THE ARETHUSA CRUISERS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1315, 24 October 1914, Page 4

THE ARETHUSA CRUISERS.

Exceptional interest attaches to the part played by the Arethusa in the fight oft' Heligoland. This vessel is the first of those “ light armoured cruisers” the features and (unctions ot which have been debated with keen interest in naval circles since Mr Churchill's announcement in 19x2 of their proposed construction. The First Lord eulogised the tyre, of which no fewer than 20 are completing and building, as the fastest and cheapest armoured ships which had ever been designed. They would, he said, best be described as “ destroyers of destroyers,” being fast enough to overhaul and powerful enough to cut down almost any torpedo-boat destroyer afloat. The details of this interesting type are as follows : Length, 410 ft; beam, 39ft ; displacement, 3750 tons. The turbine engines develop 30,000 horsepower, giving a speed of 29-30 knots, and oil only is used to fire the boilers. The armament consists of two 6in and six 4m quickfiring guns, with two twin torpedo tubes. Side armour protects the water-line, an almost complete belt being fitted. Amidships this belt is 3m thick, above it there is 3’4 in armour, whilst the ends of the ships have somewhat thinner plating. This protection, it was explained by Mr Churchill, would suffice against the heaviest guns carried by any foreign torpedocraft. As the action off Heligoland has proved, the Arethusa’s armour has, in fact brought her through an extremely heavy cannoufire.