese permitted no other Power to witness the great sea engagements except Great Britain. This country had attaches watching and noting all that took place, and their conclusions were submitted to a special committee, on .which sat not only the most experienced naval officers, but the Director of Naval Construction. Lord Kelvin, and a number of leading private shipbuilders. The Dreadnought is the outcome of their deliberations —a ship, apparently invincible, and capable at one discharge from her guns of throwing with unparalleled force, twice as much metal as any foreign man-of-war now afloat, and three times as much as most, while her mail-coat of armour will render her immune against attack by an enemy's guns and torpedoes. How these results have been obtained will not bo proclaimed from the housetops. Some particulars of the armament of this battleship can, however, be indicated. In the past British vessels have carried four 12in. guns (350‘1b shells); the Dreadnought will have ten of these weapons of a new type, with a muzzle energy of 49,568, as compared with the 33,622 of the guns carried in as recent battleships as the Majesties, an increase of power in each weapon of 50 per cent. In a great sea fight the magnificent ship which the King is about to christen will -be able to discharge every minute 10 projectiles, weighing 85001 b., with sufficient velocity to send them about 25 mile®, or to penetrate about 16in. of the hardest armour at a range of two miles. Unlike alt British and foreign battleships built in the past 30 years, the newest addition to the fleet will carry no weapon smaller than the great 12in. piece, except 18 3in. quick-firers for repelling attacks by torpedo craft. She will mount neither 9.2 in., 7.5 in., nor 6in. ; she will be the biggest ship afloat, and she will have only the biggest and most powerful guns. The war in the Far East revealed the comparative uselessness of the gun of medium size at modern battle ranges. It is instructive to compare this majestic British man-of-war with the largest ships now being built in foreign shipyards, and the contrast is most effective testimony to the power of the Dreadnought. Displace Speed Big Country. (tons) (knots) Guns. French. (Petrie)... 14,865 18 4—l2in. German (Deutschland) .... 13,200 18 4—'llin. U.R .(Kansas) .... 16,500 18 4—l2in. Italy (Napoli) ... 12,600 22 2 —l2in. Russia (Pavel) ... 16,600 18 4—l2in. Austria (Karl) ... 14,000 20 None, bigger than 9.4 in. All these foreign ships mount a number of guns of either Bin., 7.5 in., 6.7 in., or 6in., but the war has shown that these weapons are comparatively ineffective in a modern battle. The German ships have nothing between the four llin. and fourteen 6.7 in., whereas the Dreadnought has no fewer than 10 12in. weapons, and is a knot swifter and more heavily armoured. Curiously enough, Colonel Ouniberti, the chief constructor of the Italian navy, anticipated this verdict of the war in an article Which he contributed in 1903 to Jane’s “All the World’s Fighting Ships.” He then advocated

the construction of a vessel with twelve (instead of ten) 12in. guns, and thick armour, and he justified his advice in these words:— “Such a ship could fight without throwing away a single shot, without wasting ammunition; secure in her exuberant (protection, (with her twelve guns ready, she would swiftly descend on her adversary and pour in a terrible converging fire at the belt. “Having disposed of her first antagonist, she would at once proceed to attack another, and, almost untouched, to despatch yet another, not throwing away a single round of her ammunition, but utilising all for sure and deadly shots. A large and abundant supply of ammunition can be provided. “We must come to the conclusion that tlie type of vessel will not be absolutely supreme and worthy of such a nation (Great Britain) unless we furnish it with such a speed that it can overtake any of the enemy’s battleships and oblige them to fight.” A vessel of this type the British Navy will have in His Majesty's ship Dreadnought, a ship unsurpassed in power of offence and attack, and for her class without a rival in the matter of speed. The secrets which will be incorporated in the huge hull are still hidden, but it is known that they tend to economy a® well as efficiency. The Dreadnought will cost 10 per cent, per ton less than recent battleships, British built, although she will represent the last word in all details of her construction, and warship's are built in England far cheaper than abroad. In another respect the Dreadnought will bo unique. She will fee the first battleship in the world to be driven by turbine®, and since the success of the Hon. Charles A. Parsons’ invention was demonstrated so conspicuously by the Cunarder Carmania, the courage evinced by the Admiralty in making this bold departure will occasion no feeling® of anxiety. This inode cf propulsion has been sufficiently tested to confirm all which has been claimed for it- In comparison with reciprocating engines it is economical both in respect to the staff to tend it, the coal consumed, the expenditure of oil, and the space occupied in a ship, while the absence of great bearing parts slum Id lead to economies in repairs. It is moreover, much simpler iti construction than the present type cf machinery, and tends to reduce the vibration, thus giving the gunners a more stable platform from which to fire. It is not yet known what pattern boilers the Dreadnought will have, but they will be water-tube. In the space available probably no others could .produce sufficient steam to drive this huge, massive sea sentinel through the water at 19 knots an hour. Messrs Pickers, Sons, and Maxim are manufacturing the turbines. In every respect the Dreadnought will be a marvel a® a fighting machine, colossal in size and power. The mere whisper of her advent has upset all the calculations of the naval authorities throughout the world, and on the day on which she is commissioned for service the British Navy will be stronger in power by two or three battleships in reality, though only ono pennant wall be hoisted at the masthead.