NEW DREADNOUGHT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 817, 14 May 1910, Page 5

NEW DREADNOUGHT.

.• . ►_ UNITED STATES DAKOTA. By TelesraDh—Press Association—Oojyrleht New York, May 12. Florida, 21,825 tons, has been launched. ALL-WEATHERS DESTROYER. SPEED, 29J KNOTS. (Rec. May 14, 0.35 a.m.) Now York, May 13. Another addition to the United States navy is tho destroyer Sterret, launched at Quincy, Massachusetts. \ She is built for a speed of 29} knots, and at the same time is expected to be able to keep tho soa with a battle fleot in all. weathers. [Tho combination of speed and seakeeping qualities is what tho British Admiralty was, aiming at when it reduced tho speed of: some of the laterordered destroyers.]

AN ASCENDING SCALE. THE CLIMAX A 32,000-TONNER. The Florida, and her sister the Utah, will he similar to the already commissioned Delaware and' North Dakota as regards tho ten 12-inch gun armament, but the Florida and the Utah will be bigger. The following summary shows the advance of United States naval ideas from pre-Dreadnoughts to super-Dread-noughts: • The battleships. South Carolina and Miohigan, completed in 1909, were regarded as "intermediate" ships between what havo been termed pre-Dreadnoughts and Dreadnoughts. They are 2000 tons less in displacement than the British Dreadnought, and were designed for 2J knots less speed, but their armament of eight 12-in. guns makes them "all-big-gun" ships, and distinguishes them from previous vessels with mired batteries, such as tho British Lord Nelson and Agamemnon (four 12-inch and ten 9.2inch guns) now to bo transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet. ' Improved Dreadnoughts. Tho Delaware and tho North Dakota, which followed the South Carolina class, are improved Dreadnoughts, with a tonnage of 20,000, a speed over 22 knots, carrying ten 12-inch guns, which, it -is said, will bear on either beam. The Florida ( (just launched, vide cablegram) and the Utah como next, : havc a displacement of . 21,825 tons, or 1825 tons more than tho Delaware and North Dakota. The Florida and Utah contracts provide that they shall be completed by July of next year. Following them come tho Wyoming and Arkansas, recently laid down. They will, it is said, be of 26,000 tons displacement, mounting twelve 12-inch guns; and twenty-two 5-inch guns, with engines (turbine) of. 33,000 h.p., contract speed '20i knots. It is said that the next two will bo each of 28,000 tons. To "Cap All." Then, in 1911, tho United States Navy Department promises to "cap all" by laying down a 32,000-ton Dreadnought. Says a Washington .message :— "Tim super-Dreadnought is to be armed with twelvo 14-inch guns, each firing a. projectile weighing 1650 pounds, and it is oxpected to cost £3,600,000. It will bo easily seen what a tremendous advance in power this ship will be on the original English Dreadnought, which displaces only' 17,900 tons, and her sister 6hips, Beflerophon, Superb, and Temeraire, of 18,600 tons.

"Presumably this monster will' have a broadside of ten or twelve guns, and a head and stern fire of eight guns. The British vessels being armed with ten 12inch, guns, firing projectiles of 12501b., can only manage a broadside of eight guns, throwing 10,0001b. weight'-of metal whioh Jvould bo considerably inferior to tho American ahead or astern fire, which amounts to 13,2001b. Criticism of 14-Inch Gun. "While naval men do not raise serions objections to the sizo of the vessel, many nro of opinion that tho extra weight of the 14-inch shell will be discounted by the superior rapidity of fire of 12-inch weapons. Mr. Meyer (Secretary of the Navy) is firmly convinced that strength lies in size and not in numbers. He is supported by President Taft, who in o. speech at Newark'declared that ho nns in favour of a naval programme providing for Dreadnoughts of the largest size, and apparently tho Naval Committeo of tho llonso of Representatives has been converted to his viows. "Tho construction of such monster battleships will necessitate enlargement of most of the American harbours, notably Portsmouth, Brooklyn, and 'Norfolk."