DEFENCE OF THE EMPIRE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 178, 1 September 1909, Page 2

DEFENCE OF THE EMPIRE

TIIK AUSTRALIAN SQUADRON. " ( , By Cable—Frew AMociatton.—Copyrigat 77 Melbourne, August 31. i, . Mr. Dcakin, Federal Premier, in reply } ♦ to criticiaoia, declares that the now | squadron will be thoroughly Australia! £ «J in character. f'JL, TUB BRISTOL TYPE. A Tlio Bristol class of cruiser proposed for the colonial squadron (of which class the Bristol Herself is now building at Brown's yard on the Clyde) is an expansion of the Scout class, which came * into being in '11)04. The pioneer typef v I of this class were Sentinel and hkirmisher (MOO tons), Pathflader and ' Patrol (2500 tons), Adventure and Attentive (3750 tons), and Forward and Foresight (2545 tons). These ships each . carried a light armament of ten 12- ' poundera, and were given engine-power sufficient to develop 25 knots speed, tj Consequent on the tig »hlp" tendency ■ which cane into vogue after Sir Phillip ■ Watts assumed office as director of naval construction, the tonnage of new) vessels of this type was almost doubled. ' The Bristol, though really a. Scout, may also rank as a second-dan protected cruiser. Her displacement will be 4800 tons, length 430 feet, and speed 25 knot*. A corresponding increase in armament has also taken place, each ship carrying I six 4-inch quick-firers. The average co«t of vessels of the Bristol type is slightly under £340,000 each.

RIVER CLASS OF DESTROYER. The river class of destroyers is one of the now numerous classes of destroyer! in the Navy, the distinctive feature vt the class being a speed of 25% knots. The clase dates from 1903 onwards, and boats of this type average 550 tons displacement. The original vessels of UiO class were the Exc, Derwcnt, Eden, fittrick, Foyle, Itohen, Ribble, Teviot, ant Usk. , < The cruiser-Dreadnought that New, Zealand is presenting to the British y Navy and which will be stationed in Chinese waters, making periodic visit* to the Antipodes, will cost £1,750,000.