ENGLAND'S NAVAL POWER.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 4435, 6 May 1876, Page 2

ENGLAND'S NAVAL POWER.

The strength of our fleet (aiys a, late number of the toidmx Weekly Times) is a subject which never fail* to interest ever/ Et«(jli»hman. Time luw not altered the truthfulness of the words of Sir William Blackstone, tint it is the Royal Navy of England which " hath ever been its greatest defence and ornament; its ancient and natural strength—the floating bulwark of our islani." H will l crcfore be interesting to inquire into the Btreugjh of the iffe tlvo service as it exists at this mo > e»t. by which moans a fair idea c»n be drawn of Outmost imjiostant ques'ion, its expaiwivenciss in the hour of !iece*sit(. A* «i introductory rema.rk St may be seated, that the tosal number of Teasels of every cltu* and dosenptiou oniitlcd to be

termed " Her Majesty's ships" amounts to no less than 5(50, with ati annamcntiif 3000 guns, and of this number •240, 'mounting iwarly 1700 Rung,are in commission, the remainder beinjr In reserve and employed on h.iroour sor> ice. But this is merely a statement of the licet as it exists on paper, and fails to convey any correct idea of the effectiveness of the navy; indeed, it \s far more liable ts mislead than to instruct, for it is-necessary to ascertain the class and condition of each of those 500 ships before their value for offence and defence can he estimated. The result may be somewhat disappointing, but if the number* are greatly reduced there h the consolation that ttoso whi-h remain are not "dummies."

By this process of examination and "selection of the fhtest," our iron-clad fleet is found to consist of 42 <.lii|)s of all classes, with an aggregato displacement of 257,010 tons, carrying 470 guns, and manned by 17,338 officer*, suamen, marines, artillcera, and boys.- Dealinn in tho llrst instance with the armour-plated broadside ships according to. tonnage and class, as far as it is possible with a fleet composed of so great a variety of type, tha number of guns or complement being no longer any guide, we have the— Minotaur, of 10,027 tons, 17 guns (12-ton, 9in.), and a cicw of 700, all told. Agincotirt* which may be termed a sister ship. Northumberland, 10,634 tons, 28 guns (4 12-ton, Oin.; 22 9-ton, gin. ; 2 0i ton, 7in.); complement, 700. Achilles, 0094 tons, 16 guns (H 12-ton ; 2 05-ton); complement, 710. Alexandra, 9492 tons, 12 guns (2 25-ton, llln.; 10 18-ton, 10in.); complement, WO. Warrior and Black Prince (sister ships), 9197 tons, 23 guns(4 9-ton, lln.; 24 GJ-ton, 7 in.); complement, 710. -

: Saiten, 8C29 tons, and Hercules, 8522 tons, with 12 arid 14 guns respectively, eight in each case being 18----ton, lOin.. and the remainder 12-ton and OJ-ton guns; complement, 630. Lord Wardan, 7842 tons, 18 guns (212-ton, 10 9-ton), complement 010. , Bellerophon, 7651 tons, 15 guns (10 12-ton, 5 Oi-ton), complement 560. ■ ■ Royal Alfred, 6707 tons, 18 guns(lol2-ton, 8 CJ-ton), complement 605. ' Hector and Valiant, 0703 tons, 18 guns (2 9 ton, 10 CJ-ton), complement 005. Triumph and Swiftsuro, 6660 tons; aod Audacious, Invincible, and Iron Dufce, 0034 tons, each sarryinfe 14 guns (10 12-ton, 4 64-poundor muzzle-loading rifle guns), complement 456. Repulse, 6190 tons, 12 guns (9-ton); complement, 520. -

Resistance and Defence, 6070 tons, 16 guns (2 9-ton, 14 7i-ton), complement 460. Shannon, 6103 tons, 9 guns (2 18-ton, 7 12-ton), complement 350. ' Penelope, 4394 tons, 11 guns (8 9 ton, 3 40-pounders); complement, 400. Pallas, 3787 tons, 8 guns (4 9-ton, 4 64-poundcrs); camplemcnt, 250. . , ;Favourite, 3232 tons ;18 guns (8 Cj-ton, 2 04----pounders); complement1., 270. , Research, Bloop; 1741 tons, 4 guns (6J-tons); complement, 160: and tho Viper and Vixen, 1228 tons, and Waterwltch, 1274 tons, gun-Doats, 4 guns (2 61----ton., 2 64-pounders); complement, 83,. , These- vessels parry 427 guns, and are manned by 14,491 men. -~ ■. :..■•'■ , - ■"■" It was but a few weeks since that this list was nominally strengthened by the Lord Clyde, Prince Consort, Royal Oak. Ocean, Zealous, and Enterprise; but, with, the intent of clearing the effective list of uso less ships, these vessels have now been consigned to the harbour service reaerve. Tho whole of those last belong to .the "wooden Ironclad"-class, having been laid down as wooden vessels, but converted into armoured ships, and they are tho first of our iron-, dad fleet which have been condomnod as unfit for further sea service. Unfortunately there still remain a. small number of this type amongst the foregoing effective list, and a few years will, probably suffice to: render the Lord Warden, Royal Alfred, Pallas, Favourite, and Research ineffective.;. The waste on the list of armoured ships by the removal of the vessels named, amounts to about 23,000 tons and 100 guns. But as a set-off against this "waste," thtro are coming forward and buildirig, tho broadside ships Tcmeraire, 84l2tons, 8 guns (4 24 toil, llln , 418-ton, 10in.), c mplement, 600; and Nelson and Northampton, artnouted covered-deck corvettes, 6323 tons, 12 guns (4 18-ton; 8 12-ton), complement, 560.. Of turret-ships, there are 14, the list being headed kyithe Thunderer and Devastation, o( 9100 tons, armed with four guns (2 38-tori, 2 36-ton, and 4 35-ton guns respectively), and complements 327 and 840; Monarch, 8322 tons, carrying 4 26----ton! guns, : in turrots, 5 12-ton chase guns on upper dock, and 1 9J-ton cun on main deck, complement, 625; Rupert, 6368 ton», 2 18-ton guns in turrets, 2 64-pounders on upper deck, complement, 200; Glatton, 4912 tons, 2 25-ton gun?, complement, 200; Hotßpur, 4010 tons, 1 25-ton gun in turret, 2 64----poundcrs on upper deck, complement, 199; Prince Albert, 3905 tons, 4 12-ton guns, complement, 200; Wirern and Scorpion, 2751 tona, 4 12-ton guns, complement, IGS; Cyclops, Gorgon, Hydra, Hecate, 3430 tons, 4 18-ton guns, complement, 150. " The abovenamed turret-ships have an aggregate displacement of 64,117 tonn, carrying 49 guris, and are manned by 2894 officers and men. From this class, the Royal Sovereign, 6030 tons, has just been removed as unserviceable; but there are three more powerful ships of this type now being brought forward and ordered to bo built—viz , the Inflexible, of 11,165 tons, carrying 4 80-ton guns, with a complement of 350; and the Ajax and A«amemnon, which are to be improvements on tho Inflexible, though of somewhat less tonnage. In taking leave of the ironclad portjonf of the fleet, it should be stated that there ara two armour-plated floating batteries of an old pattern—the Erebus and Terror, of 1840 tons, but at present unprovided with modern guns. It miy bo as well to give hero a few particulars of the heavy naval artillery at present in Übb and which have been already referred to. They ore the L . •

; ' WeiKhtof Heaviest shot. charge. 88 ton 12in. ... .. 698J1b .. 1101b 35 ton 12in. .. .. 698i1b .. ,1101b . 25 ton 12in. .. .: 600Hb .. Bnlb 25 ton llln. ~ .. 53511b .. 851b 18 ton lOin 404i1b „ 701b 12 ton Sin. : .. .1 255J1b. .; 501b 9 ton Bin ISOfib •. 351b 6} ton 7in. .. .. HOJlb .. 301b. 4 ton —; .. .. 116}ib .. 221b And the (54-j)ounder, throwing a shot of SOJlb, wiUi a full Charge of Blb of large-grained powder.