U.S. FLEET FOR EUROPE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 144133, 1 July 1913, Page 7

U.S. FLEET FOR EUROPE.

STRONGEST MEDITERRANEAN POWER. The greatest American naval force which has ever been -gathered together is to visit Europe. The fleet, which will consist of twenty-one battleships, accompanied by cruisers, torpedo citrrt, and auxiliaries, will not visit any porps in the United Kingdom, nor will it be seen in the North Sea. They will cross straight to Gibraltar, and. visit all the principal ports in the Mediterranean. During the period covered by ’he visit of these American ships, the United States will have the most powerful fleet in the Mediterranean. Its size-will, indeed, completely dwarf the British squadron, which, even after the completion of the Admiralty’s, scheme of reorganisation, will comprise only four battle cruisers and four armoured cruisers. The British Navy, even during the long period of Anglo-French antagonism, never had more than fourteen battleships in the Mediterranean, and at present the French fleet has only eighteen vessels of the battleship type in active commission, while Italy has eight vessels, and Austria six. Not only will this cruise have an educative influence on.the. officers and men of the .ships,, but it is intended to advertise to the nations of. Europe -the naval; power of the United States, which, contrary to popular belief, possesses the second greatest- fleet of the world. This position it will lose when the many German vessels now in hand are completed, owing to the failure of Congress to approve the Navy Department’s plans tor naval expansion. British hospitality will, Of course, be extended to the crews at Gibraltar and Malta/ and probably also at one of the Egyptian ports. The officers and men wSI also be entertained by the French, Italian, and Austrian Governments, and possibly visits will be paid by some of the divisions to Spanish and Portuguese harbours. The shins of the Dreadnought type wilf include two representatives each of tho Arkansas, Florida, Delaware, and Michigan classes, ranging in displacement from YfliCOO tons in the case of the first-named to IfijOOO in the case of those last mentioned.

Those eight ships are the only Dreadnought vessels which can he completed in time to take part in this cruise, but there are five others, of even greater displacement and power, under construction.

The remainder of the American fleet ■will'consist "of/the thirteen 'most effective battleships of the pre-Dread-nonght era, ranging in size from the .six vessels of the Connecticut class of 16,000 tons, with . four 12-inch, eight 8-inch, and twelve 7-inch guns, down through the four units of the Georgia class of 14,948 tons and the two Idahoe of 13,000 tons, to the'.solitary Ohio, which, on a displacement of 12,500 tons, mounts four 12-inch and sixteen 6-inch guns. . r These twenty-one ships have a displacement of 365,000 tons, with guns developing at their muzzles 5,300,000 foot-pounds of energy, as compared with the tonnage of 228,500 of the American fleet which made a famous world cruise in 1907,