AUSTRALIA'S NAVY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 907, 29 August 1910, Page 5

AUSTRALIA'S NAVY.

y ■■■•---• °.... -• ■■■- TWO- DESTROYERS COMPLETED. By, Telegraph-Press Assoclation-Oopyneht. London, August 20. The conditions of contract for tho building and equipping of the Australian destroyers Parramatta and Yarra have been fulfilled, and tho destroyers will sail on September 15. Sir George Eeid (High Commissioner for Australia) is arranging with the Admiralty to complete tho crews of the vessels, which are partly manned by Australians.

The destroyer Parramatta was built by the Fairfield Company. Her maximum designed speed is 26 knots, but this was exceeded on an eight hours' trial by about a knot; whilo the maximum speeci on the measured mile was nearly 281 knots. The radius of action is stated to be . about 1000 . miles at 27 knotsj and about 3600 miles at 14 knots; but it is difficult to believe that it will on service prove as wide as this. ' The Admiralty conditions for the "Tribal" class destroyers wero that they should be able to steam 1500 miles at 13 knots. The trials showed that this. distance could bo exceeded ; the radius of the Ghurka, for instance, worked out at about 1700 miles at 13.5 knots, and that of the Cossack at 1580 miles. It will be seen that an increase of radius, as is claimed for the Parramatta, to 3600 miles at "14 knots represents a very great advance. The Parramatta's dimensions are: length 245 ft., beam 24ft. 3ih., displacement 700 tons. The armament consists of one 4in. gun with three 12-pounders. The fuel used is oil, and the engines' are Parsons turbines. In manv respects the Parramatta type differs "from the'2s.s knot "Eiver" typo from which it has been developed.