THE GERMAN AND SPANISH NAVIES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2077, 29 October 1885, Page 4

THE GERMAN AND SPANISH NA VIES.

Cov^iDFßFrj as maritime Powers, Spain and Germany stand by no means on the same rank. The latter nation has four ironclad frigates and four armoured cor vetted, each of which is superior both in offensive mcl defensive equipment to any vessel flying the Spanish flag. The Kaiser ami the IMitschland, launched at Poplar eleven yeais ngo, fiom the de signs of Sir E J Reed, are of 7600 tons displacement, nnd cany an armour belt 10m. thick, reduced to Sin. fore and aft They are sister ships, and the armament of each consists of eight 22 ton Krupp guns on the bioidside and a 10-ton gun aft. The Frederick der Grosse and Prenssen come next, each with two turrets and four 22-ton Krupps and two 6 ton guns. They are built on somuwhat similar lines, with a tonnage of 6700, and aimor varying from lhn to 7"»- All four vessels are about eleven yeirs old. Of a very high class are the four twin-screw corvettes Sachsen, Baycrn, Wutemburg, and Raden, all of which have a displacement of 7400 tons, and carry armour with a maximum thickness of 16in The armament of the first three is the same, six 22 ton guns, and the Baden is fitted with one 36 ton gun (the heaviest in the Ger man navy) and four 2*2 tons. Besides the heavily equipped German men of war already mentioned, the frigate ] Konig Wilhelm, 9760 tons, with her eighteen 15-ton and five 10 ton guns, and 3^ inches of armour, stands in the front rank, as do also the Frederick Karl and Kion Prinz, each of 5500 tons, with sixteen 10-ton guns and 5 inch armour i The Hansa, Oldenburg (launched Jan , 1885), and Anninius, corvettes, arc three formidable vessels, the first being of 3690 tons, with 6-inch aimour, and eight 10 ton guns ; the second 5200 tons, with 12J inch plates, and eight 13 ton and several smaller pieces, and the Armiuiua with 4^ inch armour, and four 10-ton guns. There are also eleven gunboats of 1100 tons and 8-inch armour, each armed with oue 36 ton gun, throwing a shell of 7001b. Notice must also be taken of about 20 corvettes armed chiefly with the 4 ton Xi upp, which carries a shell of about 951b ; a torpedo fleet of 15 boats, and a number of despatch boatsand other light craft, bringing the total strength to 95. Chief among the Spanish warships, as regards weight of armament, is the Numancia, a broidside ironclad with 5 inch armour all over the hull, and six 18ton, three 9-ton, and sixteen 7-tou Armstrong guns. Her tonnage, 7165, is very nearly the same as that of the Victoi ia, uhichis plated from stem to stein with 5$ inch lion, and cairies four 12-ton, three 9-ton, and twelve 7-ton guns The Zaragoza, with 4^ inches of armour, and a displacement of 5,400 ton->, and the Sa guuto, 6,300 tons, and 5* inch plates, may be said to complete the list of sea going ironclads of the first-class of the Spanish navy. There are two other* available for coast defence, the Puycenla and the Duquc de Tetuan, both lightly armoured, and- the latter of small tonnage. There are also four ciuisers of about 3,500 tons, one of which, the Velasgo, is expected at Yap. The San Quintin, already there, is a " screw-tiansport" with engines of only 300 horse power. To this list must be added a number of lightlyequipped steamers, paddle and sciew, a few wooden frigates, and between thirty and forty screw gunboats of small si?e for coast work, each of these gunboats carrying one 100-pounder in her bows. The total number of Government vessels flying the Spanish flag is over 220, of which 152 arc screw gunboats and seven torpedoes. The personnel of the Spanish navy was, in 18S4, 21,706 sailors and marines of all ranks. The vote for th.^ marine was about £1.490,000. The German sailors and marines of all grades reached a total of 12,000, and the vote for the year was upwards of £1,009,000.