THE AUSTRALIAN NAVY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1491, 13 July 1912, Page 5

THE AUSTRALIAN NAVY.

ARRIVAL OF CRUISERS DELAYED. By Telegraph—Press Aesocialion— Oopyriclit ' ' Melbourne, July 12. . Advices from London report that tho arrival in the Oommotitvealth of , tho cruisers Australia and Melbourne will ba delayed from December until April. •Tho delay in their completion is due partly to tho industrial troubles and partly to a more coinple'x reason which tho,Admiralty states is delaying all British warship construction.

The'second-class cruiser Melbourne was launched at Birkenhead at the yards of the famous shipbuilding firm nf Cammed, LaiTd, and Co., Ltd., on May 30. TJio Melbourne is a vessel of SGOO tolls, desifjiied to steam 25.5 knots, with turbine engines of 25,000 horse power. Sho will carry n. complement of about 400 men, arid her armament will .consist of eight G-in. Kims, four 3-poundors, four machino guns, and two 21-in. torpedo tubes, lho second of tho tlireo cruisers of this class which aro to form part of the first instalment of the . Australian navy, is beins built at Govan on the Clyde, by tho Loudon and Glasgow Shipbuilding- Co. The date of the launching of this vessel, which will Ire called tho Sydney, has , not yet been fixed, but it is hoped to get lier off tho slips some time in June or early in July. Tho third cruiser, which will bo called the Brisbane, will be put 'together at the Fitzroy Docks. Sj-dnoy,. the mam parts being sent out.from England. • Uwin.' to labour troubles there has been soiiio delay In tho construction of both the Mellxnirno and the Sydney. Ihcy aro due for delivery in August, but it is not exported that they will bn completed before the end of the year, riio battlecruiser Australia, which was launched at Clydebnnk in October last, is neariny completion. .Two submarines, Iα be known (is A.E. 1 and A.E. 2, are boim; built at Ban'BW. ftrid are to bo completed by January 1913- Throe destroyers, tho J'arramatta, niid flio Warrogo, nrejn commission, and threo others, arc being built at the Fitzrov Docks. Tliese 12 voxels will form tho first unit of the Commonwealth N.ivy- .