GREAT NAVAL REVIEW

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 2, 27 June 1911, Page 5

GREAT NAVAL REVIEW

THE SCENE BY NIGHT. A DAZZLNIG SPECTACLE. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright Received 20, 10.25 p.m. London, June 26. At the naval review a rocket was fired at ten o'clock yesternight The fleet of battleships and excursion, steamers were instantly outlined. The light, as from a single switch, made a dazzling spectacle against the dark background of sea and sky. Golden lights marked each water-line, while other lights showed the deck curves and bows. The funnels, bridges and conning towers wereoutlined with red lamps. Crosses marked the Admirals' flags. Cunningly-hidden searchlights on the United States battleship Delaware played on the Delaware's fluttering flags with beautiful effect. Groups of jewelled colored lights and numberless rockets were mirrored in the sea, and added to the beauty of the spectacle. An hour later another rocket was fired, and the phantom fleet of light disappeared. TEX YEARS' PROGRESS. THE CORONATION REVIEW OF 1902. INTERESTING COMPARISONS, The comparison and power of the fleet reviewed by the King at Spithead will serve as a reminder to all who care to study the subject of the rapid development of naval material during the last decade, says the Times. An instructive contrast may be drawn from the force present at the Coronation Review of August, 1902, when a similar fleet was paraded before King Edward VII. So far as battleships are concerned, the London—of the Formidable completed and commissioned in that year, and if the review had taken place in June she would have hoisted the flag of t..e Commander-in-Chief at Portsmouth. As it was, she was sent to the Mediterranean in July, and the Roval Sovereign, which she relieved, came Home, and was Sir Charles Hotham's flagship nt the display in August. The latest battleships present, therefore, were of the Majestic type, but two later classes of battleships were in active service, the Canopus type, of which six were in commission, and the Formidable type, of whicn five were in commission. Tne twenty battleships in tne line included, however, the Devasta- | tion and the Dreadnought, two vessels 1 over 25 years old; the Edinburgh, the Sans Pareil, and four ships of the old Admiral class over 15 years old; the Trafalgar and Nile, over 12 years old; four Royal Sovereigns, over ten vcars old; and six Majesties, the only battleships present under ten years old. Similarly, of the six armored cruisers in the line, only one was representative of a modern tvpe, the Sutlej--of the Crcssy type—the others being'over 12 Although, therefore, the gatheri- -of ships on that occasion-was.in.its w;i> h display of the progress and improved ' .in mval architecture and equipment. ;;ml was entirely effective from a spectacular point of View, it could not compare with the force in line on June 24 as an exhibition of advance and efficiency Since 1902 the King Edwards.'the Lord Nelsons, and four varieties of the Dreadnought type in battleships alone have been completed and commissioned. Two other Dreadnought types mignt have been represented on this occasion, the Colossus, with her sister, the Hercules, and tne Orion, but it wa« decided that these vessels, wmeh will he in the trial stage, should not take part. Six new tvpe.s of armored cruisers, includiti" the lnvincibles, have been completed since 1902. the Cressy class alone, which was m that year represented bv the Sutloj and will this year bo represented bv the Eiirvalus and Hogue, being the only type of armored cruiser present, at both reviews. Of the destroyers which will -e at the review, four new classes will be icpresented, and whereas the displacement of the heaviest boat present in 1902 was 4(.»() tons, the heaviest destroyer present nn this occasion will be of "ho tons displacement. The submarines scouts, and auxiliary vessels are all new and neither a turbine-propelled nor ondriven vessel was in use in the navy ten years ago. In regard to ordnance, the progress in development is perhaps the best exemplified by the fart that some of the ships present at the Coronation review of 1902 were still armed with muzzle-loading guns.