WEAK BRITISH CRUISERS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19314, 3 May 1937, Page 13

WEAK BRITISH CRUISERS

"FEEBLY ARMED & SLOW" SHARP CRITICISM LONDON, April 5. The new British battleships, though they will mount only Min. guns, whereas new foreign ships may have 16in. guns, will be second to none in all-round fighting! efficiency. "Unfortunately," states -Mr. 11. L. Bywaler, in the Daily Telegraph, "the same cannot be said of many cruisers and sloops built or building. "In these ships, the standard of power is far inferior to that of their opposite numbers in foreign navies, and this inferiority has been deliberately accepted. "Orders have, just been placed for seven new cruisers of the Dido class, ol 5300 tons. Although they are excellent ships in themselves and possess a remarkably wide radius of action, they are far inferior to most of the cruisers built or building for other navies. To build British .wrships too slow and too feebly armed to have a chance against their foreign contemporaries is a policy so unusual that the country would welcome an explanation. "It is unofficially stated that these small cruisers have been designed both for fleet duty and convoy service, but, as, in either 'capacity they would be certain to encounter larger and faster and more Tieavily-gunned cruisers of the enemy, it seems illogical to deny them the power to fight on equal terms. "During the past decade, the Admiralty has ordered 60 ships of the sloop class, which are now rated as escort vessels, mine-sweepers, and patrol vessels. Because of their limited size, speed, and armament, very few of these have any real military value, yet many millions have been spent on building them."

Tho additions to tlie Australian navy since the rearmament programme have been the cruiser Sydney, of the British Leander class (GBOO tons', 8 Gin. guns, 32J knots); and the sloops Varra. and Swan (1030 tons. 3 4in. guns, loi knots). Re-cently-built Japanese bin. ip nn cruisers are of 8500 tons, with 1G Clin, guns, and a speed of 33 knots. The comparable Italian cruisers are of 5000 to G7OO tons, with 8 Gin. guns, and a speed of 3G to 37 knots.