WARSHIPS BEARING COMMISSION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1331, 1 December 1914, Page 4

WARSHIPS BEARING COMMISSION.

Tbe British fleet will, it is hoped, be increased by tbe addition by December, of the Dreadnoughts Queen Elizabeth and Warspite, and by March i by the addition of the Malaya, the Barham and the Valiant. All five of these ships are similar. They are of 27,500 tons displacement, and they are notable as being the first Dreadnoughts to mount the 1510, gun, of which they will carry eight in four turrets on tbe centre line. This gun weighs 98.6 tons, and it is enormously superior at 10,000yds to anything afloat to day. Another remarkable feature of these ships is that they will have a speed of over 25 knots. Their belt armour will be Irom 13 to i4in. in thickness, and this combination of qualities will enable them to overtake a fleeing Dreadnought fleet, and by engaging the vessels at the rear of tbe line, force the enemy to accept a fleet action. In tbe scout class, Britain will probably add, by December, seven vessels of the type of the Arelhnsa, which was engaged in the recent fight off Heligoland. These ships mount two 6in. and six 4m. guns and carry lour torpedo tubes for the 2iin. torpedo. The speed is 30 knots. By March Britain will have added two more oi this class. France by March will be able to add to her fleet the Provence and Bretagne, vessels of 23,550 tons and 21 knots speed, mounting ten 13.4 m. guns and protected by a belt. Russia by March will have completed her two Dreadnoughts Gaugut and the Poltava, 23,000 tons and 23 knots speed, each mounting twelve I2in, guns in four three gun turrets, tbe ships being protected by gin. of side armour, Germany, before the close of the present year, should she preserve her seaboard intact, may be able 1 0 acid three powerlul Dreadnoughts to her fleet; the Markgraf, the Grosser Kunurst, ana the Koenig, vessels of 25,000 tom displacement and 21.5 knots speed, protected by 1410. side armour an I mounting ten I2in. guns and <: ---irteen 6in. guns. These vessels arc being built at Bremen, Hamburg and Wilbeltnshaven respectively. Be fore tbe close of the year Germany may add to her fleet of fast scout-c-uisers the Regensburg and Graudenz, of knots speed and 5000 tons displacement, which are protected by a 410. belt, and mark twelve 410. guns, and two 20m. torpedo tubes. By March 1 she may have two additional ships of this class, the Gefion and Hela, ready for service. All of the naval Powers engaged in the war have a greater of less number of destroyers and submarines under construction.