BRITISH BATTLESHIPS IN THE MARKET

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 289, 2 September 1919, Page 5

BRITISH BATTLESHIPS IN THE MARKET

SEVEN FOR SALE. London, August 31. Tho Admiralty has decided uiwn tlio further sale of sixteen ships, ot which seven aro battleships, including tho Efidoul)table, Jupi'.er, Albion, Canopus, and XrmarlV Viscount Jelhcoo's hist flag--BITho1 Tho demobilisation of tho Navy « being expedited.—Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn. [Tho battleships mentioned are old Bbira of small -lighting value. In fact, thei'o was Bomo protest :n naval, circles during tho war against men being iecmired to servo in such ships, which would become mere death-traps when in touch with modern enemy craft, iuo Albemarle, tho. most modern of tlu3 discarded battleships, was launched in 1801. Sho is a 19-knot snip of 11,000 tons, armed with four 12-inch guns of an old (ype, twelve 6-inch, guns, and tvveho Jinchguns. Tho armour bolt is 7 inches amidships, tapering to 2 inches at tho bow. Tho vessels of this class aro Vojjseaworthy, and 'in their day were hrstclass lighting ships, but tneir slow speed poor armament, and .ight amour render them of 6mall value to-day. llio Albion and tho Cauopus, launched, in 1898 and 1897 respectively, are older ships of a similar typo, while tho Jupiter and the Redoubtable are both more than 24 years old, and have long oeased to bo regarded as effectivo ships. . Ik is interesting to compare the old ships with the Queen Elizabeth, which was the most powerful battleship afloat in 1911: . a rr Canopus. QiuEliz. Tonnage 12, M 2<,aOD Speed 18 knots -5 knots Armour G-inch 13.5-iiich Armanent '112-inch 815-inch Bigger and' moro powerful ships than tho Queen Elizabeth lmve been constructed during the war. The sale of tho battleships mentioned in I the cablegram indicates that tho complete disappearance of pre-Dreadnought battleships is not far distant. Britain has about sixteen battleships afloat of a dato later than tile Albemarle, but earlier than the original Dreadnought. Tho most .inoderi. of tlieso ship? aro theLord Nelson and Agamemnon, which were launched in 1906, but which wore not considoied fit for placca in tho lino after tho very early days of the war.]