THE BIG GUN FEVER.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 920, 13 September 1910, Page 5

THE BIG GUN FEVER.

NEW MOVE BY GERMANY.

By Telegraph-Press Association-Copyright. '.-; (Rec. September 12, 10.10 p.m.) London, September 12. The Cermfinr.Soclalist f journal "Vorwaerts" states" that Germany's Dreadnoughts are being armed with fourteeninch guns. V ; THE BATTLE OP CALIBRES. . .Tho battle, in the calibres of naval cannon opens quite as interesting and, complex a question as tho battle in displacements of. ships. And in tho everlasting tournament, of ratio, of length to calibre,; bores, gas checks, obturators; etc., there appears to be as little prospect of finality as there is in the size of war vessels. ■■.'.-" ■ ■ '.

Calibres in the British Navy attained 'their extreme, in tho sister battleships Victoria (sunk off Tripoli, in the Levant)' and Sans Pareil. The forward barbettes of each of these vessels carried two 110ton guns with, calibre of 16.25 in; These monster pieces were 524inl in length,'; and threw a projectile weighing 16001b., with a muzzle velocity of 2087 foot-seconds. The muzzle energy- was 54,390 foot-tons, and the perforation, of.. Krupp steel' dt a range of 3000 yards (by uncapped prowas -computed <to.'be 13in. The introduction of the -wire-wound gun made it possible to increase tho hitting power, and at the same time diminish the calibre, and consequently the weight and size of the gun, and, in. a battleship, where every inch of displacement means much, thi6 was an important advantage." The'-experiment" in vtne'.'Vic-. toria-.and .SansVißareil" (and.-also the ,13.5 in.guns in the Royal Sovereign class) .was not repeated,'''andvtho-first-,class of battleships designed after the.ohange (the Majesties) .were given a primary armament' ,of 12in. guns. Since tho Majestica werevlaunched naval 12in. guns have been steadily .improved. The Mark X pattern is 558 in; ■in length,. and : throws v a projectile weighing 8501b.' Its muzzle velocity is .greater than ,the old; 16in. gun, .viz.,. 2900 ft. sec., but its muzzle energy ;(«,697'f00t-tons), js'less.,,,But the diminu-' ,tion of _air'. resistance, duo to the diminished sizoofi tho combintd with the greater muzzle velocity, made.it capaWe of; perforating 17in. .-of. Krapp steel at 3000 yards. :.' .;: >, ■'■-■;.-. ''..-: Further'; improvements in.' the ; 12iii. gun were then.limited by theinability of .the-"thread" of- the gun-lining: to withstand; a greater-initial velocity;, withoutunduly shortening th«> "lifo" of thVgwi/ To .overcome this difficulty/a further process- .in■'steel-hardening has been found imperative, and it is towards ■- this -de-' sideratum that inventors have been bejid;ing their energiesfor. some 'years .back. At the same time, there has. been a ten-, dency , to. increase calibres: ■ once; more, : and. a ,13.5 in.: guri for the' British service is'now aifait accompli, while'the United States' has also been experimenting with a,l4in. pattern. •".;-. . ■:■'•■'"■:■.'

;', Kris -worthy of note that .-.Germany, ■until very Recently, adhered/to an llin. gun,- which was believed to be equal, if not- superior, to the British 12in. gun. .No/authentic details of this or later German patterns have ever been disclosed.