GERMANY'S NAVY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1368, 20 February 1912, Page 5

GERMANY'S NAVY.

TWELFTH DREADNOUGHT LAUNCHED. By Telegraph—Press Association—Cop jright Berlin, February 18. The twelfth Dreadnought, IMnz Regent Luitpold, has been launched at Kiel in tne presence of the Kaiser. This vessel is the last of a class of four battleships, the first of which, tho Kaiser, was launched in. March last. The Germans, it will be remembered, have, since tho great advance in the dimensions _ of capital ships was made, been building their battleships in classes of four. Tims thero are two classes of ships with territorial names, viz.: four Na*saus and four Onlfrieslaiids; now a class of Royal names is being completed, and a class of four ships yet unnamed is being begun. This last-named class comprises the third and last ship belonging to the ■ 15)10 Estimates, now known us the Ersatz Odin, and the three 1911 shin.'!. AVith 1912 n new phase will begin, both because , there will be the need, or at least the opportunity, of bringing forward a new type, and also because tho pe.-iod of expansion covered by the Navy Act iu its present form comes to an end. The present provision is that only two capital ships aro to be '«iiid down in 1!)12 and in each of tho following, vears. By the latest accounts the displacement of tho battleships of the "Kaiser" class will bo about 24,000 tons, the horse power 28,000, and the speed 20.5 knots. The armament will consist of twelve 12in. guns, together with twelve or fourteen of G.Tin, calibre. The main belt will have a thickness of llin. amidships, and tho side above tho belt will be protected by Sin. armour. The faces of the heavy gun turrets will bo equal in thickness to the belt armour. No details of the arrangement of the protective decks had been made nublic, and it cannot therefore be said whether Germany, liko France in her latest ships, is providing additional deck protection against attacks from the air. It must be said, however, that the amount of deck protection which French ships have added as a result of the aeroplane menace is very little in proportion to* the exaggerated claims which have been made on behalf of that lino of attack.