A WONDER SHIP

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 120, 17 November 1932, Page 11

A WONDER SHIP

THE NEW DEUTSCHLAND

ASSET TO GERMANY

Germany's mystery ship, the famous vest pocket Deutschland, is receiving the finishing touches to prepare it for its first test cruise to start from Kiel harbour, the former war port. In view of the'numerous novel features embodied in the ship, the tests are expected to last several months, says the "San Francisco Chronicle." , The completion, of the Deutschland represents Germany's first bid for the return to her former sea power lost through the World War. A, second vest po.cket battleship was laid ddwn in 1931, a third one in the current year, and a fourth is-to follow next year: This squadron of four units will make Germany absolute master of the Baltic, Sea, the German ships being far superior in fighting power to the obsolete pre-war dreadnoughts of Soviet Eussia and to the small navies of the Scandinavian States. '

The construction of the Deutsehland took almost four years. At low speed the. ship is said to be able to circumnavigate the world without refuelling. At an average speed of 20 miles an hour it has a cruising radius of 10,000 miles. Its "featherweight" Diesel engines, weighing only 161b per hprse-power, generate 50,000 horse-power/giving the ship a maximum speed of at least 26 knots an hour. The hull of the Deutschland is electrically welded. A considerable_ reduction in weight was achieved' by this process.

Though displacing only 10,.000 tons as prescribed by the Versailles Treaty, the armament of the Deutsehland is far superior to any war vessel of equal tonnage. It carries six: 11-inch guns, eight 6-inch guns, four 3.4 anti-aircraft guns^ and four 20-inch torpedo tubes, making the new vest pocket battleship more than a match for any "treaty cruiser." i

Already the Deutschland has deeply influenced European naval poliej'. France has given up the construction of 10,000-ton "treaty cruisers," and has laid up a battle-cruiser of 26,000 tons in direct reply to the construction of the vest pocket battleship.

The Admiralty is trying to keep it a strict secret, tbut news leaked out that amazing results were achieved with the 11-inch guns of the Deutsehland at target shooting recently carried out at Altenwalde. A maximum range of 22 miles was attained at an elevation of 50 degrees. Each gun weighs 42 tons, and its length is 46 feet. The shells weigh 6701b. The firing speed of the 11----inch gun is four rounds a minute, which corresponds to the firing speed of Binch guns in other navies.

After the conclusion of its test runs, tho Deutsehland will be stationed in

the Baltic Soa.