BUILDING PROGRAMMES

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 5, 19 August 1927, Page 2

BUILDING PROGRAMMES

THE FACTS SUMMARISED, The building programme of the pritcipal naval Powers of the world may be briefly summarised here. Two battleships, Nelson and Rodney, built in accordance with the Washington Treaty, haye just been completed for the Royal Navy. While all previous battleships, except perhaps H.M.S. Hocd, were built by men who had to imagine what a naval battle would be like, the Nelson and Rodney were designed to meet the réquirements of a naval staff who were seeking to put into her the outcome of their war’ ¢xperience. : Since the war Britain has also completed the light cruisers Iiffiingham, Frobisher, and Hawkins, each of 9750 tons, and 31 knots speed, and mounting 7.5in. guns; the light cruisers Fnterprise and Emerald, 7550 tons, 33 knots, and seven 6in, guns; and the mine-layer cruiser Adventure, of 6750 tons. Of what are known as treaty cruisers," that is vessels coming under the restrietions of 10,000 tons displacemeit and bin. suns laid down bv the Washington Treaty, Britain is building nine. Four are to be conrpleted this vear, and the others will he completed year by year to 1929-20 ‘Ihe ships are the Kent, Cornwall, Suffollk, Cumbertand, Berwick, Sussex, Shropshire, Devonshire, and London. Verv few details of these Ships have been revealed. It is not known how manv 8in. guns they will mount, but it has been stated that on their displacement of 10,000 tons thev will have a broadside fire from their Sin. guns of twice the weirht of the pre-war County cruisers, which had more numerons 6in. guns, while the rew ships will he ahout ten knots foster than the old Kent and Cornwall, whici1 foueht in the Battle of the Falkland Tslands. In atldition to the above ships, Australia js building two 10.000-ton cruisers -the Atstralia and Canherra--of identical type. FOREIGN NAVIES’ CRUISERS. The United States has built ten 7500ton cruisers of 84 knots speed since the war, and her present progranime provides for six 10,000-ton cruisers each of 83 knots, and mounting eight 8in, guns. Japan has completed since the war fourteen 5500-ton cruisers of 33 knots, each with seven 5.5in. guns, and four 7100-ton cruisers of 383 knots, each cattying six 8in, guns. Japan is also laying down four 10,000-ton cruisers which are to carry ten Sin. guns. France has recently completed three 8000-ton cruisers of 84 knots, _ each ‘mounting eieht 6in, guts, and she is laving down three 10,000-ton cruisers mounting eight 8in, and eight anti-air-craft onns, Italy is to build, three 10,000-ton cruisers ta mount eight Sin. guns,