JAPAN ARMING

Waikato Times, Volume 94, Issue 14769, 7 October 1921, Page 2

JAPAN ARMING

TWO DREADNOUGHTS IN OCTOBER. NIPPON Hl'Ye 5(1 AH’,PRANKS. The Japanese snper-l ireadnonghls Kaga and Tosa, which were begun od year, are |o be launched nl (tic end <d October, the first, at Kobe and Hie second at Nagasaki. Designed as an ■'answer’’ to Ihe, American Indiana class, these two ships will tie Hie larges! battleships alloal fur some time to come, says He London correspondent of Hie New York Herald. Their displacement is :i!R000 lons, length 700 feet, breadth 100 feel, and their geared turbines will give them a speed of 2:U knots. As a main battery each will carry pm or twelve 10-ineh guns of a new type, throwing a oneton shell. A feature of Ihe ships’ design is a system of multiple sleel docks over vital parks as a defence against shells tired at long range and aircraft bombs. The hull is fitted with anti-torpedo bulges, and (here is so much internal prelection Ihat the ships are claimed to he virtually unsinkahle. It is believed that, each ship will have cost from .C 0.000,000 to C 10,000,000 when complete. hi Idle Japanese naval programme of 1910 credits were voted for Hie construction of a big aircraft carrier. Ihe Ilosho, as she is named, (urns out In he a close copy of Hie British carrier Argus. She is to displace 0000 tons, and will steam at 21 knots.

In order to leave the entire upper fleck free for airplanes to land and lake off, all upper works and funnels are suppressed. Hie smoke from the furnaces being expelled from the side of the ship by horizontal ducts. The usual hangars and equipment for handling aircraft will he titled, and there will he magazines for bombs and torpedo war-heads. 'The Ilosho will he armed with four i.7-inch rapid-fire guns and two anti-aircraft guns.

'flic Japanese Navy Department has placed an order with the Gloucester Aviation Company of Cheltenham, England, for 50 airplanes of the Sparrowhawk type. These are said to he similar in design to the Nieuporl “Night Hawk” machine. Ollier British aircraft linns have received inquiries from the Japanese Navy Department respecting llie delivery of airplanes and engines of various types.

Supplementary estimates for military and naval aviation will lie introduced by the Japanese Government at the next session of the Imperial Diet, according to a well-informed paper here. General Vamanashi. who has succeeded General Tanaka as War Minister, is an enthusiast for aviation, and is now effecting big economies in other brandies of Die service in order lo have more money available for expanding Ihe Hying corps, which now consists of about 800 machines. It is the Minister’s intention to increase the figure to 1200 by Ibe end of next year, which will necessitate the purchase of machines abroad- 1

Meanwhile, steps are being taken to develop borne production by subsidising firms engaged in such work. Ihe Kawasaki Dockyard Company of Kobe is building a big airplane factory at Kagamigahara. Another large factory, built by the Mitsubishi Company at Nagoya, is already in operation. Some heavy bombing machines and (lying boats, modelled on the latest British and American designs, arc building at, Nagova, to the order of the Navy Department. Production is said to have begun of a Japanese version of the Nieuport Irlplanc,, a two-engined machine, designed for bombing raids

Admiral Kalo, Minister of Marine, is reported to Lie drafting’ an amendment to the naval aviation development programme passed in 10.18. 1 Ids amendment will have the effect of increasing considerably the establishment of 110 new machines authorised in that programme. Long distance endurance bights are now regularly undertaken by naval airmen from the Yokosuka station, and flights from warships at sea are of frequent occurrence.