THE LARGEST BATTLESHIP.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13429, 21 March 1907, Page 3

THE LARGEST BATTLESHIP.

THE DREADNOUGHT OUT-

CLASSED.

The latest papers from Japan are very full of the launching of the Satsuma, of which we were informed by telegraph some time ago. The Japanese are naturally very proud, not only of possessing the largest battleship afi-Qat, but also of having built it themselves, as it .not only marks the importance of their navy, but also indicates the most remarkable progress which they have made in shipbuilding. By way of, comparison between the Satsuma and the Dreadnought, the following figures «re published: — , Dreadnought — D isplacement , 18, 000 tons ; length over all, 490 f t; beam, 82ft ; draught, 26.5 ft; speed, 21 knots; armament, ten>l2in anjd eighteen 176 mm. Satsuma — Displacement, 19,200 tons ; length over all, 482 ft; beam, 83.6 ft; draught, 27.6 f t; speed, 20.5 knots; armament, four 12in, ten lOin and twelve 120 mm. t

It will be seen that the draught of the Satsuma is- one -foot more than that oC the Dreadnought^ <the Japanese having no necessity i to adarrrt their vessels to passage through the Suez Canal. In many features she resembles the Dreadnought, which is not surprising in view that both vessels were designed on data acquired during, the 'Russo-Japanese war. The belt armour, according to Brassey, will range from five inches to pine inches in thickness, and all is being supplied from the State Works at Kure. The guns are also of Japanese manufacture; the larger being all 45 calibres in length. The 12in guns will be placed in pairs in barbettes, one forward and one aft, and, the lOin guns will also be fully protected. The ship will be fitted with reciprocating engines, and not turbines, and will, as stated, be designed to give 18,000 indicated horse-power on trial. The comparison made in the table at the head of this note is taken from official figures, and is hardly just to the Dreadnought in the matter of speed, since on her trial her turbines proved capable of developing 28,000 brake horsepower, and with 24,700 brake horse-power she easily developed 21^ knots. In view of her reciprocating machinery. t.be SatsumVs extra foot of draught should prove very valuable, since, the weights being higher than with turbines, some command of the guns would otherwise have to be sacrificed. — Engineering.