WORLD'S STRONGEST WARSHIP

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 14, 9 October 1937, Page 15

WORLD'S STRONGEST WARSHIP

Italy's New Vessel

JTALY ciaims to have pbtentially the . most powerful warship afloat. It is the Vittorio Veneto, the giant battleship of 35,000 tons which was launched at Trieste, July 25. Another capital ship of similar displacement, the Littorio, ia in course of construction at Genoa and will bo launched in the near future. When these two Italian war vessels are conxpleted— -the first will be ready for sea in about two yeays* time— no ship ppssessed by any aavy to-day1 wjll ha S-ble to meet them on . anythin'g like equal terms. Signor Mussolini belongs to the clafs of statesmen who believes that the naval arm will for a - long timo to pomp b'e the index of the m&rtial powei of a nation, f^r many years ihe Duce has been intent on building a strong navy. The conquest of the Ethiopian Empire has inoreased Italy's liabilities upon the sea, aud she* now. evidently aims at becoming the strongest naval power in the Mediterranean. Sponsoring the naval estimates for the current finadjHal year Admiral Cavagnari, the nnder-secretary for the Navy, has announced approximate increases in Italy's battle-cruiser Btrength and in other naval categories, and has fleclared that the Italian fleet must lienceforth "owing to the probable nature «of future wars, become an pceanic navy, capable of operating on the high seas." The decision to transform the Italian fleet from a Mediterranean into an ocean navy was defined by Admiral Cavagnari as "the most important change that must now characterise our naval programme in the near future." The conquest of an empire outside the.Mediterrauean has forced Italy to alter her naval policy. Italy must now envisage the possibility of having" to defend interests in other oceans, She must therefore increase her naval forces and strengthen her uaval, bases, Oue other factor which must not be overlooked in examining Italy's presenl navsj position is the greatly increase^ range of aircraft. As is kaown, Italy has concentratec large air forces in Tripolitania, Sieily Sardinia and ih 'the Dodecanaese, aac

She' believes she is in a positiqn to coatrol the Mediterranean routes. On the other hand, if a blockade were to be established against her nt Gibraltar, the Straits, and the Suez Oanal, she could break it only by her b&ttle fleet. Hence the need is felt for Italy to have a navy strong enough to operate not only in the Mediterranean bnt in the Atlantic and lndian oceans. Since Italy will not be able for a considerable time, if ever, to defend simnltaneouely botb the eastern and western approaches of the Mediterrani ean, she is establiehing naval baseff im the Bed Sea and on the lndian Oceam It is signiflcant that Eritrea, whieh: has been under Italian rule for over half a centuary and has always been goverfled by a civil or military governor, has been placed for the flrst Mme under the command of a naval offlcer. - Two of Italy's capital ships buill before the World War have recently, been extensively reconstructed; and their displacement, armament . and nxachinery have been idtered, They may now be considered as new shipa, Their- tonaage is 22,4Q0^ and their speed 1 is- reported . to haye been increased from 22 to 30 knots. *" Italy has 19 crnisers, of .whieh seven have a displacement of 10,000 tons, and 12 a tonnage varying from 5000 to 8000. The former crnisers- of the Trento, Zara and Bolzano classes are powerfully armed with eightdnch guns, and are repnted to reaeh In some cases to 39 knots. The other erniserSi known as the Condottieri type, have in many cases exeeeded 40 knots on triaL They are very lightly built, hatlng , light six-inch guns. Italy, moreover,' possesMs seven ohf crnisers, 20 flotilla leaders, and 4i , completed destroyers, There are num- , erous tospedo boats in construction* l She also has a large nuuiber of small , motor torpcdo boats. i Italy is very strong in snbmarines. : Including the 20 new boats which are l being laid down this year, her total is 108. They are almost all modern and l very strongly built, and one of them , reaohed the record depth of 400 f eet in | diving trials.