THE BLACK SEA FLEETS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1321, 7 November 1914, Page 4

THE BLACK SEA FLEETS.

The raid of the Goeben in the Black Sea makes it interesting to consider bow Turkey is equipped for a struggle with the Russian naval forces in the Black Sea. The Russian Black Sea fleet, on paper, consists of seven battleships, two protected cruisers—and two being built—four gunboats, 25 destroyers, eight torpedo boats, n submarines, x 1 auxiliary cruisers, besides a mine-layer, repair ship, and various smaller vessels. In addition there are three battleships of the Imperator Aleksandr 111. class, having a displacement of 21,000 tons, which are not yet complete, and probably will not be until 1915. Russia has two battleships actually in service, each of 12,840 tons, one of 12,582 tons, one of 8880 tons, one of 13,318 tons, two of 11,230 tons. Six of these carry lain, guns for their heavy armament and one ten loin guns. Their speed is about 16 knots. One, the Sinop, is an old ship. Russia’s two completed protected cruisers carry ten i2.61n guns, besides lighter weapons, Their speed is estimated at 23 knots. Turkey has two battleships of 23,000 tous, uncompleted. They are to carry ten 13. sin guns. She has two vessels of 9900 tons, with four irin guns completed, aud one battleship of 9120 tons, earring 9.2 m and 6iu guns. Each of these three is capable of doing 16 or 17 knots. Then there is vessel of about 2400 tous, with a speed of 12 knots carrying four 5.9iu guns as her heaviest armament. The cruiser Hamidieh, of 3830 tons, carries two 6in guns, and the cruiser Medjidieh, of 3432 tous has a similar armament. Turkey has three torpedo gunboats, ten destroyers, aud ten torpedo boats, besides several other torpedo boats, which are very old, and probably useless. She has about 28 small gunboats with speeds of from 10 to 15 knots, carrying light guns. The Goeben, now under the Turkish flag, has a speed of 28 knots, aud her heaviest guns are nin, of which she has ten ; so that she could easily outdistance any vessels ot the Russian Black Sea fleet- The Breslau is only a small cruiser of 447 S tons, but her speed is 26 knots. Her heaviest guns are 4.rin.