JAPAN’S NAVAL PLANS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 12 April 1926, Page 7

JAPAN’S NAVAL PLANS

ALLIED EXPERTS SURPRISED. By Cable—Press Association —CopyrlM:. "•.•stralian and N. 15. Cable A»focl»ti^LONDON, April 0. The “Daily News” navel eunewpui. dent says Japan, bv building secret cruisers, Inis sprung a suvur:;, on the naval world. liven Jana tit.. officers in Britain were unnwaro Liu.; vessels were being constructed. They are named the Jiurutak-. ICako, Pimigasa and Oaba. Although math smaller and chest” than tlie 10.000-ton vessels provk. 1 .;- for by the. Treaty, they arc nevet theless extremely formidable . Ugh! urn ships. ■ i Tho secret of their design ia well ; kept. . i The Furutuka, now completed, !b ; revealed as a 7100 tun shin, wav.h n. 2900 toils smaller than tho Brilkb j county class. . ! She can steam 33 knots, end currk'r, ; six eight-inch guns, threo tweho , pounder anti-aircraft guns and twelve torpedo tubes. It is in the disposition of tho heavy artillery that the Japanese, designer have shown marked ingenuity. Contrary to the text book, plans, showing the Furutaka’s six big gum. mounted cn turrets, threo on tho lorodeck and three astern, the second of each group is superimposed lor tho purpose of obtaining end-on fire. Thus nJ will he' able to lire a broadside, find two, and possibly three, will be ft bio to fire directly ahead or astern. The distribution minimises tho risk of a few lucky shots silencing the whole battery. The guns are mounted singly, and can develop more rapid fire than pairs. These ships represent bettor value For the money than the larger, more vulnerable, more expensive 10,GUO tenners, Britain and other nations arc I now building.