AMERICAN DREADNOUGHTS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11515, 22 February 1909, Page 5

AMERICAN DREADNOUGHTS.

m . - - ' • In a speech a few weeks ago Admiral I?vans ("Fighting Bob") declared that the latest ships which are under con-ttt-uction for the United Ships navy, the Delaware being brie, are vastly su--.perior to the British Dreadnought type of .vessel. '£he Delaware has a length of §10ft, beata of psft, displacement, of 20, 0Q0 tons, and a speed of twenty-one knots. , Her armament comprises ten 12in , and fourteen sin guns, The improved Dreadnought type of battleship for the British navy of which several have' been launched, has a displacement of 18,600 tons, with a speed of 20.75 knots, whilst its main armament is ten 12in guns, and tfWenty 4in guns.. The difference between the British -and American* types lies m the fftct that the American Dreadnoughts have all the turrets on the centre line, and the lastbut one from - either end of tlie ship is elevated so as to fire oyer the turret ahead and astern respectively. • Their broadside fire, therefore, eorifijst* of the entire heavy armament, or ten 12in guns,- ;- while they can fire four ahead.hr astern. Since naval actionu are, fought" broadside to broadside, dnd not ond'On, .- the ! advantage to the American -vessels compared 1 with the Dreadnought- is said t° be 25 per cent. Still,.- later ships laid down m Great Britain have a displacement of 19,250 tons, length of 500 ft. beam 84ft, arid garanteed speed twentyone knots;; and the very latest cruiser battleship for which the order has been given is to have a guaranteed speed of twenty-eight knots. The actual speed often far exceeds that guaranteed, as m the case of the Indomitable, ivhieb on her return trip from Canada •. with tbe Prince of Wales, maintained over - tweqty-five knots across the Atjantic.