GERMANY'S FLEET

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 78, 24 December 1937, Page 12

GERMANY'S FLEET

Rapid Extension is Now Revealed SHIPS WITH 15in. GUNS The growing strength of Germany '« fleet and the construction of two 35,000 ton battleships with 15in. guns is revealed by Mr. Hector C. Bywater, naval correspondent to the Daily Telegraph and Morning Post, in a reVieW of the German Naval Annual for 1938. a semiofficial volume recently published with the approval of the Berlin Admiralty. He says the publicaton contains frank disclosures regarding the present und future strength of Germany 's new navy. It shows that wlien the new vessels now being built are delivered the German Fleet, excluding older units, will consist of: Two 35,000*ton battleships witli 15in. guns; two 26.000-ton battleBhips with llin. guns; three 10,000-ton "pocket battleships," with llin. guns; three 10,000'ton armouted cruisers witn 8in. guns; two 10,000-ton cruisers with (iin. guns; oight 6000-7000-ton cruisers with 6in. guns; two aircraft carriers o£ 10,250 tons; 22 isuper-destroyers, 1625-1800 tons; 30 smaller destroyers; 61 ocean and sea-going submarincs. Based on Tonnage RatioJ This establishment, it is pointed out, is based on the Anglo-Gernian tonnapt, ratio Of 100 to 35 fixed by the treaty of 1935. It is added, however, that the current German programme takes account only of Britain's total tonnage on January 1, 1937, and has not yet been adjusted' to counter-balanco the Hu&sequent very large increase in British tonnage due to the rearmament plan. The implicatiou i.s, apparently, that Germany will eventually lay down I further ships to maintain h^r ratio. In submarine tonnage, the treaty entit'les Germany to 45 per cent. of the British total; and reserves to her the right to go up to 100 per cent., provided that she first cosults with the British Government. The composition of the new German submarine fleet is: — Ten oceangoing boats, 21 sea-going boatsfl and 30 coastal boats. Of these the ocean and sea-going types are armed with six torpedo tubes, while the coastal boats carry three tubes. A feature of the two 35,000-ton battleships is their enormous beam of 118 ft. This coinpares with the 106ft. of the Nelson and Rodney, the broadest ships in the British Navy, and the 105J ft. of the Hood. It is evident that the underwater protection of the German ships is exceptionally strong. They will mount eigbt 15in. guns, 12. 6in. and 12 4.1in. anti.-aircraft guns. Resemblance to British Ships. The two 26,000-ton battleships, Scliarnhorst and Gneisenau, mount nine llin. guns. It is explained that thi3 comparatively small calibre was chosen to save weight for armour protection., and Mr. Bywater says the British aml German authorities are worlcing on similar lines as regards the development of the battleship. Germany's three new armoured cruisers will mount eight 8in. guns in twin turrets. They will, it is stated, "resemble the seaworthy. and powerful British ships of this type, whieh can steam at 32 to 33 knots." A number of escort vessels, with the remarkable speed of 28 knots, are also under construction. The new annual makes no reference to the rapid growth of the personnel, which now numbers nearly 50,000.