Gun Power in Battleships.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7712, 14 January 1905, Page 3

Gun Power in Battleships.

The two battleships included in the navy programme of 1904-5 are the first •designed by Mr Philip Watts since he was appointed Director of Naval Construction and Assistant Controller. They mark a large advance, especially in regard to gun power and of armour protection. For many years it has been the invariable practice to fit four 12in guns into our battleships as a primary armament, and, up till the design of the Iviug Edward VII. by Sir William White,, the secondary armament was exclusively of 6in quick iirersi. But it had long been urged that, in view of the giwiter resistance of armour penetration, theso quick-firers would lie ineffective in a fleet action fought at about 3000 yds range, Um the King Edward VII. class four 9.2 in guns were substituted for a corresponding number of 0m weapons. While this was a useful addition to fighting powen, it was still considered by some that the remaining 6in guns wero inadequate. Mr Watt* has now discarded them, and the armament of the new Lord Nelson classr includes four 12in and 10 9.2 in guns. At the same time the length of the guns has been increased—the formor from 40 to 4S' calibres, and the latter from 45 to 50 calibres. So that, separately, as well as collectively, the ordnance of tttt new ships has much greater fighting power than that of the preceding ships. The 9.2 in g uns will be mounted, eight of them in pairs Ht" 1 «?! u » jh ° u s«» over the upper deck, while the two remaining weapons ~111 occupy central positions 2? tw^f 1 * 10, Uis important to note that thus none 0 f the guns will be placed at a lower level than the upper decks, while the machine guns, numbering 15 12-pounders, 23 3-pounders, and two Maxims, will be mounted on the central battery behind, and at a higher level than the main guns, so, that they will command the whole sea area within torpedo range of the battleships.