POISON-GAS BATTLESHIP

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 26 July 1929, Page 10

POISON-GAS BATTLESHIP

GERMANY’S NEW VESSEL THE ERSATZ PREUSSEN REMARKABLE SPEED RANGE New details of the German “pocket battleship” Ersatz Preussen, the building of which has aroused keen interest throughout the naval world, are given by the naval correspondent of the London “Daily Telegraph.” One notable feature is apparatus for expelling poison-gas. The hull of the Ersatz Preussen is rising steadily on the slipway at the Deutsche Werke, Kiel, formerly the Imperial Dockyard, where so many great battleships of the old German lleet were launched, he writes. A new st?el of phenomenal lightness and strength is being used in the construction. Squads of workmen trained in the technique of electric welding are building up the framework and sides of the Vessel, using electric torches instead of rivetting hammers. While certain components of the structure are joined by rivets, the ship as a whole will be welded together. The saving of weight effected by this method, combined with the use of special steel and alloys, is now reported to be well over COO tons. A stout armour belt, girdling the water-line, and shielding the vitals from shell-fire, is being worked in as an integral part of the hull. Subdivision below the water-line is -on a scale so extensive that the Ersatz Preussen has more watertight compartments than any other vessel in existence. CRUISES OF 20,000 MILES Oil engines for propelling the ship are m an advanced stage of manufacture ' in . the M.A.N. shops at Nuremberg, where strict precautions are taken to guard them from unauthorised inspection. Their, design has been placed on the list of official secrets. They are known to be extraordinarily light, the net weight being 8 kilos (17.641 b) per brake horse-power. What this means can beat be understood by comparing the weight of the new engines with that of the conventional marine motor types. An ordinary single-acting, four-stroke, low-speed Diesel engine weighs over 3001 b per b.h.p., while 1501 b per b.h.p. is the average weight of the machinery in the fastest motor liners. Therefore, in bringing the weight per unit of power down to less than 181 b, the German designers have accomplished a striking feat. The plant consists of four, sets of double-acting, two-stroke engines running -At 400 revolutions per minute, and driving "the propellers through reduction gearing. In the tanks, double bottoms and emergency compartments there is A!Stowage space for 2500 tons bf fUel-oil, sufficient for a run of 10,000' nautical miles at knots, or a cruise of 26,000 miles at lower speed. Although the designed maximum speed is 26 knots, it is confidently predicted that the ship will prove faster than this when she is actually tried at sea. She will, in any case, be able to travel at every range of speed for considerably longer periods than any previous warship. Quarters for the crew ,are to be above the average in regard to space and comfort. This fact suggests that the Baltic and the North Sea are not the only cruising grounds in view. GUNS AND POISON GAS ; The main armament of six llin guns, , mounted in triple turrets, is due for delivery next February. These guns Are of. A'Krupp post-war model, with eXceptionalrvelocity, penetrating power and range,' yet each weighs only 38 tons—as compared with the 97 tons of the British 15in piece. The new Krupp weapon discharges a projectile of 6801 b. Its rate of fire, with the improved loading gear, is claimed to be four rounds a minute, but this figure seems hardly credible. Under battle conditions, however, the Ersatz Preussen might be capable of firing 20 llin shells every minute. The turret mountings are designed for higliangle fire, and at extreme ranges the ship will probably be able to outshoot every man-of-w'ar now afloat, except, perhaps, the two Nelsons. In the interior spaces of the ship, in the control positions, and in the turrets, there are devices for expelling poison gas. Some discrepancy exists in accounts of the torpedo armament of six tubes. According to one report these tubes are for the 23.6 in torpedo—the largest in the world, with a range of 10,000 yards and an explosive charge twice as heavy as that of the war-time torpedoes. It id doubtful, however, whether the" Versailles restrictions permit Germany to manufacture torpedoes of this great size and power. The Ersatz Preussen is to be equipped as a flagship. The intention is to build three more vessels of similar type, forming a squadron, to be led ■ by the nameship. Strictly speaking, the dimensions of the vessel exceed the limit of 10,000 toils imposed by the Peace Treaty. This limit was meant to signify “normal” displacement—the weight of the ship with a certain amount of fuel and stores on board. When designing the Ersatz Preussen, however, the German constructors adopted “standard” displacement, which omits all fuel weights) As equipped for sea the vessel will displace nearly 13,000 tons. The second annual instalment of her total cost, which is estimated at £4,000,000, was voted by the Reichstag last week, and the progress of work 011 the ship to date indicates that she will be ready for launching next winter.