EXTRA WARSHIPS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 639, 16 October 1909, Page 5

EXTRA WARSHIPS.

-LAYING DOWN IN JANUARY. ' STRIKING POWER OF 13.5-INCH GUNS. . . SUPER-DREADNOUGHTS.. ' '~..' (By Telegraph-Press Association-Copyright.) (Rcc. October 15, 10.25 p.m.) London, October-15. , ."Engineering" states that tho Admiralty has .invited tenders for. Iho four estra Droidnoughts, returnable on November; 5. They are to be laid down in January, which is earlier'than is sometimes the case with, vessels on the ordinary programme. The :onditions include severe penalties if they are not completed by March'3l, 1912. Thofirms arc asked to quote for battleships Similar to tho new super-Dreadnoughts laying down at Portsmouth, also for a battleshipcruiser of the new Indefatigablo class, but larger, with more fighting power; and with more powerful Parsons turbines than any cruiser yet constructed., Some of the ships will be fitted with 13.5 in. guns.' This is not due to their longer range— because, in view of the limits of human vision, the 12in. gun has satisfied range demands—but to the greater striking power of the 13.5 in. ' . ' . ','• The latter will throw a projectile weighing 13501b.. (as compared with the 8501b. projectile of the 12in. gun), and will have a niuz*le energy of 60,009 to 70,000 foot-tons (while 'hot of the,l2in. gun is 53,400 foot-tons).