A MIGHTY FLEET.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 117, 25 August 1910, Page 4

A MIGHTY FLEET.

The British fleet which took part in the naval manoeuvres last month was easily! the most powerful ever brought together by any nation. A' fully equipped Dreadnought squadron was organised for the first time. The first division of the Home fleet consisted of the battleships Dreadnought, Temeraire, Superb, Bellero- , phon, Vanguard, (Mingiwood and St. , Vincent, all of the all-big-gun type, with the Lord -Nelson and the Agamemnon,) 1 the moat powerful of the pre-Dread- , nought ships. This 'battle squadron of nine ships carried 78 12-inch guns and 20 9.2-inch guns, and had a total displacement of 164,450 ton®. The oldest ship was completed! in 1908.. The. second division of the Home fleet consisted of eight .vessels of the King Edward VII. | class, with a total displacement of 130,800 tons. . OSfo ship was more than five years old, and .the guns carried included 32 12-inch, 32 9.2-dnch and 80' <5-imch. Then came the battle division] of the Atlantic fleet, containing' six pow-| ferful battleships of'the pre-Dreadnought •type, all of the same design, and each| armed with 4 12-incih gums and 12 6-inch i guns.. The battleships from 'the Mediter-I ranean fleet were smaller in size, averag-\ ing about 18,000 tonsy but flttey ; were at least aa powerful as those of "the Atlan-i tic fleet. Four were of the Duncan class, | carrying each 4 ,12-inch and 12 6-inch] £uns, and the last two were the Triumph

and the Swiftsure, which Britain purchased from Chili in 1903. These vessels are the smallest battleships in the British Navy, displacing only 11,800 tons, but each carries 4 10-inch and 14 7.5inch guns. The battleships were supported by four squadrons of armored cruisers, consisting of sixteen ships. The aggregate tonnage was 219,950, and the guns carried included 24 12-inch, 51 9.2 inch, 36 7.5-inch and 88 6-inch. Altogether forty-five fully commissioned battleships and armored bruisers took part in the manoevures. The aggregate tonnage was 684,800 tons, and" no ship was as much as ten years old, while the heavy guns carried numbered 636. Germany possesses thirty-seven battleships and armored cruisers, six of them over ten years old, and the total displacement is 448,903 tons. Fourteen reserve British battleships and eight reserve armored cruisers also took part in the manoeuvres, thirteen battleships were left in port and ten armored cruisers were away on service of various kinds.