THE AUSTRALIAN FLAGSHIP.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1084, 24 March 1911, Page 5

THE AUSTRALIAN FLAGSHIP.

» H.M.S. DRAKE COMING, By Telegraph—Press Association—Oopyriirht Sydnoy, March 23. ' H.M.S. Drake will replace the Powerful as the' flagship on tho Australian station. The Drake will be the second, armoured ci'uiscr'to bo stationed in, Australian waters, the first being the Euralyus, which preceded the Powerful as fiagsnip. The Powerful is a protected cruiser of a type which the Admiralty abandoned after constructing two ships.. The Drak6 has a hundred tons less, displacement than the Powerful, but is 2000 tons larger than the Euralyyj,., j which, ,was, however, a slightly tnorq,';niodem ship. The armament of tho three vessels is similar, each of them carrying two 9.2-inch guns. There arc also sixteen 6-inch guns on the Drake, as on' the Powerful, while tho Euralyus had only twelve. The Drake has fourteen. 12pr., guns, the Euralyus a similar number, and the Powerful sixteen. The'vessels compare generally as under:— Drake. Powerful. E'raly's. Displacement (tons) 11,100 14,200 12,000 Length 500 500 440 Horse-power 31,450 25,000 21,318 Date of completion ... - 1002 1898 1004 Cost -,£1,002,977 .£705,335 .£782,901 Speed (knots) : 24.11 - 22.1 ■ ' 21:63 Coal capacity (tons) ....; 2,500 3,000 1,600 Complement 900 840 755 Tho Drake is at present the flagship of Rear-Admiral Hamilton, commanding the fifth cruiser squadron of the Atlantic Fleet.