DREADNOUGHTS

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 509, 17 May 1909, Page 5

DREADNOUGHTS

BRITAIN AND QERHAtyY. BIG SHIPS MEAP QIC WAGES SHEETS. SKILLED LABOUR, Ini AssnriAiioM-copinjanT.) (Jlec. May 16, 4,30 p,m.) London, May 15. Tlip First Lord of tho Admiralty, Mr. M'Kcnna] replying to a question in tljp Hfljißo of Contpions, said thpfc t|io building qf a Dreadnought gives daily work to 1500 ski)led men. Qf tho tota} cost 70 por cent, goes in wages, KRUPP'S WORKERS INCREASED BY 45 PER CENT. CONSTRUCTION PRQGBAMAfE. (Reo. M»y 16, 4.30 p.m.) London, May 15. A special representative sent to Germany by the "Standard" feportp that Krupp's are employing 70,000 men r an inoreaeo of 22,000 men within a year. Tho Qermania, one pf Germany's Dreadnoughts, has been launched. Four Dreadnoughts arc building, and five are being laid down. Four cruisers are building, also nine torl>cdo destroyers, tnenty-four submarines, ana six gunboats. AUSTRIAN SUBMARINES. Vienna, Mey 14. Austria-Hungary lias ordered bu sullmariae boats. FIFTEEN MONSTER SHIPS. GERMANY'S ACCELERATED BUILDING. "Dreadnought" is now generally hpjd to includo either tho mpnster battleship (Dreadnought typo) or the monster eruisor (Inyinoipje type). The above cablegram mentions tpn of thpso (ono just launched, four building, and fiyo laiJ down). On March ?Q last the fifth German Dreadpought, the Ypn dor Tnnn (Invincible typo), was launched. Adding these iivo previous launchings to the ten TDreadnoughts mentioned in the cablegram, there are therefore fifteen German Dreadnoughts either launched, building, or being laid down. On. March 23.the Berlin correspondent compiled in tal)lo' shotting pnly thirteen, as, follows:— Launched. , Ready. Nassau (D). spring JBOB .Autumn 1909 Westfalen (D.), summer 1908 ... Autumn 100? Bhemland (D.), Into summer, 1908 Spring 1910 Posen (D,.), December )003 Spring 1810 Von der Tann (I.), March, 1909... Spring 1910 Laid Down, Not Launched. Er, Oldenburg (D.) ... Summer or autumn I9JI Er. Siegfried (l>.) ... Summer prautpinn 1911 Eγ. Beowulf (D.) Summer or autumn 1011 "Q." (I.) , Summer or autumn 1011 Er. Fntiof (D) Autumn 1912 J3r. ni|(febrand/(D.) , Autumn 1913 Eγ. Ifeimdall (D.) Autumn 1012 ' "H" (I.) , , , Autumn 1913 f'Er." means Ersatz, or new ship to replace tho old pno. whoso name follows. (D.) means "Dreadnought" battleship, and (I.) ''Invincible" or battleship cruiser.) "Tho only 'all-big-pun' ship the "fllail") not included (n the ahoyo Ijst is tho 15,0DD-ton cruiser Bluerher; launched at burg m April, 1808, which uilj bo ready ip tile autumn of 1909."

. It will seen tlmt the "StahdardV caloulation is .tivp-ahend of, the 'fDaily JitailV' yn|ess the former includes : the Blueoher, which is unlikejy. Probably the newly-launched Germania is_the battleship to replace tllfl Oldenburg.. The 9cce|oroted rate, pf flerroan ppnEtrupnon anfl the i 5 per cent, inpreappln (ho men. emplqyod at.Krup'p's are fapts that ei, plain each other. ' . . .:. The smaller craff njentipned by the "Stands ards.. correspondent—4 cruisers,' 9 torpedo destrpyprs, 2J subinhripes, and-6 gunbpafs—show that Germany is not. negleotine other bfanolies \m W> ami has lukeen eys to the pes, sibilitjes pfundcMvater Wjjrffiro. ■ V ■•■■■ The follpffipg'ara sajdito' bp the djmensiong of. tlm monster German prujser Vpn #r TaW launched on March 20: length, 551? feet; bpani. 83 feet; draneht, 2CJ,feet over 19,000 tons. The mail) battery, contains a largp number of rapid-fire , Runs.nrobably of the 28centimetre (U-inoh) 50-calibre variety. ■ They will hurl armouredisholliS weighing 5011b. a distance p( over twelve miles, capable of ppnp, trating armour threp f ß ef thicfe. $he turfijio engines 0f, «,0D0-h,p, are expected tp develop a speed of 25 knots.- The Von.der Tann represents a ppst: of ,|imi)l, pr : only less than the regular battleship-Nassau. ;