OUR NAVY IN A NUTSHELL.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXIV, Issue XXIV, 16 June 1900, Page 1134

OUR NAVY IN A NUTSHELL.

A battleship is an armoured vessel of comparatively low speed, carrying heavy guns, and intended to fight with other vessels of her class. A cruise- is a swift vessel, sometimes armoured, sometimes not. carrying guns of a medium size, intended'to act as a scout, and to destroy and run away. It occupies to the battleship the same relation that cavalry does to artillery and infantry in an army. An armoured cruiser carries armour over its vital points —machinery: a protected cruiser has a protective deck and very' light armour: an unprotected warship has neither armour nor protective deck. A to pedo-boat is a very swift, unarmoured vessel carrying light guns whose offensive arm’ is the, torpedo’ The torpedo-boat destroyer is simply a larger and swifter * torpedo-boat. The largest war-vessels afloat are the vessels of the "Majestic" class in the British Navy: they are of 14.900 ton displacement. Ships have lieen built that have defied any storm th y- have jmet; but it is conceivable that a storm [might rage that would des'ry any vesI el. The b.st coal procurable is used