H.M.S. NELSON.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 November 1925, Page 3

H.M.S. NELSON.

BRITAIN’S NEWEST BATTLESHIP. NEW FEATURES IN ARMAMENT. The launching of the battleship Nelson at the yard of Messrs Armstrong, Whitworth and Co., Limited. Xow-castle-on-Tyne, recently, the naming ceremony being performed by Dame Caroline Bridgeman, wife of the First

Lord of the Admiralty, was an event of special interest in many ways (says tne London "Times ” naval correspondent). It is nine years since the last 'battleship was launched in Great Britain. when the Rainillies, ol the Royal Sovereign class, was put alloat at the lienrdmore yard, Dalmuir on September 12. ini(i. There has been one battle-cruiser built in the interval, the Hood, which was launched at Clydebank on August 12. 1918, and is the heaviest war vessel alloat. The Hood, however, was designed in the early part of the war whereas in the Nelson’s design advantage can he taken of the lessons of the Battle of Jutland. Not that her designer. Sir Eustace d’Eyneoui't. the late Director of Naval Construction. had an entirely free hand in the matter. In accordance with the Washington Treaty of 1922. no capital ship must exceed 35,00(1 tons displacement. or carry a gun with a calibre in excess ol Itiin. The tonnage of the Royal Sovereign class is 25.750; that of the Hood 41,200; so that the Nelson comes midway between them in size. The adoption ol a Kiin gun. moreover, introduces a new weapon into the Royal Navy, ns earlier capital ships have not mounted guns heavier than loin.

THE FUTURE CAPITAL SHIP. let, although they mark a new departure in being the first post-war battleships in tlie British Navy in having to conform to a displacement limited by international agreement, and in introducing new features in a ruin nienl. it is quite possible that the Nelson and her sister-shin, the Rodney, building on th*' Mersey, may he the last battleships put a final. Future capital ships may very likely have the elements of present day cruisers, the tonnage of which is restricted to 10.000 and the maximum calibre of their guns to s’;,, ■•’her battleships may he laid down by Britain, Japan or American until 1031. I'ranee and Italy have the option ol resuming such construction in 1927, but they expressly reserved the right ol employing the capita! ship tonnage allowed them as they might consider advisable, subject to the limits for individual ships. If these two Powers decide In construct other types—cruisers, submarines, nr aircraft—the other nations might well agree not to continue the building ol vessels which cost six millions apiece. The circumstances in which Great Britain began the Nelson and Rodney immediately after the disarmament conI’orence at Washinfgton. may he briefly recalled. The American proposal on November 12, 1921, was for a complete ten-years’ holiday I rum large warship building, and for the scrapping of vessels in hand. Tile subsequent insistence ol Japan on tile retention of the Mntsti. ilien approaching completion, made a considerable dilfereime in the efficiency of the proposed Japanese Fleet, giving il two post-Jutlaud ships, Ihe Mutsu and Nagaio; and. to preserve (he equilibrium, the United Sillies insisted on retaining the West Virginia and Colorado, laid down in 19192(1. The British Goveiinnenl then had no alternative, il the approved proportionate ml ins of 5 5—3 for the Navies of Britain, America, ami Japan were jo he maintained. lan to build two new ships, a necessity the confer-

ence recognised as unavoidable. and approved aeeordinglv. TRIFLE GUN TURRETS. In ni'i'ordniiiv with official custom, full details of the Nelson and Rodney are being withheld until the year of their I'oluplel ion. Laid down in I >crrniU'r. 1922. they were expeeted to he built in about three years from that date, hut flic boilermakers’ lock-out of 1923 and other causes have seriously retarded llicin. and il is now aiiuaiilie- ,',| (bat (he Xelvin '.'.ill h; •omoleled towards die end ol 1920. and the Rodney by April. 1927. Their dimensions are officially given as follows: Length of waierline. 70211.; extreme beam, lOfift.; and mean draught at standard displacement of 35.00') ions. 3l)fl.

It has been slated with some show of authority in America that the ships will carry nine Ifiin. guns, mounted in triple turrets. Not more than eight Klin., or loin, guns have hitherto been filmed in one vessel, and the triple gun turret has not hitherto been adopted in the British Navy, although trials with it were known to have been made before the war. If the further statement in America that Ihe total weight of broadside from the new ships will |,o 20.00011). is con-eel, all the nine 1 (Jin. guns must he able to hear on cither broadside. I'hc new weapons take a projectile ol from 21001 b. to 24B111)., as compared with the 19001 h. of the loin, pmjccnle. Nine ol them would, therefore. discharge up to 22,15011). at one salvo. The original Dreadnoughts could discharge eight V2in. projectiles on the broadside, a total weight ol metal ol 08001 b., oi less than one-third that of the Nelson, and the bursting charges and fuses then in use were such that their destructive power was even less in proportion. Whatever may he the relative proportion of the elements of battlewin t liiness—speed. endurance, pro tection, tftm-pmvor. (*t<\—which . will illtimatelv be found in the design ol tlm Nelsoil, it is quite unlikely that vessels of such type will he repeated. .No doubt full provision has been made for meeting the two factors oi air attack and under-water attack, hut the position is certain to have changed .again before the moment for designing imire big ships arrives, if it ever does.