SHIPS OF WAR, BUDGETS, AND PERSONNEL.
AUSTRIA.
VESSELS BUILDING.
Name | Displacement | Where Building | Remarks |
Battleships |
|
|
|
Ersatz-Tegethoff | 14,500 | Trieste | Building |
Ersatz Kr.-Rudolf | 14,500 | Trieste | Building |
Ersatz Kr.-Stephanie | 14,500 | Trieste | Building |
Scout |
|
|
|
Admiral Spaun | 3,500 | Pola | Building |
The three new first-class battleships, which are to take the place of the Kronprinz Rudolf, Kronprinzessin Stephanie, and the Tegethoff, are to be called the Erzherzog Franz Ferdinand, Radetzky, and Zrinyi, respectively. All three of them are to be built at Trieste, but it is stated that the last-named will not be laid down until after the launch of the Radetzky. Their dimensions will be as follows: Length, 430 feet; beam, 82 feet; displacement, 14,500 tons. The engines are to develop 20,000 I.H.P., to give a speed of 20 knots, and the ships are fitted with two rudders. The main belt is to be of Q-inch Krupp steel, the gun positions for the heavy guns, 10-inch K.S., and for the secondary armament 8-inch, with 6-inch transverse bulkheads and a 2-inch deck. The armament is to consist of four 12-inch, eight 94-inch, and twenty 3.9-inch guns. As the result of the lessons of the Russo-Japanese war, arrangements will be made by which the ships will preserve their equilibrium, if a compartment is filled by an explosion or collision, by the corresponding compartment on the other side filling simultaneously, so although brought lower in the water, the ship will remain on an even keel, and vulnerable parts will not be exposed to the enemy's fire. Cooling apparatus to keep the temperature below 76 Fahr. is also fitted to the magazines.
The new torpedo-cruiser to take the place of the Zara is to be called the Admiral Spaun; she has been laid down in the Imperial dockyard at Pola, and her dimensions will be as follows: Length, 411 feet; beam, 42 feet, with a displacement of 3500 tons. Her engines are to develop 20,000 I.H.P., to give a speed of 26 knots, and she is to have Yarrow water-tube boilers and Parsons' turbines.
The six new destroyers, which are building at Fiume, are to be named the Durul, Csikos, Pandur, Reka, Belebit, and Dinara; they are of the Huszar type, with a displacement of 384 tons, engines developing 6000 I.H.P., and a speed of 28 knots, while for armament they will carry one 12- and seven 3-pounders. The ten sea-going torpedo-boats, also building at Fiume, are to be called Triton, Hydria, Skorpion, Phoenix, Krake, Polyp, Echsc, Molch, Kormoran, and Alk; they are vessels of 200 tons, with engines developing 3000 I.H.P., giving a speed of 26 knots; for armament they will carry four 3-pounders.
Several submarines are also under construction. Two are being built by Messrs. Vickers, at Barrow; two at the Krupp-Germania Yard at Kiel, which are to have a displacement of 300 tons; and four of the Lake type, two at Pola and two at Fiume. The Lake type are to have a displacement of 250 tons, when on the surface, with a length of 160 feet and a beam of 10 feet 6 inches; when submerged the speed is to be 7 knots, and on the surface, 12 knots, with a radius of action, when submerged, of 25 knots. The air supply is for 12 consecutive hours. The engines are explosion motors for use on the surface, and electric for use when submerged. The detachable ballast keel weighs 3 tons. Four of these six boats are to be ready by the end of the current year.—United Service Institution.
Two shallow-draft gunboats propelled by internal combustion engines have recently been constructed for the Austro-Hungarian government by Yarrow & Co. These little vessels were ordered by the government for special service on the river Danube. They are 60 feet long by 9 feet beam. The mean speeds obtained on the official trials, each vessel carrying a load of 3 tons, were 22.385 and 21.919 knots, respectively, during an hour's full speed run on the Admiralty measured mile on the river Thames. A consumption trial was afterwards made to ascertain the radius of action at a speed of about 11 knots, and it was found that petrol could be carried sufficient for a continuous run of 500 nautical miles. In this respect clearly the internal combustion engine far surpasses steam machinery, independently of the fact that the high speed obtained would be quite impracticable with any other class of machinery. These vessels carry a revolving gun tower aft, on which is mounted a small gun. A mast and crow's nest is also fitted so as to fire from an elevated position. There is accommodation for five men. The entire machinery space and petrol tank, as well as the gun-tower and conning-tower, forward, are protected by 3/16-inch chrome steel armor plates proof against the Lee-Metford rifle at short range. These two vessels are very similar to the one which was constructed recently for the British Admiralty and which obtained a speed light of over 25 knots.
The Austrian government is about to build a new floating dock for the naval harbor of Pola. The dock is primarily intended for docking vessels of 18,000 tons displacement, which it will be able to do in four hours. The dock, however, will be capable of accommodating vessels up to 20,000 tons' displacement, docking the same in a correspondingly longer time. The overall length of the dock is 145.938 meters (480 feet); its breadth 42.73 meters (140 feet); its total height 18.862 meters (62 feet). When docking 18,000-ton ships, the dock is submerged 14.886 meters (48 feet 10 inches), whilst for 20,000-ton ships it must be submerged to a depth of 15.386 meters (50 feet 6 inches). The amount of water to be expelled when raising 18,000-ton and 20,000-ton ships is respectively 29,070 and 31,350 tons, and it is proposed to use eight vertical steam-driven centrifugal pumps for the purpose. The dock is to be ready for use at the beginning of 1910.—United Service Gazette.
BRAZIL.
VESSELS BUILDING.
Name | Displacement | Where Building | Remarks |
Battleships |
|
|
|
Minas Geraes | 19,250 | Elswick | Launched Sept. 10, 1908 |
Rio de Janeiro | 19,250 | Elswick | Ordered |
San Paolo | 19,250 | Vickers | Building |
Scouts |
|
|
|
Bahia | 3,500 | Elswick | Building |
Rio Grande | 3,500 | Elswick | Building |
THE BUILDING PROGRAM. According to the act passed on December 14, 1904, the following new ships were to have been constructed:
3 battleships of 13,000 tons.
3 armored cruisers of from 9200 to 9700 tons.
6 destroyers of 400 tons.
6 sea-going torpedo-boats of 130 tons.
6 torpedo-boats of 50 tons.
3 submarines.
1 transport capable of carrying 6000 tons of coal.
1 training-ship of 3000 tons.
This program, however, has been considerably modified:
The three battleships are to be of 19,250 tons, driven by turbine engines, which are to develop 26,000 I.H.P., and give a speed of 21 knots. Their length is to be 508 feet 5 inches, with a beam of 83 feet 6 inches, and they are to have a coal stowage of 2000 tons. The armament is to consist of twelve 12-inch guns, twenty-two 47-inch quick-firing guns, and eight 3-pounders. The 12-inch guns are distributed approximately as in the Dreadnought. The armor is to be 9-inch Krupp cemented.
Two of these ships, the Minas Geraes and the Rio de Janeiro, are being constructed by the Armstrong firm at Elswick, and the third, the Sao Paulo, by Messrs. Vickers, at Barrow. The turbine engines for all three ships are being constructed by Messrs. Vickers, and the ships are to be completed by the end of next year.
The three 9500-ton armored cruisers have not yet been commenced, but two protected scout-cruisers of 3500 tons' displacement are under construction at Elswick. They are to be fitted with Parsons' turbines, and the engines are to develop 18,000 I.H.P., giving a speed of 26 knots. They have been named the Bahia and the Rio Grande, and their armament is to consist of ten 4.7-inch quick-firing guns, eight 1.8-inch guns, and two above water torpedo-tubes.
The destroyers are ten in number, of 700 tons, similar to the latest type building for the British Navy.
There are ten sea-going torpedo-boats being built by Messrs. Yarrow; they are to have a displacement of 150 tons, a speed of 26 knots, and carry two 3-pounders with two torpedo-tubes for discharging 18-inch torpedoes. They will be driven by a combination of reciprocating engines and turbines. The Goyaz, the first of the ten, was completed at the end of last year and made a mean speed of 26.49 knots, on a three hours' full-speed run.
Five submarines are also being built; they are of the Holland type.
The budget for last year amounted to 50 millions of francs (2,000,000).—United Service Institution.
The Para, the first of ten torpedo-boat destroyers for the Brazilian government, the construction of which has been entrusted to Yarrow & Co., has been launched.
The dimensions of the Para are: Length, 240 feet; beam, 23 feet 6 inches; fitted with two sets of triple expansion four-cylinder engines balance on the Yarrow, Schlick & Tweedy system, and two double-ended Yarrow boilers, each boiler being of about 4000 horsepower.
The Para is somewhat similar to the English River type of destroyer, but larger.
This launch is remarkable as being the first made from the new works of Messrs. Yarrow & Co. on the Clyde, and also the Para is the heaviest vessel ever launched by the firm.
FRANCE.
VESSELS BUILDING.
Name | Displacement | Where Building | Remarks |
Battleships |
|
|
|
Danton | 18,350 | Brest | Building |
Mirabeau | 18,350 | Lorient | Building |
Voltaire | 18,350 | Bordeaux | Building |
Diderot | 18,350 | St. Nazaire | Building |
Condorcet | 18,350 | St. Nazaire | Building |
Vergniaud | 18,350 | La Seyne | Building |
Armored Cruisers |
|
|
|
Ernest Renan | 18,644 | St. Nazaire | Under trial |
Jules Michelet | 12,660 | Lorient | Under trial |
Edgard Quinet | 13,644 | Brest | Launched Sept. 21, 1907 |
Waldeck-Rousseau | 18,644 | Lorient | Launched Mar. 4, 1908 |
The new first-class armored cruiser Jules-Michelet has made two preliminary full-power steam trials at Lorient, which have proved very successful. On the 4th ult. she made a four hours' run at normal full speed, when the engines developed 26,850 I.H.P. without difficulty; on the 6th ult. a further run was made at full speed under forced draft, when the engines developed 29,000 I.H.P., giving a speed of 23.2 knots, or more than a knot over the guaranteed contract speed, the consumption of coal per I.H.P. per hour not exceeding 860 grammes (1 7/8 lbs.). United Service Institution.
THE NEW SUBMERSIBLES OF THE "PLUVIOSE" TYPE. The construction and trials of the 18 submersibles of the Pluviose type of 400 tons, the order for the building of which was given on August 26, 1905, is proceeding slowly. They have been designed by M. Laubeuf, Engineer-in-Chief of the navy.
Twelve of the vessels are being built at Cherbourg, and three each at Rochefort and Toulon. As yet only five have been launched:
Four at Cherbourg: Pluviose (June 27, 1907); Ventose (August 23, 1907); Germinal (December 7, 1907); Floreal (April 18, 1908).
One at Rochefort: Papin (June 4, 1908).—United Service Institution.
The Pluviose and Opale have completed their trials with satisfaction. The first-named, which was to have a speed of 12 knots on the surface and 7.7 knots submerged, attained speeds of 12.3 knots and 8 knots. For the Opale the results were u.6 knots and 9 knots. Apart from the slight failure in the rate of surface navigation, the expectations of the designers were practically realized. Further trials are to be conducted, for which plans are being prepared at Cherbourg, including long-distance navigation, interrupted by exercises with the vessels of the Northern Squadron or the coast-defence ships at Cherbourg. It is hoped to test the seagoing qualities of these boats, in one of which the hull is much like that of a destroyer, while in the other the boat lies low in the water and has a bridge raised high for the purposes of navigation. The Pluviose and the Opale have approximately the same displacement, being about 400 tons. The Opale has Diesel motors, and the Pluviose steam engines. When the latter boat was put in hand, being the first of 18, the naval department was under the influence of some poor results with Diesel engines, but in the successors of the Pluviose engines of this type have been installed, and the steam engine abandoned practically for all the new submarines.—Army and Navy Gazette.
GERMANY.
VESSELS BUILDING.
Name | Displacement | Where Building | Remarks |
Battleships |
|
|
|
Nassau | 18,000 | Wilhelmshaven | Launched Mar. 7, 1908 |
Westfalen | 18,000 | Bremen | Launched July 1, 1908 |
Ersatz Wurttemberg | 18,600 | Stettin | Building |
Ersatz Baden | 18,600 | Kiel | Building |
Ersatz Oldenburg | 18,600 | Wilhelmshaven | To be laid down in 1908 |
Ersatz Beowulf | 18,600 | Bremen | To be laid down in 1908 |
Ersatz Siegfried | 18,600 | Kiel | To be laid down in 1908 |
Armored Cruisers |
|
|
|
Gneisenau | 11,600 | Bremen | Under trial |
Scharnhorst | 11,600 | Hamburg | Under trial |
Blucher | 15,000 | Kiel | Launched Apr. 11, 1908 |
F | 17,000 | Hamburg | Building |
G | 17,000 | Kiel | To be laid down in 1908 |
Protected Cruisers |
|
|
|
Emden | 3,800 | Kiel | Launched May 27, 1908 |
Dresden | 3,800 | Hamburg | Launched Oct. 5, 1907 |
Ersatz Greif | 4,300 | Danzig | Building |
Ersatz Jagd | 4,300 | Stettin | Building |
Ersatz Schwalbe | 4,500 | Kiel | To be laid down in 1908 |
Ersatz Sperber | 4,500 | Kiel | To be laid down in 1908 |
The contracts for the 1908 German battleships have been awarded as follows: Ersatz Beowulf to Weser Bremen, Ersatz Siegfried to Kiel Yard, Ersatz Oldenburg to Wilhelmshaven Yard. Krupp's Germania Yard will build the large cruiser G.
The latest statement of the armament of the German battleships of the Nassau class is twelve 11-inch, twelve 6-inch. This is on the authority of a statement by the French Minister of Marine.
The orders for the 12 new destroyers of the 1907-8 program were recently given out. As at present arranged they are to be of 600 tons displacement and about 13,000 horsepower. A speed of 30 knots is to be guaranteed, but more is hoped for in view of the performance of G 137. All will be turbine-driven four by Parsons' turbines, four by Melms and Pfenniger, three by Curtis, and one by Zoelly turbines.—The Engineer.
Ueberall does not regard with great satisfaction that period of German shipbuilding, which is ending. It has given Germany five Braunschweigs and five Deutschlands, which are good of their kind, but are not equal in displacement and qualities to the ships of other Powers, "especially England." The first three ships of the new period, which began in 1906, are launched, being the battleships Nassau and Westfalen and the armored cruiser Bliicher. Ueberall reminds its readers that, although provision was made for these ships in the spring of 1906, they were not laid down until 12 months later. This was due to the plans not being ready and to the changes which had to be made in the building slips, one or more of them being retarded through the breaking of a dam at Wilhelmshaven. Meanwhile large quantities of material had been brought alongside the building slips, though how this was accomplished when the plans were not ready we do not quite understand, and rapid progress was made, the date of completion for the ships being put down by the new Nauticus for the autumn of 1909. Ueberall remarks that these circumstances promise a considerable degree of rapidity in the building of ships in coming years.
The battleships are of about 18,000 tons and the cruiser of about 15,000. The new small cruisers Dresden and Emden are to be ready in 1908, and the 12 destroyers of 1906 were completed in January of the present year. The battleships of the 1907 program, Ersatz Baden and Ersatz Wurttemberg, are still on the stocks, the first-named at the Germania Yard and the second at the Vulcan Yard, Stettin. They are sisters of the Nassau and Westfalen. It is possible, as we have pointed out, that these ships as well as the Bliicher may be retarded by the strikes which are disturbing German shipbuilding establishments. The cruiser of the same year, F, which is building at Hamburg, will be much larger than the Blucher. She will be fitted with turbines, as will also the small cruisers Ersatz Greif (Schichau, Danzig) and Ersatz Jagd (Vulcan, Stettin). At the latter yard the 12 destroyers of the same year are in hand or have been completed. The vessels of the present year are the battlships Ersatz Oldenburg (Wilhelmshaven), Ersatz Siegfried (Howaldt, Kiel), and Ersatz Beowulf (Weser, Bremen). These ships are of a new class, and will differ in many points from the Nassau. The armored cruiser G will be built by Blohm & Voss at Hamburg, and the small cruisers Ersatz Schivalbe and Ersatz Sperber, respectively, at the Germania and Imperial Yards, Kiel, and both will be fitted with turbines, but perhaps of different systems. The same will be the case with the 12 destroyers, of which three will be built at the Vulcan establishment, four by Schichau, and five at the Germania Yard, Kiel. At the present time, building or completing, are seven battleships, three armored cruisers, and six small cruisers, being one battleship more than last year.—Army and Navy Gazette.
Ueberall informs us that the adoption of the Zolly turbine for the German small cruiser Ersatz Schivalbe, which is in hand at the Germania Yard, will furnish the Kaiser's navy with a third class of turbine. The Lubeck, Stettin, Dresden, and Ersatz Greif have turbines of the Parsons' type, and the Ersatz Jagd turbines provided by the German General Electricity Company. The turbine has greatly increased the speed of the German small cruisers. From 1903 to 1905, 23 knots was the maximum, but since that time an advance has been made to 26 knots, which is expected to be reached by the vessel building to replace the Sperber and Schwalbe.—Army and Navy Gazette.
GREAT BRITAIN.
VESSELS BUILDING.
Name | Displacement | Where Building | Remarks |
Battleships |
|
|
|
Bellerophon | 18,600 | Portsmouth | Launched July 27, 1907 |
Temeraire | 18,600 | Devonport | Launched Aug. 24, 1907 |
Superb | 18,600 | Newcastle | Launched Nov. 7, 1907 |
St. Vincent | 19,250 | Portsmouth | Launched Sept. 10, 1908 |
Collingwood | 19,250 | Devonport | Building |
Vanguard | 19,250 | Vickers | Building |
Foudroyant | 19,250 | Portsmouth | To be laid down in 1908 |
Armored Cruisers |
|
|
|
Defence | 14,600 | Pembroke | Under trial |
Invincible | 17,250 | Newcastle | Under trial |
Inflexible | 17,250 | Clydebank | Under trial |
… | 17,250 | Devonport | To be laid down in 1908 |
Cruisers |
|
|
|
Boadicea | 3,500 | Pembroke | Launched May 14, 1908 |
Caractacus | 3,350 | Pembroke | Building |
The new battleship which is to be laid down at Portsmouth when the St. Vincent has left the building slip is, according to an unofficial statement, to be a greatly improved St. Vincent, and will cost about two millions and a quarter. The vessel will be named the Foudroyant, and will be completed within 18 months.—Page's Weekly.
The mounting of the 12-inch guns of the battleship Temeraire, now building at Devonport, was completed on July 29, and this coincided with the close of the ninth working month since the date of the launch. In that period practically the whole of the principal equipment and fittings have been placed on board, including, in addition to the armament, the machinery, boilers, funnels, armor masts, and their fire-control appliances.
An interesting innovation is being made in the battleship Temeraire, completing at Devonport Dockyard, by placing the bakery on the quarter-deck instead of between-decks forward, as in earlier ships provided with bakeries. The position selected in the Temeraire is immediately over the engine-room, and between the two after-barbettes. The bakery is triangular in shape, so as not to interfere with the extreme after-fire of the barbettes, and its location on the quarter-deck has doubtless been decided upon as being the most convenient for the ship's company, who will live aft, as in the Dreadnought.
The battleship Collingwood, now building at Devonport Dockyard, has been advanced to about 65 per cent of her launching weight. The amount of material built into the hull is approximately 4500 tons. It is expected that she will be launched in the first week of November.—United Service Gazette.
The Boadicea, just launched at Pembroke, is an unarmored cruiser of a new type. She has been designed as an improvement on the existing vessels of the Scout class, although like those vessels, she is intended to act as a "parent" ship for torpedo-boat destroyers. The scouts range in length from 360 feet to 374 feet, in breadth from 38 feet 3 inches to 40 feet, and in displacement from 2940 tons to 3000 tons. Their coal carrying capacity, however, being limited to 150 tons renders it practically impossible for them to operate far from a base in which their bunker supplies can be replenished. This has been regarded as their most pronounced defect, and the Boadicea was designed to remedy it. Her principal dimensions are: Length between the perpendiculars, 385 feet; extreme breadth, 41 feet; mean load draft, 13 feet 6 inches; displacement, 3300 tons; coal-carrying capacity, about 400 tons. She has also been constructed to carry oil fuel, and her boiler installation will be provided with the accessories necessary for its most advantageous consumption. The radius of action of the Boadicea will, therefore, be much greater than that of the type of vessel she is intended to replace. She has been constructed on the same general lines as most modern warships, although the details of the structure of the hull involve some more or less important departures under the machinery spaces, which extend for about 180 feet in the central part. She has been framed on the combined transverse and longitudinal system, and has double bottoms, the intervening space which forms groups of cells, separated by water-tight divisions, at intervals, corresponding with the main divisional bulkheads in the interior of the ship, and being the part adapted for stowing the oil fuel. The machinery spaces are bounded laterally by bulkheads, which form an upward continuation of the second or outer longitudinal, and above by the lower deck, against which the lateral bulkheads terminate. The spaces between these latter bulkheads and the sides of the ship form the lower coal bunkers in the way of the boiler-rooms, three in number, which occupy the central part of the ship on both sides, in order, on the foreside of the foremost of the two engine-rooms, each of which, in order also, stretches from side to side of the ship throughout the entire length. Outside the double bottoms the ship is framed with Z-shaped angles, transversely stiffened, where necessary, by longitudinal girders. The Boadicea has been constructed on what might be called the "girder" principle. The thickest materials of the exterior have been worked in the middle part, both in the upper deck and in the plating of the sides and bottom. She will be fitted with turbine engines of 18,000 horsepower, and will have four propeller shafts, two of which—one on each side—will each have fitted to it one high-pressure and one cruising turbine. The other two shafts will be each fitted with an astern turbine. The main high-pressure turbines will make 500 revolutions per minute, and are expected to give the ship a speed of 25 knots per hour. The boiler installation will comprise eight Yarrow small-tube boilers, having a total of 40,000 square feet of heating surface, and working at a pressure of 235 pounds to the square inch, which will be reduced to 170 pounds to the square inch at the main turbines for full speed. The boilers and turbines are being supplied by Messrs. John Brown & Co., Clydebank, Glasgow, at a cost of 168,837, excluding some auxiliary machinery for which special contracts were made at a cost of 2625. The estimated cost of the hull of the ship, with its fittings and equipment, is 119,776, of which 73,986 is for dockyard labor, 42,040 for materials, 2350 for contract work, and 1400 for steamboats. The ship will be equipped with five 4-inch quick-firing guns, one mounted on the forecastle and two on each side of the upper deck. She will carry two deck torpedo-tubes. The cost of the gun mountings and torpedo-tubes will be 6236, and the total cost of the ship, exclusive of guns and establishment charges, 302,489.—Page's Weekly.
The first of the "six fast protected cruisers" of the Boadicea type has been laid down at Pembroke. She will be named Caractacus and all the sisters of the class will, it is rumored, bear ancient British names.
The Caractacus will be 385 feet long between perpendiculars; beam, 42 feet; mean draft, 13 ½ feet; displacement, 3350 tons. Turbines will, of course, be fitted to her. The horsepower is 19,000 and the expected speed 25 knots. The armament will probably be six 4-inch, and the protection may be in the form of a thin belt amidships.
These cruisers are presumably "replies" to the German cruisers of the Stettin type, but unless they are very well protected for their class they will be distinctly inferior to the latest German small cruisers. The latest Stettins have a slightly higher designed speed, and each of the group carries a more powerful armament ten against six 4-inch.—The Engineer.
THE SWIFT. The question of warship speed has been occupying a good deal of attention lately, and general interest in the subject has been considerably quickened by the performance of the United States cruisers of the Chester class and of the British Indomitable. There have been many assertions made as to what ship is entitled to bear the distinction of being the fastest warship in the world; and although such discussions have as a rule been confined to vessels of good sea-going and sea-keeping qualities, the question in its wider bearings has been answered very emphatically by the British special-type torpedo-boat destroyer Swift. On her preliminary trials this vessel maintained for some hours a speed of 38.3 knots or nearly 45 miles an hour higher by three knots than the best four-hour performance ever achieved; and by modifying the propellers it may be possible to get a higher speed out of her.
The Swift was laid down in October, 1906, at the works of Messrs. Cammell, Laird & Co. at Birkenhead, and was built to the designs of the builders, modified and improved by Sir Philip Watts, the director of British naval construction. Her displacement is exactly double that of the largest torpedo-boat destroyers previously built, namely, 1800 tons; while her length of 345 feet falls short by only 36 inches of the length of the 10,300-ton United States battleship Indiana. Her beam is 34 feet 2 inches slightly less than one-tenth of length and the mean draft is 10 feet 6 inches.
The Swift is, like all recent British ships, fitted with turbine engines on the Parsons principle, designed to develop the stupendous horsepower, for her size, of 30,000, and to give a speed of 36 knots. The turbines are in two compartments and drive four shafts with one propeller on each. The furnaces are fitted for the burning of oil fuel only, the carrying capacity being 180 tons; and it is the subject of considerable comment that this is no greater than the quantity carried by the 800-ton 33-knot destroyers of the Tartar class, which immediately preceded her. The armament of the Swift is limited to four 4-inch guns and two 18-inch torpedo-tubes.
After her speed, the most remarkable feature of the Swift is her cost. This amounts, in the case of the hull and machinery, to $1,237,310 and to $14,150 for the armament, a total of $1,251,460. This is a huge price to pay for a vessel of only 1800 tons and practically without any fighting power, and may be profitably compared with the figures given below for typical cruisers and similar war vessels in the British and in the United States navies.
The greater part of the cost of the Swift is, of course, absorbed by her speed; and in this connection it may be interesting to note that if the Indomitable had been designed for 23 knots instead of 25, it is estimated that she would have cost $1,500,000 less than she actually did; and that if the Dreadnought had been designed for 18.5 knots instead of 21, she would have cost $2,150,000 less. Since Great Britain has four Indomitables and eight Dreadnoughts built, building, or projected, the total saving would have been no less than $24,000,000 sufficient to build another three battleships.
It is not known whether the British Admiralty intend to repeat the Swift, but it is regarded as very improbable. At a time when it is so difficult to get money from the government for purposes of national defense, it is likely that the Admiralty will find some more substantial way of spending money than in the creation of speeds which, however startling, have but a very limited military value.
Ship | Type | Displacement (Normal) | Speed (nominal) | Armament | Cost |
Swift (Br.) | Destroyer | 1,800 tons | 36 knots | Four 4-in. | $1,251,460 |
Adventure (Br.) | Scout | 2,940 tons | 25 knots | Ten 3-in. | $1,142,130 |
Amethyst (Br.) | Cruiser | 3,000 tons | 23 knots | Twelve 4-in. | $1,142,130 |
Chester (U.S.) | Scout | 3,750 tons | 26 knots | Two 5-in., Six 3-in. | $1,625,000 |
The five new ocean-going destroyers, Nubian, Crusader, Maori, Zulu, and Viking, ordered to be built by private contract, are each to have a displacement of 900 tons, which is slightly in excess of the 33-knot destroyers of the Tribal class now afloat, the Saracen, the largest of the class, having a displacement of 893 tons, and the Afridi, the smallest of the type, a displacement of 795 tons. The new destroyers will all be fitted with turbines, and will burn oil fuel.—United Service Gazette.
H.M.S. INDOMITABLE. A distinguished French writer has expressed the view that H.M.S. Indomitable, because of her high speed, in combination with great offensive power and the adequate thickness of armor, makes all existing cruisers obsolescent. This opinion, the accuracy of which can easily be established, is, however, based on somewhat exaggerated reports as to the speed attained on her recent official trials, for instead of the reputed 27 or 28 knots, the vessel can only be pronounced as easily able to maintain the 25 knots anticipated in the design. It is not considered desirable for patriotic reasons to give details of the trial results, but we may state that they were most satisfactory, both as regards speed attained and economy of steam consumption. It is therefore most fitting that this unique vessel—the first completed of four ships to form a separate cruiser class—should be commissioned to take the Prince of Wales to Canada for the forthcoming celebrations of the historical incidents at Quebec, which laid the foundation of the long and prosperous friendship between French Canadians and British Canadians.
The Indomitable is only a few weeks in advance of the Inflexible and Invincible, and shortly there will be laid down at Devonport the fourth of the class. They were originally designated as armored cruisers, but have since been regarded as fast line-of-battle ships, as no admiral would hesitate to place them in combat with battleships in line formation. Their offensive power and armor protection justify this, and the change in classification has disarmed much criticism regarding the somewhat remarkable combination of qualities which they possess, and which has excited the admiration of the writer in Le Matin, already quoted. Into the strategical and tactical questions associated with their inception it is not proposed here to enter; but a brief consideration of the elements in design may suggest that those responsible for their fighting efficiency have anticipated several requirements, especially when it is remembered that we shall in 1911 have four of these vessels to form a separate squadron.
The Indomitable is 530 feet long, with a maximum beam of 78 feet 6 inches, and at 26 feet draft she displaces 17,250 tons. She has a broad water-line belt of 7-inch armor, tapering to 4 inches at bow and stern. This is not carried to the upper deck, but the mountings of the twin 12-inch guns are protected by barbettes of 8-inch armor, while the gun mechanism is shielded by hoods of 7-inch armor.
These 12-inch guns, 45 calibers in length, each capable of developing an energy of 47,697 foot-tons, are placed at a much higher elevation than in earlier ships. There are two guns in a barbette at the forecastle level. Amidships, on the same level, there are two pairs of guns en echelon, the port guns being sufficiently forward of the after pair in the thwartship line to enable them to fire on either beam. The two guns aft are on the upper deck level, but the erections forward over this deck are cut away at an acute angle, to give these stern guns a considerable arc of training before the beam. It will thus be seen that all eight guns fire on either broadside, so that in this respect the Indomitable and her consorts are equal to the Dreadnought battleships. Six fire ahead and a corresponding number astern, equality being here also established with the 21-knot battleship. The secondary armament is also very formidable, consisting of a large number of 4-inch quick-firers.
The French writer compares these conditions of speed, armament, and protection with the French cruiser Waldeck Rousseau, the Japanese ship Kurama, and the American ship Montana; to his figures it is fair to add the displacement, and to give also the facts, as far as they can be ascertained, of the new German and Japanese cruisers.
| Displacement. Tons. | Speed. Knots. | Heavy Guns. | Main Armour Belt. Inches. |
British—Indomitable | 17,250 | 25 | 8 of 12-in. | 7 to 4 |
French—Waldeck Rousseau | 13,780 | 23 | 14 of 7.6-in. | 6.7 |
German—F and G | 17,000 | 25 | 10 of 11-in. |
|
Italian—Pisa | 9,832 | 22 ½ | 4 of 10-in., 8 of 8-in. | 8 to 3 ½ |
United States—Montana | 14,500 | 22 | 4 of 10-in., 16 of 6-in. | 5 to 3 |
Japan—Kurama | 14,620 | 22 | 4 of 12-in., 8 of 6-in. | 7 to 4 |
Japan (projected) | 18,650 | 25 | 10 of 12-in. | 7 to 4 |
It is always difficult to fully appraise the fighting value of a ship from these briefly-stated particulars. It is, however, significant that the projected ships of Germany and Japan follow the lines of the Indomitable, and that these ships are also to be driven by turbine machinery. As the French writer points out, the British cruiser would be able to force a fight upon the French, Japanese, and American-built ships; it can do this because of its greater offensive power, having eight guns of the largest caliber, and because of the greater thickness of armor it possesses. Its speed will enable it to keep at such a distance that its fire will be fully efficacious, while none of the others will be able to reach it.
Such is the power of the Indomitable that it can hold its own with most of the battleships in service, such as the French ship Suffren, which is provided with a belt of armor 300 millimeters thick at the water-line, but which, on the other hand, has only four large-caliber guns. The Indomitable could also engage a German battleship of the Deutschland type, and is probably superior to the British battleships Duncan and Canopus. The Dreadnought is the only battleship which could compel the Indomitable to retreat. The entrance into service of the Indomitable practically renders all our protected cruisers, including those which are not yet completed, obsolescent; not one of them would have the least chance of success in an action against her; owing to insufficient speed, not one of them could escape combat if it were to meet the Indomitable. In case of a naval battle, the French vessels would be useless against any fleet containing a fair proportion of Indomitables.
The Indomitable is fitted with Babcock and Wilcox boilers, using coal and oil as fuel, and a four-shaft arrangement of Parsons’ turbines; but as the machinery was fully described in our previous article, it is not necessary here to enter into details.—Engineering.
THE DESTROYER PROGRAM. For some time past there has been considerable speculation as to the class of destroyer to be ordered under this year's program of the navy estimates. It is now an open secret that the Admiralty consider that the results obtained in the Tribal class have been purchased at too great a cost. A boat of this class costs just about double that of the preceding class, and it obviously requires very real advantages to be shown in order to justify so large an increase. Practically the only gain has been in speed, and as a set-off the radius of action is less than in the earlier 30-knot boats. If there were an unlimited amount of money available it would no doubt be a good policy to keep on building Tribals, or a modification of that type with a larger radius of action, but as the money aspect is the one which ultimately controls the policy, and as numbers are essential, it is inevitable, if we are to keep a sufficient number of destroyers available, that their size and cost shall be reduced.
The recent disasters involving the loss of the Tiger and Gala have brought home very clearly the risks involved in the operations of torpedo-boat destroyers even in times of peace, and suggests the question as to what will be the wastage of these vessels in time of war. In addition to the risk from the enemy's fire there is the additional daily internal risk inseparable from the working of machinery, in which the factor of safety has been reduced to the minimum, and this internal risk is likely to be much greater in the press and hurry of warfare than in the piping times of peace. We hear little of the minor mishaps to these boats which temporarily cause them to be out of action ; but the liability to these slight internal complaints must be accepted as part of the game, and, indeed, it has hitherto been an accepted part of Admiralty policy to keep always a reserve of boats ready for commissioning, so that in the event of one being disabled the crew can turn over to a reserve boat and be at sea again in a few hours, and this has actually been done on several occasions. We believe that hitherto it has been considered necessary to have a total number of destroyers double that which it will be necessary to keep in commission in time of war, and in view of the risks, both internal and external, which these boats have to run, this does not seem too ample a proportion. Numbers, therefore, are a first essential, and the size of the boat must be cut to suit the money available, provided efficiency is not sacrificed. The question, therefore, which the Admiralty have to decide in the new design is Can an efficient destroyer be designed more cheaply than the Tribal class? The answer, we think, is that it can, and evidently the Admiralty are of the same opinion, as from internal evidence on this year's estimates it looks as if the estimated cost of the new destroyers is to be 80,000. The size of the boat, then, may be roughly estimated as something between 600 and 700 tons, and, with the experience gained in the later vessels, it should be possible to attain a speed of 30 knots without unduly sacrificing fuel capacity or armament in favor of machinery. Such a boat might be looked upon as an improved River class rather than a reduced Tribal class. The former have earned a good reputation as good sea boats and good steamers, and in spite of their low trial trip speed they are in anything but smooth water the best boats we have in commission at present. It would seem, therefore, sound policy to proceed to an improvement of a type which has proved itself successful in service, rather than to go back from a type which, until it has been some time in commission, must still be regarded as somewhat experimental. The armament in the new boats ought to be brought up to modern ideas by fitting at least one 4-inch gun, and possibly three 12-pounders in addition. Such a boat would be somewhat better than the latest German destroyers, though nominally of less speed; but it is to be remembered that the Germans do not run their torpedo-craft at the sea-going displacement; and they have not hitherto paid the same attention to sea-keeping qualities and armament that we have been in the habit of doing.
Whatever the other qualities it is essential for the present naval position that those of sea-worthiness and armament be maintained. If the center of gravity of naval activity is in the future to be in the North Sea our destroyers must be able to stand North Sea weather, and to be able to steam at a moderate rate of speed against the short nasty seas which are frequently experienced there in the winter months. Those who have been in the older 30-knot boats know that they are unequal to this work, and we ought to have a sufficiency of modern boats to replace them at the earliest possible moment. In the meantime the country has lost two destroyers within a fortnight, and the 16 new destroyers are not to be laid down till toward the end of this financial year. This is greatly to be deprecated, and the possibility of continuation of labor troubles is an additional motive for ordering these boats earlier, while the number ordered ought certainly to be increased by at least two.—The Engineer.
SALVAGE OF THE GLADIATOR. One of the greatest engineering feats of the age is being attempted this week in connection with the salvage of the Gladiator, which sank in the Solent after colliding with the American liner St. Paul. Salvage operations have been proceeding day and night for over two months, and the attempt is now being made to tow the wreck bodily nearer the shore, so that when she is placed in an upright position again, her decks will only have a small depth of water over them. But the average man has no idea of the vast preparations which such an attempt demands. Steel cylinders, capable of lifting from a hundred to two hundred tons each, which have been constructed at Portsmouth Dockyard, have been sunk alongside the ship and fastened to her by means of wire cables secured round the vessel. The water in these cylinders will be expelled by compressed air, and a number of powerful air compressors have been placed in position for that purpose. On the shore enormous boilers have been placed in position to work capstans built into concrete foundations. Machinery powerful enough to haul loads up to 200 tons has been attached to the ship.
A number of small gunboats, carrying steam pumps, four salvage steamers, and numerous other craft are anchored near the wreck in Yarmouth Bay. Close to the wreck float several huge cylindrical pontoons, looking like enormous mooring buoys. At night, when the electric lights of the Ranger and the other salvage vessels are turned on the works, the scene in the bay is a particularly pretty one. In readiness for the attempt to move the vessel, all her guns have been removed, as well as the funnels, ventilators, and a great quantity of broken plating and other material. Steam-pump suctions have been fitted in all compartments, except the two central boiler spaces, where the damage is too extensive to permit of any pumping. The work, which has been carried out under the direction of Captain Fred Young, of the Liverpool Salvage Association, has been rendered extremely difficult, owing to the strong tides, which run at the spot at over six knots, and have only permitted the divers to work for a few hours out of the twenty-four. All hatchways and openings on the decks have been covered up, and the ship has been lightened of hundreds of tons of weight.—United Service Gazette.
The experience gained in the late war between Russia and Japan has led to the introduction of numerous modifications in the construction and equipment of the engine-room department of England's latest fighting ships, says the United Service Gazette. It was found, for instance, that during an engagement the exploding shell shattered the glass bulls'-eyes and scuttles that were in the skylights or bulkheads of the engine-room. This glass and other debris then found its way down into the engine-rooms, and became mixed up with parts of the engines, with the result that the ships were often brought to a standstill or had their speeds seriously reduced. Glass has been as far as possible abolished, and fine-mesh armored gratings and other precautions introduced. Turbine engines will not in their nature be so open to injury from this cause as the reciprocating engines were.—Nautical Gazette.
During the next few months all the boom defences at home ports are to be tested. This was last done in May, 1905, and being somewhat of a novelty, attracted a good deal of attention. Many photographers, amateur and professional, will remember the occasion, for the fiat went forth that no photographs were to be taken, and the authorities destroyed the plates in all the cameras they could get hold of. But a good number of pictures were published, notwithstanding. Boom testing is a troublesome job. It involves a lot of labor, considerable interference with traffic, and is expensive. Consequently, the defence booms are not got out oftener than is deemed absolutely necessary.—United Service Gazette.
JUNIOR NAVAL OFFICERS' TRAINING. No one who has followed with attention the various stages of the new scheme of naval training, the original Memorandum dealing with which was presented to both Houses of Parliament in 1902, can have been surprised by the issue of the recent Admiralty circular on the subject. In his original Memorandum, Lord Selborne said:
"Before the period arrives at which the first batch of cadets under the new system have to go to sea, the board will have considered very carefully and will have decided whether they shall be sent for the whole of the three years as midshipmen to battleships and cruisers, ordinarily commissioned, or whether the first part of this period shall be passed in specially commissioned training-ships. It is quite decided that at whatever period they are posted to ordinarily commissioned battleships and cruisers, compulsory school on board these ships shall cease."
It is with the stage of training here referred to that the circular now issued deals. Their lordships are of opinion that the time has arrived to define clearly the principles, and lay down the routine of the instruction of midshipmen under the new scheme during their three years' service at sea, and to issue a statement of the general lines of the examination which they will have to pass at the expiration of that period to qualify them for advancement to the rank of sub-lieutenant and subsequently to that of lieutenant. The principles as defined in the circular are practically the same as those which were set forth in Lord Selborne's Memorandum. The training must be such as will ensure that the officers as a whole will have a sufficient knowledge of all the duties which they will be called upon to undertake in the capacity of sub-lieutenant and lieutenant, while it must at the same time afford facilities for the higher education of such portion of them as will afterwards be required to specialize in gunnery, torpedo, engineering, and navigation. The main features of the scheme which has been prepared with this object in view are as follows:
- The first period of five years is to be spent continuously at sea.
This shows that there was no intention of neglecting the sea training of the young officers, and should go far to answer the ignorant criticism of those who have maintained that the new scheme officers will not be seamen. Three years out of the five will be served in battleships or cruisers ordinarily commissioned, and after the examination for lieutenant two years more will be served at sea as sub-lieutenant or lieutenant, the length of time in each rank being dependent upon the classes taken in the examination.
- The centralizing of the examination in seamanship.
This is a reform long called for. It will ensure uniformity of the standard and conditions of examination. It is notorious that under the past system there has been a larger element of luck in the seamanship examination than there ought to have been, and many a good "first" has been lost by the caprice of the several examining boards. Now the examination in all subjects will be conducted on shore at Portsmouth three times a year on dates approximating to the completion of three years' service at sea as midshipman.
- The abolition of the preliminary courses on shore at Greenwich prior to the examination for lieutenant.
This is a notable reform, and must earn the gratitude of all who have watched the progress of the junior officers with interest, and who have seen the evil effects of the sudden plunge from the strict discipline of the commissioned ship to the comparative liberty and license of the shore colleges. When a young man is 25 he can be trusted to spend his time on shore wisely if he is worth anything at all. But youngsters of 19 and 20 are not conspicuous for their ballast, and Greenwich and Portsmouth have proved the downfall of many a promising acting sub-lieutenant who only needed a guiding hand to keep him straight and make him a good officer.
- The postponement until after they have become lieutenants of the selection of officers for specialization.
This is the natural corollary of (1) and (3), and is calculated to ensure that every officer shall have had the opportunity to gain all-round experience in the practical side of his professional work before he is considered eligible for specialization.
- The abolition of the present system of compulsory school on board commissioned ships for midshipmen.
This step was quite decided upon, as Lord Selborne stated, in 1902. It means that in future the training will be conducted mainly by naval officers in all branches of their duty. At the same time, until further experience is gained, naval instructors will continue to be appointed to ships carrying the new scheme midshipmen for the following work:
(a) To superintend the observations and the working out of the ship's position every day at sea by those midshipmen who are not attached to the navigating officer; (b) to assist the specialist officers with the theoretical instruction of the midshipmen in the various professional subjects; (c) to encourage voluntary study, and to help the midshipmen who wish to keep up and improve their educational requirements; and (d) to assist any commissioned officers who desire to work up for specialization.
It is obvious that if the new scheme is to work well the early education of the young officers must be sound and thorough before they leave the training cruisers for their life in the regularly commissioned ships. Upon this phase of the subject Dr. Ewing, the director of naval education, has recently made a very encouraging report. As we have already stated, in reference to the passing out of the first term of cadets, Dr. Ewing was able to report that the remarks of the independent experts who conducted the examination went far to encourage the belief that the course of training is such as to bring out the boy's best powers. But he tells us further that the experience of four years has shown that it is practicable under the conditions obtaining at Osborne and Dartmouth to carry out the education of cadets in applied science much further than is usual with boys of the same age in other schools, and thus to lay a rational foundation for the professional knowledge they have still to acquire. The education given in the colleges has prepared the young officers to deal intelligently with practical matters. By the time they leave the cruisers their training in mathematics and science has been carried as far as is necessary for the ordinary naval officers who do not aim at expert knowledge of a single branch, while for the future specialist this early training will pave the way towards the more advanced study he will have to engage in later. During the three years before passing for lieutenant the midshipmen will work with the executive officers of the ship for training in officers' duties and in seamanship, and with the specialist officers for training and instruction. Generally the detailed appropriation of the midshipmen's time is left to the commanding officer of the ship to determine, with the proviso that about one-third of the whole time is to be spent with the engineer officer, and that the periods are to be arranged so that the time devoted to any particular branch shall not be so long as to entail a risk of the youngsters getting out of touch with other branches of their professional work. Instruction is always to be imparted by officers, it is never to be delegated to seamen instructors. The annual examination of junior officers afloat is to be continued, and marks are to be awarded to indicate the young officer's professional qualities; that is to say, these marks are in no way to be influenced by his conduct, but are to represent his commanding officer's opinion of his efficiency as an officer in the actual performance of his practical duties.
The examination for lieutenant to take place at Portsmouth will consist of six parts, five of which are compulsory. These are seamanship, navigation and pilotage, engineering, gunnery, and torpedo, while the sixth will consist of the following voluntary subjects: Practical mathematics, mechanics and heat, advanced French, and other foreign languages, either German, Italian, Spanish, Russian, or Japanese, and -naval history. The officers who take the sixth part must offer at least two of the voluntary subjects, and they may offer three. Having passed for lieutenant, the officers go to sea again for two years, one of which must be spent as a lieutenant in charge of a watch in a sea-going ship, and it is not until five years have thus been spent continuously at sea that those selected for specialists will go to Greenwich for special courses of six months to prepare for further examinations.
The clear statement made in this circular should go a long way to satisfy all but the captious and willfully ignorant that the regulations for the new system have been framed, as the Admiralty claim, "so that those officers will duly qualify who confine themselves to the practical side of their professional work, while they offer special advantages to those who also take up the theoretical side." It is still to be understood, however, that so far as the details are concerned, the board is working by the light of experience, and these will remain subject to revision if such should be found necessary. A good practical training at sea for everyone, on a thorough groundwork of general education should, it is insisted upon, be the aim, and this, we believe, will be supported by the opinion of the navy.—Army and Navy Gazette.
In the House of Commons on July 30, Viscount Castlereagh asked the First Lord of the. Admiralty whether any communication had been received at the Admiralty from the Commander-in-Chief of the Channel fleet with reference to a serious collision having been imminent between the Good Hope and the Argyll owing to an order given by the Commander-in-Chief of the Channel fleet. Mr. McKenna replied: "The board have had reported to them and have examined the positions of the fleet at the moment the signal referred to was made, and they are satisfied that the maneuver was not dangerous. At the same time the rear-admiral, as he thought there was risk in carrying out the order, was justified in turning the other way; and the Commander-in-Chief so informed him by signal at the time."—Army and Navy Gazette.
ITALY.
VESSELS BUILDING,
Name | Displacement | Where Building | Remarks |
Battleships |
|
|
|
Roma | 12,625 | Gov’t Yard, Spezia | Launched Apr. 21, 1907 |
Napoli | 12,625 | Gov’t Yard, Naples | Launched Sept. 10, 1906 |
Vittorio Emanuele | 12,625 | Gov’t Yard, Castellamare | Under trial |
A | 19,000 | Gov’t Yard, Castellamare | Building |
B | 19,000 | … | To be laid down in 1908 |
Armored Cruisers |
|
|
|
San Giorgio | 10,200 | Gov’t Yard, Castellamare | Launched July 27, 1908 |
San Marco | 10,200 | Gov’t Yard, Castellamare | Building |
Pisa | 10,200 | Orlando Works | Launched Sept. 15, 1907 |
Amalfi | 10,200 | Odero Words | Launched May 5, 1908 |
B | 10,200 | Leghorn | Building |
Le Yacht states that the new Italian battleships A and B are to be armed with twelve 12-inch wire-wound guns of 46 calibers length, eighteen 4-inch guns and sixteen 3-inch guns. Ten of the 4-inch are to be mounted in the central armored casemate, and the other eight in four turrets. The 3-inch are to be mounted in the open.
JAPAN.
VESSELS BUILDING.
Name | Displacement | Where Building | Remarks |
Battleships |
|
|
|
Satsuma | 19,200 | Yokosuka | Launched Nov. 15, 1906 |
Aki | 19,800 | Kure | Launched Apr. 15, 1907 |
Huki | 19,800 | Yokosuka | Building |
Armored Cruisers |
|
|
|
Ibuki | 14,600 | Kure | Launched Nov. 21, 1907 |
Kurama | 14,600 | Yokosuka | Launched Oct. 21, 1907 |
Protected Cruiser |
|
|
|
Tone | 4,100 | Sassabc | Launched Oct. 24, 1907 |
The Japanese marine budget for 1908-09 shows that the vessels launched in 1907 were: The battleship Aki, 19,800 tons, 27,000 horsepower, speed 22 knots; armored cruisers Ibuki and Kurama, each displacing 14,620 tons, of 25,000 horsepower, and 22 ½ knots speed; second-class cruiser Tone, 4100 tons, 6500 horsepower, making 23 knots; third-class cruisers Yodo, 1250 tons, 6500 horsepower, 22 knots; Mogami, 1350 tons, 8000 horsepower, 23 knots speed. There are also a number of destroyers. The personnel of the Japanese fleet in 1907 was: Active service, 42,407; reserve, 14,446; total, 56,858; besides 1016 civilian servants. The number of ships in the navy in 1907 was 141, of 451,648 tons displacement, besides 18 first-class, 36 second-class, and 29 third-class torpedo-boats. The first squadron consists of four cruisers, 24 destroyers; the second squadron of three coastguard cruisers and four second- and third-class cruisers.—United Service Gazette.
Vickers' Sons & Maxim launched on Monday a steamer which is about 270 feet long, has a big beam, and which possesses huge hatchways. This vessel has been built to carry out two submarines to Japan, which this firm is building for the Japanese government. The system of loading is somewhat uncommon. The steamer will be submerged, and the submarines will be floated in. Then she will be pumped dry, the submarines made secure, and proceed on her voyage.—Page's Weekly.
JAPAN'S MARITIME POSITION. From its ownership in 1885 of 0.23 per cent of the world's sailing fleets, Japan has taken her place among the nations of the world as tenth instead of seventeenth, and now owns 2.32 per cent of the world's sailing tonnage. With reference to steam tonnage, reckoned in net register tons, the share of Japan in 1885 was 0.88 per cent, while in 1907 it had grown to 3.33 per cent. In 1885 her rank in steam was fourteenth; now it is sixth.—Nautical Gazette.
According to Japanese press accounts the amended naval program is as follows:
Four 20,800-ton battleships of 20 knots' speed, armed with twelve 12-inch and eighteen 6-inch guns.
Five 18,500-ton armored cruisers of 25 knots' speed, armed with six 12-inch and fourteen 6-inch guns.
Two cruisers of 4800 tons and 26 knots.
Four destroyers of 790 tons and 26 knots.
The budget for 1908-09 amounts to 34,810,737 yens for ordinary and 46,138,124 yens for extraordinary expenses.
RUSSIA.
VESSELS BUILDING.
Name | Displacement | Where Building | Remarks |
Battleships |
|
|
|
Emperor Paul I | 16,900 | St. Petersburg | Launched Sept. 7, 1907 |
Andrei Pervozvannui | 16,900 | St. Petersburg | Launched Oct. 20, 1905 |
Evstafi | 12,500 | Nicolaiev | Launched Oct. 1906 |
Ivan Zlatoust | 12,500 | Sevastopol | Launched May 13, 1906 |
Armored Cruisers |
|
|
|
Bayan | 7,800 | St. Petersburg | Launched Aug. 15, 1907 |
Pallada | 7,800 | St. Petersburg | Launched Nov. 10, 1906 |
Protected Cruiser |
|
|
|
Outchakoff | 6,750 | Sevastopol | Building |
Accurate information as to the Russian naval program seems difficult to obtain, but as far as can be ascertained no definite orders have yet been placed. The battleship designs remain as before, viz., 21,000 tons and 21 knots, but the length has been considerably increased over that of earlier designs. The general arrangement of armament remains the same. Tenders for all types of fast craft continue to be submitted; a scout of 28 knots' speed and 4300 tons, and a destroyer of 32 knots and 950 tons' displacement.—The Engineer.
UNITED STATES.
VESSELS BUILDING.
No. | Name | Speed. Knots. | Where Building | % of Completion, August 1908 |
Battleships |
|
|
| |
26 | South Carolina | 18.5 | Wm. Cramp & Sons | 55 |
27 | Michigan | 18.5 | New York Shipbuilding Co. | 60.4 |
28 | Delaware | 21 | Newport News | 35.3 |
29 | North Dakota | 21 | Fore River | 45.7 |
THE SOUTH CAROLINA. On July n, the second of the American "all big gun" battleships was launched by William Cramp & Sons, Philadelphia. This ship, which is a sister of the Michigan, launched in May, has a length of 450 feet on the water-line; a beam of 80 feet, molded; and a mean draft of 24 feet 6 inches. The displacement on this (trial) draft is 16,000 tons, while the full-load displacement is 17,617 tons. Propulsion is by means of two four-cylinder triple expansion engines driving twin screws. The cylinders measure 32, 52, 72, and 72 inches in diameter, with a stroke of 48 inches. Steam is furnished by 12 Babcock & Wilcox water-tube boilers at a pressure of 265 pounds to the square inch. These boilers have a total grate surface of 1050 square feet, and a heating surface of 47,220 square feet, the ratio being 45 to 1. The designed indicated horsepower is 16,500, corresponding with a trial speed of 18 ½ knots. The normal coal supply of 900 tons can be increased to a maximum of 2175 tons.
The main point of interest lies in the battery and its arrangement. There are eight 12-inch guns of 45 calibers, mounted in pairs in four turrets, all on the center line, the two inner turrets being raised above the end turrets, so that four guns may be fired forward, four aft, and the entire eight on either broadside. Each turret has an arc of fire of 270 degrees. The first and third turrets, counting from the bow, have their gun axes about 24 feet above the water-line. The second turret shows an axis of 32 feet above the line of flotation, while the after turret has its guns 16 feet above the water. The secondary battery includes twenty-two 3-inch guns; two 21-inch submerged torpedo-tubes, and fourteen automatic guns.
The water-line belt of armor extends from bow to stern. It is 8 feet wide, of which about 5 feet is below the normal water-line. The maximum thickness is II inches, tapering to 9 inches at the bottom. Above this belt, and covering the side for about 300 feet, is an upper belt, 10 inches thick at the lower edge and 8 inches at the upper, with lo-inch bulkheads running across the ship at the ends. The barbettes for the turrets are 10 inches on the face and 8 inches in the rear, while the turrets themselves are 12 inches in front and 8 inches in the rear. A conning-tower 12 inches thick is fitted just aft of the second turret, and is provided with a 9-inch tube, protecting communications to the interior of the ship. The protective deck has a thickness on the slopes of 3 inches, and is 1 ½ inches thick forward.
The ships were authorized March 3, 1905, and contracts for construction were let in July, 1906. The keels were laid in December, 1906, and the contract calls for completion late in 1909. The contract price of hull and machinery for the South Carolina was $3,540,000 (£727,422), and for the Michigan, $3,585,000 (£736,670). In each case the cost of the completed vessel will be about $7,000,000 (£1,440,000).—International Marine Engineering.
NAMES FOR NEW DESTROYERS. The torpedo-boat destroyers now under construction have been given the following names:
No. 17, building at the Cramp yard, the Joseph B. Smith. Lieutenant Smith commanded the Congress when she was sunk by the Merrimac on March 18, 1862, and was killed in that engagement.
No. 18, also building at the Cramp yard, the Roswell H. Lamson. Lieutenant Lamson took part in the battle of Port Royal and the capture of Fort Walker, and was commended by Rear-Admiral Dupont for bravery.
No. 19, building at the yard of the New York Shipbuilding Co., the Samuel W. Preston. Lieutenant Preston was killed in the assault on Fort Fisher, January 15, 1865.
No. 20, building at the Bath Iron Works, the Chas. W. Flusser. Commander Flusser was killed in action on the Miami in an engagement with the Confederate ram Albemarle, near Plymouth, N. C, on April 19, 1864.
No. 21, building at the Bath Iron Works, the Samuel C. Reid. Captain Reid commanded the privateer General Armstrong. He was attacked in the harbor of Fayal on September 26, 1814, by boats from three British men-of-war. Captain Reid drove them off, killing and wounding 135 officers and men. The frigate Rota compelled him to run his ship ashore and destroy her before capture. He received the commendation of Congress and a sword from the State of New York.—Nautical Gazette.
THE TRIALS OF THE SCOUT CRUISER SALEM. Few events of recent years have attracted more attention among marine engineers, and particularly those of the navy, than the trials of the scout cruiser Salem, recently completed at the Fore River Works. This is due to the fact that she is equipped with American turbines of the Curtis type, and that in these trials, for the first time, this type has had an opportunity to be tried out under equal conditions against the Parsons turbines, and also against reciprocating marine engines of the standard type. The opportunity for this comparison was afforded by the construction for the United States Navy of three fast scout cruisers, which are identical in everything except their motive power. The Birmingham is driven by reciprocating engines, and the Chester and Salem, respectively by Parsons and Curtis turbines. The trials in each case consisted of standardization runs over a measured-mile course; a full-power run for four hours; a 24-hour run at 22 ½ knots, and a 24-hour run at a cruising speed of 12 knots. The details of the trials of the Birmingham and the Chester have already been published in earlier issues of the Scientific American, and below we give a digest of these trials for comparison with the results obtained in the more recent tests of the Salem.
COMPARITIVE TRIALS OF SCOUT CRUISERS
| “Birmingham” | “Chester” | “Salem” |
| |||
Fastest run on course | 25.34 | 26.22 | 26.88 |
Mean of 5 fastest runs | 24.50 | 25.07 | 25.95 |
Revolutions per minute | 202 | 550 | 378 |
| |||
Mean speed | 24.32 | 26.52 | 25.94 |
Coal per hour, pounds | 29,904 | 38,332 | 38,502 |
Miles, per ton of coal | 1.82 | 1.54 | 1.51 |
| |||
Mean speed | 12.22 | 12.2 | 11.93 |
Coal per hour, pounds | 4,629 | 4,091 | 4,051 |
Miles per ton of coal | 5.96 | 6.68 | 6.60 |
The Salem being a purely scouting vessel, everything in her design has been subordinated to speed and coal endurance. She measures 420 feet between perpendiculars, 47 feet 1 inch in breadth at the water-line, and has an official normal displacement on a draft of 16 feet 9 inches of 3750 tons, and a full-load displacement of 4687 tons. She has two masts and four funnels, and carries a light armament of two 5-inch and six 3-inch rapid-fire guns. She is also provided with two 2i-inch submerged torpedo tubes; though what in the world she is provided with these for, we are at a loss to imagine. Also it is difficult to understand why she has been given a water-line belt of 2 inches of nickel steel. Had the weight of this armor, which will act merely as a shell exploder, and the weight and space of the torpedo-rooms been devoted to coal, the radius of action of the ships would have been increased possibly 30 per cent without the least impairment of their efficiency. However, if we except side armor and the torpedo-rooms, the Salem and her sisters must be considered highly creditable designs, and greatly superior to the Attentive class of scouts in the British navy, as the accompanying tabular comparison clearly shows. An excellent feature is the high freeboard, which is about 22 feet amidships and 30 feet forward. Although the lines at the bow are extremely fine, the horizontal sections flare rapidly above the water-line, and the Birmingham has already shown herself to be capable of steaming against a heavy sea without taking any considerable amount of water aboard.
| Length. Feet. | Beam. Feet. | Speed. Knots. | Draft. Feet. | Displacement. Tons. | Max. Coal. Tons. | Freeboard. Feet. |
Attentive | 374 | 38 ¼ | 25.5 | 13 ½ | 2,670 | 380 | 12 and 20 |
Salem | 420 | 47 | 26 | 16 ¾ | 3,750 | 1,250 | 22 and 30 |
The beauty of the under-water model of these ships, and the excellent results obtained in the recent trials, are a tribute to the excellent work now being done at the model tank at Washington, under Naval Constructor D.W. Taylor. Although at full-load displacement and fully equipped for a cruise these vessels will not displace far short of 5000 tons, their model is as fine as that of a torpedo-boat destroyer. As a matter of fact, their coefficient of fineness is 48 per cent as compared with the coefficient of 60 to 63, which is not uncommon for a transatlantic liner. An indication of the fineness of the lines is shown in the accompanying photograph, taken when the Salem was running just under 27 knots. The bow wave is thrown off so gently that it barely breaks abreast of the foremast. This illustration makes an interesting comparison with those of several of our battleships which were given in our issue of June 13, in which the enormous bow waves thrown off by the bluffer bows of the battleship are shown with striking effect.
But the interest in these trials centers, as we have already said, in the motive power, and the determination of how far the Curtis turbine will compare in all-around efficiency with the well-tried turbines of the Parsons type. The results show that on all points of comparison it is at least as good, and in several points decidedly superior. The speed on the series of standardization runs over the measured mile was nearly a knot better; the coal consumption was practically the same; and in regard to vibration, the Salem was immeasurably superior, the characteristic high-frequency, lateral vibration of the Parsons-driven ships being very marked on the Chester; whereas, when the Salem was running at 26 knots and over, there was practically no vibration, even at the stern, and absolutely none forward and amidships a fact which called forth enthusiastic comment from the seagoing officers who were aboard during the trial.
The advantages claimed for the American type of turbine, as clearly brought out in these trials, are that because they admit of a slower speed of rotation, and the use of larger propellers, it becomes possible to develop the power in two turbines working on two shafts; that it is possible with these two turbines to operate economically both at high speed and at low cruising speed; that a larger percentage of the total power can be developed when going astern; and, finally, that because of the simplicity and compactness of the plant, only from 60 to 70 per cent as much engine space is required as is necessary to secure the same results with Parsons turbines.
The engine room of the Chester contains six turbines, operating on four shafts. When going ahead, steam is admitted to two high-pressure turbines, exhausts from them into two low-pressure turbines, and then passes to the two condensers. It has been found impossible to run a Parsons equipment of this kind economically at the slow speed of from 10 to 12 knots, at which most of the cruising of naval vessels is done, and in order to reduce the coal consumption to a reasonable figure, it has been found necessary to provide a pair of cruising turbines, which, in the Chester, are mounted forward of the low-pressure turbines and upon the same shafts. When cruising, steam is led from the boiler to the cruising turbines; from them to the high-pressure, from the high-pressure to the low-pressure turbines, and from them to the condensers. With this arrangement the Chester showed a better economy at cruising speed than the Birmingham; but the arrangement is subject to the disadvantage that two extra units have to be employed, which ordinarily are idle; and, as we have before mentioned, proportionately larger engine room space is required. The Curtis turbines, as installed on the Salem, however, have the advantage that the steam, always at high pressure, is fed through a series of nozzles placed around the circumference of the casing, and that the power is reduced by simply closing down the proper number of nozzles. The advantages of the Curtis system are clearly stated in the following extract from an article entitled "Experience with Marine Turbines" in the 1908 issue of Brassey's "Naval Annual": "At full load, and for turbines of large size, the Parsons system has undoubted advantages, but when it is desired to reduce the ship's speed, there is nothing corresponding !o the adoption of earlier cut-off in the piston engine. The only alternative is to reduce the pressure of the steam by throttling it, and in this way some of the advantage of the expansive property of high-pressure steam—and, therefore, some measure of economy—is forfeited. The Curtis turbine has, perhaps, some advantages in this respect. The change from the kinetic energy to work is achieved by the 'impulse' due to jets of steam acting upon blades formed on 'wheels' mounted on the shaft to be rotated. The steam expands in a number of sets of nozzles or pressure 'stages' successively from the high-pressure to the exhaust end of the turbine. Thus, after expanding in the nozzles of the first 'stage,' the steam issues in jets against the first row of buckets on the rotating wheel, a large part of the energy being absorbed. It then flows to a row of stationary vanes, which guide the steam into a second row of moving buckets. These may be followed by a second set of fixed vanes and a third set of moving ones, after which the steam leaves the 'stage,' as it is called, through a second set of nozzles, where further expansion takes place, again generating velocity. From these nozzles it flows once more in sinuous fashion through successive sets of moving and fixed blades, and thence to other 'stages.' The important point to note is that expansion of the steam takes place only in the nozzles, and not in either the fixed or moving blades. Hence the pressure of the steam does not alter between one set of nozzles and the next. At the low-pressure end the nozzles cover the whole periphery of the wheel, but at the high-pressure end they extend only over an arc often not more than one-eighth of the whole circumference. It is thus possible to reduce the power of the turbine by cutting out a proportion of the total number of nozzles, instead of by reducing the pressure of the steam supplied by throttling it at the valve. Thus, whereas in the Parsons system cruising turbines are fitted to attain reasonable economy at low speeds, they are unnecessary with the Curtis system."
Intimately associated with the success of a turbine equipment is the propeller question. From the very first, the propeller has been at loggerheads with the turbine, the former requiring moderate speeds of revolution for the best results, and the latter, particularly the Parsons type, giving its best efficiency at the highest speeds of revolution. This is particularly true of vessels of large displacement; and it has become necessary to effect a compromise, so that in the latest ships, such as the Lusitania and Mauretania, the propellers are smaller and are run faster, and the turbines are larger and are run slower, than is desirable for the best economy. No such difficulty is experienced with the reciprocating engine, where large diameter propellers and slow speeds of revolution may be adopted without reducing the efficiency of the engines. The Curtis turbine occupies a middle position between the high-speed Parsons and the low-speed reciprocating engine; and, because of the moderate speed of revolution and the fact that the power can be developed upon two instead of four shafts, it has become possible to secure a high propeller efficiency. The efficiency of the propellers of the Lusitania was given by Mr. Bell, the designer, in a recent paper read in London, as only 48 per cent. The propeller efficiency of the Salem rose from 55 per cent at 12 knots to a maximum of 62.8 per cent at the contract speed of 24 knots, then fell, with the increase of slip, to 62.4 per cent at 25 knots and 59.4 per cent at 26 knots. This is a remarkable result for a turbine equipment, and comes pretty near to the efficiency of the propellers of the crack German liners, which have shown as high as 67 and 68 per cent. The present propellers were adopted after a series of trial runs with four different designs of propellers; one by the Navy Department; another by the Denny firm, Scotland; a third by the Vulcan Works, Germany; and the fourth by the Fore River Company. The government design broke down through excessive cavitation early in the trials. The Denny propellers showed 50 per cent efficiency at 24 knots, the Vulcan 54.04 per cent at 24 knots, and the Fore River type, which was designed by the Chief Engineer, Mr. Charles T. Edwards, showed 62.7 per cent at 24.5 knots. These propellers are 9 feet 6 inches diameter with a pitch of 8 feet 8 inches.
The standardization trials held to determine the number of revolutions of the propellers corresponding to various speeds, from 12 knots to the highest speeds of the vessels, took place off Rockland in from 40 to 60 fathoms of water. The start and end of the mile are marked by pairs of posts set up on shore, and the time is taken from the bridge from the moment that the first pair come in line to the instant that the finish line is crossed. Meanwhile, the revolutions of the engines are accurately recorded by a mechanical counter. The effect of the tide, whose velocity is measured by a government vessel stationed at the center of the course, is eliminated by making the alternate runs with and against the tide. The Salem made five runs over the course, the fastest, with a favorable tide of 0.8 of a knot, showing a speed of 26.88 knots an hour, and the mean of all five runs working out at 25.957 knots. The mean displacement during the runs was 3745 tons. On the fastest run of 26.88 knots, the propellers made 382.4 revolutions per minute. The steam pressure at the steam chest on the turbines was 253 pounds. The peripheral speed of the blades, at the above speed, was 1200 feet per minute, and the horsepower was 20,200, or over 25 per cent more than was required by contract. It was estimated that the ship would make 24 knots with 16 nozzles open on the turbines; but she actually made 25.4 knots under these conditions, and 26.88 knots with the full number, 20, open. The coal used on these trials was a screened Pocahontas.
In the starting and stopping trials the engines went from full speed ahead to full speed astern in 1 minute and 30 seconds, and from full speed astern (at which they develop 70 per cent of the full-speed-ahead power) to full speed ahead in I minute and 4 seconds.—Scientific American.
ORDNANCE AND GUNNERY. TORPEDOES.
VICKERS' 4-INCH GUN FOR TORPEDO DEFENCE. One notable outcome of the prevailing tendency in naval construction for the all-big-gun warship has been the evolution of a new type of light arm for the purpose of repelling torpedo attack. The latest weapon of this type has been designed by Messrs. Vickers' Sons & Maxim, Limited, the well-known armament builders, and constitutes one of the most important among the ordnance exhibits at the Franco-British exhibition. For this especial duty this new arm should prove highly effective. Its total weight complete with mounting is 4.2 tons, and it fires a 31-pound shell with a muzzle velocity of 3030 feet per second and a muzzle energy of 1975 foot-tons, at 15 rounds per minute, so that at a range of 3000 yards it would prove a formidable offence to mosquito craft.
The gun is of 50 calibers, its total length being 208.45 inches, the length of bore being 201.15 inches. The breech motion is of the latest Vickers single-motion pattern. The breech screw is unlocked by the horizontal swing of the hand lever, which also swings the breech screw into or out of the gun. The threads of the breech screw are disposed in segments of varying radii, which design affords a greater proportion and a more even distribution of threads as compared with the ordinary type of interrupted screws. There is a long arm connected to the breech screw, which is operated by means of a crank pinion mounted in the carrier, and this crank is provided with a roller which engages in a cam groove formed in the arm. The form of this groove, together with its position in relation to the crank pinion, is such that the maximum possible power is exerted when seating the obturator, and a locking point is secured when the breech is closed. The crank pinion is geared to the hand lever, the latter being pivotally mounted on the carrier, enabling it to swing in a horizontal plane and to lie close up to the breech when the mechanism is locked. Obturation is obtained by a plastic pad having a protecting disk and rings. The obturator is retained at the front of the breech screw by an axial vent, which at its rear extremity takes the firing gear. The latter comprises separate electric and percussion locks, which are interchangeable in working, carried in a box slide mounted on the axial vent.
The feature of these firing gears is their absolute safety, facility of assembling, and effectual extraction of the tube. A crank pinion and link operates the locks, causing the lock frame to slide in the box slide when the breech screw is being unlocked, actuates the extractor, ejects the fired tube, and uncovers the vent to admit of the insertion of a new tube, while the firing gear has a special device for retracting the firing pin or needle before any movement of the lock frame in the box slide. There is a double-action trigger pull to the percussion lock, so that the gun can be fired from either side. The breech mechanism is also fitted with a light shot tray mounted on the face of the breech, and operated by a crank on the hinge pin of the carrier. As the breech mechanism is swung open this shot tray is pulled in a lateral direction, and by means of grooves which engage with studs in the face of the breech, is raised automatically to the loading position.
A forged steel plate of U section forms the cradle of the mounting, having bronze strips at the front and rear ends on which the gun slides during recoil. The cradle is fitted with front and rear bronze caps for supporting the running-out spring case and also the cross-connected sights. The cradle trunnions are of steel screwed into position. The recoil cylinder is screwed to the underneath rear portion of the cradle, the screws passing through lugs formed on the recoil cylinder. The rear end of the latter is screwed to receive the rear cylinder plug, which is fitted with glands and packing for the forged steel piston rod. The valve key is of the ordinary rectangular pattern, with its upper edge formed of suitable varying depth to control the recoil and to give an approximate uniform pressure in the cylinder. The rear end of the piston rod is secured to the lug on the breech ring of the gun.
The retarding ram is of manganese bronze, and is secured to the front end of the cylinder. There is a flat formed on the ram to permit the liquid to escape from inside the piston, and also to check within certain limits the running out under the influence of the springs. A hole fitted with an adjustable plug is bored through the center of the ram, and this plug can be removed from outside the cylinder and be adjusted, thereby altering the speed of the running out of the gun. The case containing the running-out springs is secured to cradle caps, and by means of a simple arrangement the spring column may be drawn out of the front end of the spring case complete for examination or any other purpose without taking off the initial compression. The carriage is of forged steel of the usual shape.
Bolted on the left-hand side of the carriage is a steel side bar carrying the elevating gear and shoulder pieces, and a gun metal side bar on the right-hand side carrying the traversing gear and shoulder piece. The elevating gear is so arranged as to enable elevation and depression to be carried out quickly, in order to follow the motion of the ship.
The electric firing gear has two pistol grips attached to suitable adaptors, which are fixed to the elevating gear bracket on the left-hand side of the mounting. Rheostats and connection pieces lead to the dynamo circuit pistol grips, and night lights are fixed on both sides of the mountings on the side bars, while the box contacts are on the right-hand side at the breech end, and a cable for firing and illuminating the night sights is disposed on each side of the mounting, together with suitable cable eyes for fixing.
The sighting gear comprises two telescopes on either side of the mounting, controlled by gearing to give the requisite movement in the vertical and horizontal planes. The two telescopes move synchronously by the gearing, being directly cross connected. The sights are carried by brackets formed on the two cradle caps, rigidly connected together by means of the running-out spring case of the mounting. The complete sighting gear together with the cradle caps can be withdrawn or replaced on the cradle without any interference with the sight adjustments. The deflection dial and gear are mounted on the right-hand side, and the range dial and gear on the left-hand side of the gun mounting. The telescopes are of two types, one 5 to 12 variable power for night use, and the other 7 to 21 variable power for day use.
The pointer of the range gear is electrically operated by means of a small motor actuated by current received from a range transmitter placed in the fire-control station. The electric motor and gear are carried in a small box oscillating on a journal formed on the back of the range dial casing coincident with the center of the dial, and the oscillation of this box imparts a certain additional movement to the dial pointer. Oscillation is controlled by a bell crank receiving its movement from a groove cut in the back of the range dial. One arm of the crank is formed as a quadrant, and fitted with a sliding piece to which is pivoted one end of the link connecting to the oscillating box. As the sliding piece is moved along the quadrant the movement to the oscillating box is increased or decreased, and in this manner compensates for variation in muzzle velocity, attributable to wear of the gun barrel or loss in temperature of the charge. The position in which to fix the sliding piece is shown by a graduated strip provided on the quadrant.
Normally, the system of using the sight is as follows: The pointer is electrically moved from the transmitter in the fire-control station, and the sight is elevated until the arrow on the dial agrees with the pointer. The sight is then at the elevation shown on the transmitter, with the necessary correction for change in velocity due to wear of gun barrel, etc. When the electric control is interrupted, the pointer is used as an index and the sight is elevated until the desired range is indicated opposite the pointer. The deflection gear is also fitted with a pointer controlled by a transmitter in the control station.
The principal features of the range control transmitter are a hand-operated rotary controlling switch and an electric motor geared to a pointer traversing round a dial on the front of the containing box. The motor drives the pointer spindle carrying the pointer through gearing, and special arrangements are incorporated to prevent the motor armatures overheating. The dial is graduated similar to the range dial for the gun sight. The range being determined, the handle is operated until the pointer of the transmitter indicates the correct number of yards. As the motor transmitter is synchronized with that of the sight, the pointer on the latter moves to a corresponding position, thereby showing the requisite elevation. The deflection transmitter is similar to the range transmitter both in its design and operation, only the dial is graduated to correspond with the deflection dial on the gun sight.
The gun is mounted on a steel plate pedestal of conical form fixed to a base plate, which has a central boss bored and slotted to receive a bearing plate containing a ball race, the latter supporting the pivot stem of the carriage, and upon which the whole of the training mass revolves.
The weapon forms a very handy and powerful unit for the special work for which it has been designed. The weight of charge and projectile is 44.25 pounds, of which the projectile weighs 31 pounds. It will penetrate at muzzle 16 inches of wrought iron plate and 12.4 inches of mild steel plate. The rapidity of its fire would enable it to riddle a destroyer at a range of 3000 yards.—Scientific American.
THE 13.5-INCH GUN. There have been both assertions and denials in the press respecting the introduction of a larger gun for the primary armament of our larger Dreadnoughts, that are to be laid down in the immediate future. There is little doubt, however, but that a 13.5-inch gun will at no distant date find a place on board our battleships. It does not follow that our "capital" ship needs to be continuously increased in size—a matter against which we recently lodged an emphatic protest—so that a longer-range and more powerful gun may be introduced. Guns of increased size can be carried in medium-sized battleships, as they have been carried before in the British Navy. The old battleships of the Royal Sovereign class carried 13.5-inch guns as their primary armament. These guns were, of course, much lighter than a new weapon of that caliber is likely to be, as there must be much added length to a new gun to get the increased range demanded for modern naval fighting. An inch on the size of the bore of a large gun makes an enormous difference to the weight of the projectile, as is shown by the fact that the weight of the 13.5-inch shot will probably be a full 400 pounds heavier than the present projectile for our 12-inch weapon. This is an increase of almost one-third of metal in an inch-and-a-half of caliber. The stowage room required for ammunition is likewise increased by a larger gun; but all this is quite consistent with a larger gun for smaller ships, and that is the solution we hope to see the authorities adopt in regard to the problem of modern sea-fighting.—United Service Gazette.
PRESERVING CORDITE GUNCHARGES. It is satisfactory to learn that the magazine cooling arrangements, which are being so rapidly installed in our largest battleships and cruisers, are giving good results; and have thoroughly re-established confidence in our primary naval propellant. Although our own navy has been peculiarly free from magazine explosions, caused by the rapid deterioration of cordite, yet it is not to be wondered at if the constant accidents in nearly every other navy but our own, should tend to shake the faith of our officers and men. As a matter of fact the British authorities initiated a searching test, directly after the destruction of the French battleship Jena, from a magazine explosion, and a large amount of cordite was found to be in such an unsafe condition as to make its instant destruction desirable; and no hesitation was shown by naval officers on foreign stations in adopting this course. The cooling arrangements have not only completely restored confidence, but the life of cordite is likely to be prolonged by a lower temperature in our ships' magazines. In the end, therefore, there will be permanent economy by its introduction. The first cost of fitting, cooling arrangements in all the magazines of our men-of-war will probably exceed 500,000; which is the sum that has up to the present been voted for the work. All new ships are having the plant built into them, and the cordite test throughout the fleet has been stiffened; while all charges showing signs of deterioration are at once put aside for practice firing from the guns.—United Service Gazette.
It is reported that at a recent target practice on the German battleship Pommern one of the 17-cm. guns was fired when so trained that its projectile struck another 17-cm. gun, putting it out of action. Fortunately no one was injured.
A large battle-practice towing target was launched from Messrs. Gill & Sons' shipbuilding yard at Rochester on July 17. It is one of the largest ever built for the Admiralty, measuring 141 feet in length, and 5 feet in breadth, with a draft of water of 20 feet. Upon this is built a superstructure of lattice work, 90 feet by 30 feet, which forms the actual target for firing at with the big guns of the battleships. A novelty about this target is that the firm built it upside down, so that as soon as the displacement during the launching operation was sufficient it turned turtle, and came down into its designed flotation; its total weight is 170 tons. This is the second of the series that the firm has built, the first being handed over to the Chatham Dockyard authorities on Saturday, for the forthcoming practice of battleships at sea.—United Service Gazette.
The armored cruiser Good Hope, flagship of Rear-Admiral Sir Percy Scott, has earned a most creditable record in the gun-layers' tests just concluded. With every type of gun carried she has beaten all records of previous years, the average number of hits on the target per minute for each type of gun being as follows: 9.2-inch guns, 3.5 hits; 6-in. guns, 6.6 hits; 12-pounder, 6.3 hits; 3-pounder, 9.0 hits.
The Good Hope had to steam at a speed of about 12 knots, and her gunners were required to fire at a target measuring only 80 square feet, which was just under a mile distant. With her 9.2-inch guns the cruiser scored 14 hits out of 18 rounds fired, and with her 6-inch guns, 106 hits out of 140 rounds fired.
With her 12-pounder guns the battleship New Zealand has made 74 hits in 119 rounds, and with her 3-pounder guns 112 hits in 179 rounds.
The Black Prince with her 9.2-inch gun scored 32 hits in 50 rounds.
The battleship Magnificent, with an aggregate of 83 rounds, scored an average of 5.16 hits per gun, and a total percentage of 74.71.
The Majestic, with an aggregate of 80 rounds, registered an average of 4.58 hits per gun, her total percentage working out at 68.75.
The cruiser Talbot made 53 hits out of 83 rounds with her 6-inch guns.—Page's Weekly.
ARTILLERY DEVELOPMENT IN THE UNITED STATES NAVY.
BATTLE PRACTICE IN 1907.
(Extract from an Article in the Marine-Rundschau for May, 1908.)
Firing took place in Cape Cod Bay during September and October, 1907, at long ranges, against a target 9 m. (29.5 feet) high and 18 m. (59 feet) wide, which was anchored. The ships steamed past at a speed of 10 knots at fighting ranges which varied according to the class and age of the vessel. Marking buoys were not placed, so that the distances had to be judged. Fire was opened when the target was on the beam, and lasted for eight minutes. It was, therefore, a case of firing at increasing ranges, the practice being based on the idea of the "running fight." The ranges for the individual ships are shown in Diagram 1. In order to prevent any misconception it may be mentioned that each ship made the run and fired separately.
The following average hits per cent were obtained:
30.5-cm. (12-inch) and 33-cm. (13-inch) guns…30.7 per cent.
17.8 cm. (7-inch) guns…27 per cent.
12.7-cm. (5-inch), 15.2-cm. (6-inch), and 17.8-cm. (7-inch) guns…16 per cent.
In the American Navy, from these results, the conclusion has been drawn that the heavy gun is the more suitable for firing at long ranges, not on account of the effect on the target, but on account of the greater "danger" space. It appears that the same view is held in England, as, according to the statements in the Memorandum on the English shipbuilding program, 1905-06, it has been the more favorable chance of hitting rather than the greater bursting or piercing effects, which, with the acceptance of the probability of actions being fought at long ranges in the future, has banished medium guns from the Dreadnought type in favor of a one-caliber heavy armament.
The results, as regards hits obtained, are generally praised by the American technical press. It cannot be denied that there is some justification for this, as although the height of the target was considerable and exceeded the corresponding dimension of a battleship, the narrowness of the target considerably increased the necessity for accurate training, and caused misses by shots passing to one side or the other of the target. That varying results were obtained by the individual ships is attributed to the ranges, in the case of those ships which obtained unsatisfactory results, having exceeded those laid down.
Apart from the long ranges, the real novelty of the "battle practice" lies in the fact that the exercise, through the simultaneous firing of heavy and medium guns, reproduced war conditions, which in previous practices have not received such special attention. As regards this point, the views of the American press, which are that the "battle practice" has actually reproduced all the conditions of a modern naval battle, may, therefore, be considered as correct. However, it is doubtful whether situations will not arise in war where the conditions will vary considerably from the form of "sham" action chosen. Although the modern battleship, simply by reason of the ratio of its length to its breadth, can bring most guns to bear on the beam, so that simple line-ahead is naturally the favorite tactical formation, still evolutions for the improvement of the tactical position are conceivable—and from the experiences of the Russo-Japanese war even practicable—which will, perhaps, produce more difficult firing conditions than the "battle practice." It has, apparently, not been possible to wholly get rid of their "record target practice" scheme, with the advantages of which officers and men are too deeply inoculated. It is, however, to be taken for granted that further changes will take place; the first indications have already appeared in the professional papers. Commander Quinby, in the Proceedings of the United States Naval Institute, in an article entitled "Systematic Preparations for Battle," has proposed that targets (pontoons) for towing be constructed, so that moving (towed) targets can be fired at. Quinby demands, if his proposal is realized, that a solemn oath of secrecy regarding the results of the firing be obtained from each and every witness. This demand is diametrically opposed to previous custom, the publication of all results being considered the best method of interesting the masses of the nation in gunnery, the most important of all the branches of the Service, in order indirectly to create an incentive for the crews of the ships, especially the gun crews. What has induced the American officer named to propose such a sharp reversal of procedure can only be conjectured. He considers that the results must be kept secret, because in the future firing practices will approximate as closely as possible to war conditions, and the publication of the results would give a definite basis for estimating what the fleet is capable of. Or, in other words, the exercises will completely lose their sporting character, and will become of so much value for war that the communication of information concerning them to anyone outside the Service would be prejudicial to the military interests of the country.
Quinby puts forward another revolutionary proposal for the judgment of public opinion. He wishes to break down the principle of only firing with service ammunition, and desires the introduction of tube cannon, 4.7-cm. (1.85-inch) for the medium guns, and 7.6-cm. (3-inch) for the heavy guns. If it is borne in mind that, under the present conditions, the whole year's ammunition allowance of a ship is expended on two firing days only, one in the spring, the other in the autumn, and, moreover, that the training of the gun-layers could be carried on by means of aiming apparatus and aiming rifles only, then the conclusion can here be drawn that the proposal is worthy of consideration, as firing, like all physical exercises, needs continuous training in order that efficiency be not lost. Wear of guns and the great expense, however, prohibits training with service ammunition being continuous.
Quinby's proposals for the introduction of tube cannon acquire additional interest from their being extended to show how this American naval officer considers such gunnery training should be carried out.
According to his scheme, the following training is proposed as the normal:
- Anchored target;
- Run of ship at angle of 60 with direct course and at known speed of 12 knots;
- Opening of fire at not less than 2700 m. (2953 yards);
- No marking buoys.
Before we go on to the description of the firing procedure itself, we must say a few words concerning the fire-control system, in order to make the following clear.
The fire-control position is, corresponding with the English arrangement, on the foremast. The personnel belonging to the control detachment are stationed in a crow's nest attached to the topmast and in the fighting top. In the crow's nest are the spotters, in the top the distance judgers, the order-transmitters and the gunnery officer. The orders are first transmitted to a central exchange, which is situated under the armored deck. We are not able to form a definite opinion as to whether communication is effected by means of telephones, mechanically-worked indicators or voice-pipes, or visually by means of dials. In the central exchange there is an extensive telephone installation, which is in connection with all the gun positions. Calls appear to be indicated by lamp signals, that is, optically. The reason why such a high position is chosen for the fire-control personnel is to be sought in the system, which rests on the estimation of the distance a shot falls short or over the target. It is obvious that for the effective determining of this distance by the spotters, the highest possible position is necessary. Of the fire-control detachment, which, of course, must be sheltered as far as possible, the spotters alone have to be in a lofty, unprotected position. They are selected from officers and specially trained intelligent men. Spotting is of two kinds, horizontal and vertical; by the former the distance which a shot falls from the target is directly estimated, whilst with the latter the vertical angle of the splash from the lower edge of the target is estimated in order to calculate the distance at which the shot falls. The former method is generally preferred. Judging distances, at the ranges at which firing is now carried out, namely, up to 8000 m. (8750 yards), and perhaps even beyond, is undoubtedly a very difficult matter. Estimating shots falling in front of the target, i.e., shorts, is, of course, easier than estimating shots falling beyond it. It is possible that the spotter, in the course of his work, adopts certain standard values.
The details of Quinby' s scheme of training may now be given:
The first distance is determined by the range-finder. The ranging is carried out by a gun of the heavy artillery. The latter, and not the medium artillery, is probably selected because the more reliable results are generally expected from the heavy guns, on account of the flatter trajectory and the smaller influence of weather conditions. The amount of the alteration of range is calculated beforehand for a fixed period of time with the given course and speed. From this, it is evident that the firing carried out is "interval firing." The length of the interval is regulated according to the rapidity of fire of the guns. For the heavy artillery it is, therefore, fixed at 45 seconds. In his training scheme, Quinby supposes the first shot to be estimated as 500 yards short. After 45 seconds the second shot falls, the range ordered for it having been increased by 500 yards, less the reduction of the distance during the firing interval. It again falls short, but close to the water-line of the target; the range must now be changed by adding only about half the danger space and subtracting the reduction of the distance during the firing interval. The next shot must then be a hit, and, according to Quinby, after the second shot the gun-range for the battery can be considered as determined, so that with the third shot fire by salvos can be commenced from both the heavy and medium artillery. The interval of 45 seconds is maintained by the heavy artillery during the salvo firing, whilst, by utilizing their greater rapidity of fire, the medium artillery fire every 12 seconds. We have not, therefore, to consider here irregular rapid fire, but regular salvo firing, which facilitates observation on account of the clearly defined form of the splashes which rise simultaneously at regular intervals. By suitable alterations in the tangent-scale, Quinby then apparently proposes the battery should be kept on the target. It is not likely that the medium and heavy guns, on account of the different firing intervals, receive separate tangent-scale instructions, as the control of the whole of the artillery is in one hand. The following three points are characteristic of the proposed procedure:
- Ranging by single shots from the heavy artillery.
- The strictly observed firing intervals.
- The expressed endeavor to proceed to salvo firing as quickly as possible.
It is noteworthy in the procedure suggested by Quinby that there is no ranging by the medium guns. It has previously always been emphasized in articles in the American and English press, that one cannot directly transfer to the medium artillery gun-ranges obtained by the heavy artillery, on account of the different ballistics; but that, on the contrary, a separate, though shortened, ranging is, in all cases, necessary for them. Quinby proposes to get over this difficulty by a so-called calibration; that is, a comparative firing of the individual calibers to fix the varying factors, which are to be embodied in tables. The outsider naturally cannot decide whether these proposals are practicable. The motive of the proposal for calibration is to be sought in the endeavor to arrive at the highest possible intensity of fire in the shortest time.
Commander Quinby is so enthusiastic in his appreciation of calibration that he desires to extend its employment to fleets; within a squadron comparative firings should be carried out in order to fix tables for the seven calibers from ship to ship. The object of, the proposal is apparently that in a fleet action the ranging can be carried out by the flagship, and the remaining ships, which will be kept informed of the ranges by signal, can effectively open fire at a given time in their turn.
As we have seen above, Quinby proposes to calculate the change of distance in the interval of time from the actual fighting position.
Commander Niblack, another American naval officer, distinguished for his literary activity, has recently made public a proposal for placing the hypothetical calculation of the alteration in the distance on a real basis. He wishes to see the navigating officer brought to the assistance of the gunnery officer in the following manner: Before the opening of fire the navigating officer is to take the bearings of the leading and the last ship of the hostile line, whilst the gunnery officer simultaneously decides the distances at which the two ships are by means of his range-finder. The results will be laid down on squared paper, and after a certain time, the procedure will be repeated. In this way is obtained, graphically represented, the alteration in the distance and, simultaneously, information concerning the course and speed of the enemy, two results which personal observation, without mechanical assistance, can scarcely arrive at. The method proposed by Niblack is illustrated in Diagram 2. Although it is unquestionably to be preferred to a rough estimate of the alteration in the distance, based on more or less reliable data, this method must also be regarded as imperfect, fleets are regarded as inaccurate.
A method, universally applicable, for solving this, the most difficult of all the problems which the long-range action presents, judging the alteration in the distance, Commander Niblack, with this proposal, has, in any case, not found, interesting as it is in itself, and capable of being of great service under certain fixed conditions.—Royal United Service Institution.
MARINE TURBINES AND GAS ENGINES.
LIQUID FUEL.
THE MARINE GAS ENGINE. ITS DEFECTS AND ITS MERITS. Since the paper enforcing the potentialities for success possessed by the marine gas engine was communicated to the Institution of Naval Architects about a year ago by Mr. James McKechnie, of the Vickers Company, interest in the subject has increased. Progress toward the solution of the problems has been made, principally in details. But we are yet some way short of the bold step attributed by some of the daily papers to the Admiralty of contemplating the adoption of gas engines in the battleship to be laid down at Portsmouth under this year's naval program. The engineering authorities at the Admiralty prefer—and very properly so—to proceed upon sure basis, and the adoption of a gas-engine propelling installation will not be undertaken until exhaustive trials have been made, ashore and afloat, with the two small gas-engine sets still under construction. These two engines, with their producers, have been under order for a long period, a fact suggestive of the difficulties connected with the application of the system for marine purposes. For land stations, principally for the driving of electric generators, engines having cylinders developing 1000 and even 1500 brake horsepower are working satisfactorily ; but there are relatively very few gas engines driving ships, and the largest of these is of almost insignificant power. In this country, Mr. William Beardmore, of Glasgow, has done much toward practical tests on board ship. The promise of success is now greater than in the earlier stages, because the great advantages of the system are now realized and the exact nature of the difficulties to be overcome is recognized. Once a diagnosis is correctly established, the cure is rendered more easy.
The advantages to be obtained from an installation of large size for marine propulsion are a saving of one-third of the space occupied by machinery, and a reduction of the total weight of machinery of possibly one-fourth. While the engine itself would have to be much heavier than a steam engine of the same power, the necessary gas producers would be much lighter than the steam boilers. As the gas engine and producer have a thermal efficiency about double that of the combined thermal efficiency of the steam engine and boiler, it should be possible to get a horsepower at the propeller for I pound of coal per hour, and also to obtain it from a cheaper grade of coal than can be used to advantage in a boiler. The last-named advantage will appeal strongly to owners in the mercantile marine, as it will enable the fuel cost of transport per ton-mile to be considerably reduced. Gas producers, when once charged, will go on making gas for several hours without further attention. In Beardmore's tests on board ship the producer, once charged, runs for 10 hours without attention. The same large force of stokers needed for a steam installation of any size will not therefore be required. Where there are many producers they would be charged in succession, and not more than two or three in any one watch. There would be considerably less than one-quarter the amount of ashes to handle in a given time, and there should be no clinker at all. There would be no smoke, and, therefore, the large funnels, with their wind resistance, would not be present. The space usually occupied by uptakes would also be saved. This advantage would be of considerable value to naval vessels by enabling them to almost get into range before their presence could be detected. It must be remembered that each and every cylinder in a gas engine is a complete engine in itself; and should one or more break down, the disabled cylinder could be put out of operation, and the propeller turned as long as there was a single cylinder left in working order. It is only necessary to remove the connecting rod, and the rollers that are operated on by the cams, in order to disconnect a cylinder—a much lighter job than would be required in the case of a steam engine, though the weight to be handled might be greater.
The disadvantages of gas propulsion for marine use, though many in number, are not by any means insurmountable. The chief objection seems to be the very high temperature that obtains in the cylinders when they are of large size, and the consequent liability of the valves to score and give trouble, finally resulting in a complete temporary stoppage, which would be exceedingly inconvenient, if not dangerous, at sea. There are several methods of reducing this excessive temperature, such as making the engine of relatively long stroke, diluting the charge with a surplus of air or some of the exhaust gases, increasing the volume of water circulating in the jackets and pistons, or injecting water into the cylinder during the combustion, etc. Valves, if of large size, can readily be water-jacketed. They can also be double-seated, and thus cause the speed of the hot gas through them to be reduced, and the work required to lift them to be lessened. Another objection has been the great size and weight of the crankshafts and connecting rods, framing, etc., in order to withstand the heavy and violent shocks incidental to all gas engines. Here again the relatively long-stroke engine will score, and by adopting a cycle of operations in which heat is added at constant pressure rather than at constant volume, the violence of the shocks can be reduced, and a lower temperature of combustion obtained at the same time. It has been considered a disadvantage that most gas engines are fitted with trunk pistons, and that therefore the connecting-rod pin is inaccessible, and the piston, when worn, has to be entirely renewed. But when gas engines are built especially for marine use, they will be of such a size that they will have thin water-cooled pistons, be double-acting, and be fitted with the ordinary cross-heads and slides used upon steam engines; or if trunk pistons are used, they will be fitted with adjustable shoes to take the wear in the wake of the connecting rod pin.
It is generally considered to be a difficult matter to make a gas engine reversible, but this is only because it has generally been attempted with the usual revolving cam gear, and on engines of comparatively small size. On large engines, oscillating instead of revolving cams can be used with advantage, and these can be operated by the well-known Stevenson link motion or by the Joy, Marshall, or other radial reversing valve motion, worked by compressed air when the engines are very large.
A special compressor, driven by an independent gas engine, will always form a part of a marine gas engine installation, because compressed air will be required for starting the main propelling engines, blowing the whistle and siren, working the reversing engine, circulating and other pumps, steering engine, capstan, deck winches, ash hoists, etc., which are now part of the recognized outfit of the modern steamship. Under certain circumstances, all this work might be done by electricity, in which case a separately-driven electrical generator would take the place of the air compressor. A disadvantage of the gas engine for marine propulsion is its want of flexibility in the rate of revolution at which it can be driven, but there are several ways in which this can be met, such as cutting off the gas supply to one or more cylinders, building the engine in two or more distinct units which can be readily connected up or disconnected, applying the total power on three or more shafts, so that one may run ahead and two astern, or vice versa, so that a ship of large total power may be run at very slow speed when necessary.
A mechanical disadvantage of the gas engine, when used for marine propulsion, is the uneven turning moment, especially when run on the four-stroke cycle. It is, of course, much better on the two-stroke cycle, but as in the latter case twice the amount of hot gas has to pass through the exhaust valve in a given time, special provision has to be made to meet and overcome this difficulty. Three double-acting cylinders, acting on cranks at 120 degrees apart, is probably the smallest unit that can be relied upon to work satisfactorily, and even then it would be necessary to employ a fly-wheel.
Another mechanical difficulty is in so regulating the power that it shall follow the sudden variation in the resistance, due to the propeller being partially lifted out of the water when the vessel pitches; but some form of high-speed centrifugal governor arranged to cut out or throttle the gas supply, relieve the pressure in the cylinders, cut out the ignition, or a combination of two or more of these methods, should be able to meet the difficulty.
What to do with the exhaust from the marine gas engine is also quite a difficult problem to settle, but as the object sought to be attained is both to cool and reduce the volume of the exhaust gases as rapidly as possible, some form of surface condenser, in combination with an injection of part of the cooling water into the exhaust pipe, ought to meet the case. The cooled gases could also be afterward discharged overboard below the surface, and thus secure perfect silence. Objection has been made to the gas producer on board ship that poisonous gases are liable to leak out and either kill the crew or cause disastrous explosions, but if operated under the suction system this does not hold, since any leak would be into, and not out of, the producer. If the producers are operated on the pressure system, it is only necessary to surround the producer and all the gas pipes with an outer airtight shell, and force the supply of air through the intervening space on its way to the producers. In this way any leak that could occur would be pure air, either into the ship or into the producers or gas pipes. If more than one producer were in use, it would be the duty of the attendants to regulate the amount of gas furnished by each, in accordance with the reading of a pyrometer fitted to each one, so that the temperature of combustion in each was the same. This would not be any more difficult than the work of regulating the feed water to a battery of steam boilers.—Engineering.
OIL FUEL DEVELOPMENTS. The two 18-knot turbine steamers which Messrs. Cammell, Laird & Co., Ltd., of Birkenhead, are building for the Campana Peruana, of Callao, will, it is said, burn oil exclusively. In fact, but for the necessity of using coal between this country and the Brazilian port, there would be no provision at all for that kind of fuel on board. Oil is very plentiful in Peru. So considerable, indeed, is the supply that steam engines and boilers are rapidly being taken out of factories and oil engines installed in their places. Even now there is a wide margin for export, and developments which are in progress will make it still larger. But the necessity of negotiating the Horn in order to reach the markets of Europe is a drawback. A pipe line across the Isthmus of Panama is talked about, however, as a means of overcoming this difficulty. The ships on the Pacific side would thus discharge into ships on the Atlantic side, and the cost of transport would be considerably reduced. The growing use of oil fuel is a subject which is attracting more and more attention, and fresh installations are being watched very keenly. The whole subject is of real importance.—Page's Weekly.
OIL vs. COAL AS FUEL IN BRITISH NAVY. The British Admiralty has decided that in future all destroyers and torpedo-boats shall be constructed to use coal as well as oil fuel. For the last three years all torpedo vessels built for the navy have been constructed to burn oil alone, and as the result of this innovation and the introduction of the turbine great ease in stoking and a remarkable increase in speed have been obtained. The change which is now to be made is not due to any failure or defect in the oil-burning system, says the Hampshire Telegraph, but is designed to provide against accidents and contingencies such as may arise in war. There is as yet no certain supply of oil fuel in the United Kingdom, and every gallon of oil would have to be imported. Thus security against any interruption of the oil supply is attained by fitting torpedo craft with furnaces which can burn either oil or coal. All the modern battleships and cruisers of the navy are constructed so as to consume either coal or oil. The oil is used when spurting and forcing the pace. In this connection we note that shale oil, a heavier oil than crude petroleum, either American or Russian, is reported by Admiral Selwin to exist in the United Kingdom in such quantities that "if the whole of the British shipping took to burning oil fuel, it could be supplied them from their own country at a far lower price, considering its evaporative value, than could ever be thought possible with coal."—Nautical Gazette.
STEAM-ELECTRIC MARINE PROPULSION. THE EFFICIENCY OF A POSSIBLE SYSTEM OF THE FUTURE. A paper, by Mr. William P. Durtnall, entitled, "The Generation and Electrical Transmission of Power for Marine Propulsion and Speed Regulation," was read before the Institute of Marine Engineers at a special meeting. Leading up through the stages of development in reciprocating engines to the adoption of steam turbines in ship propulsion, the author pointed out the few but important disadvantages involved in the direct-coupled turbine. It was necessarily designed to run at very low speed to permit the use of a propeller of high propulsive efficiency, and consequently its diameter and weight were increased to a very great extent. The blade clearance was also greater, to allow for expansion and contraction, involving higher consumption and leakage of steam. There was also the difficulty of reversing, and the increased consumption per horsepower when working below full load and speed. Tests on the Lusitania had shown an increase in consumption from 14.46 pounds to 26.53 pounds of steam per shaft horsepower per hour when speed was reduced from 25.4 to 15-77 knots. The ability to maneuver was of little importance with ships making long runs, but very important in short voyage vessels and ships of war, in which frequent starting and stopping and maneuvering in and out of harbor or in squadrons was necessary. To meet these requirements, astern turbines, of about one-third the total ahead power, and coupled to separate propeller shafts, were carried. The dead weight was therefore only partially utilized. Full power speed at reverse was only possible with a complete duplication of turbines, but the safety thereby secured was possibly of more importance in short-trip vessels than the increased weight involved. In order, therefore, to secure the complete success of the steam turbine for ship propulsion, means would have to be devised to allow the turbine to run at high speed and the propellers at comparatively low speed, so securing economy in both cases, and also to provide reverse motion for all shafts. After alluding to mechanical, hydraulic, and compressed air devices which had been tried and found inefficient, the method of electrical power transmission was stated to be that in which the greatest possibilities lay. This system supplied the very elements required to take advantage of high-speed turbines, saving weight and securing high economy in steam, by utilizing these to drive electric power generators, the current so generated being used to drive low-speed motors coupled to moderate-speed large-bladed propellers of high efficiency. This method of transmission would do away with the necessity of extra turbines, shafts, and propellers for reversing. The turbine generator would always run in one direction as regards speed rotation, while the motor could be reversed and efficiently run in either direction. Moreover, the direction of rotation and speed could be instantly changed to meet all conditions in practice, and this very important feature could be utilized with the utmost economy even at the lowest speeds and powers. The electric motor, as well as the turbine and generator, had also the capability of standing very severe overloads for short periods without damage. The large power conductors need only be broken under no-voltage conditions, and the control could be operated from the bridge when desirable.
The author was of opinion that for marine propulsion electrical power transmission could only be successfully effected by polyphase alternating currents, with synchronous generators and squirrel-cage induction motors, on account of the low cost and weight per horsepower, absence of commutators, and high efficiency of these machines. In generators of this type the armature was a stationary closed ring, with the winding imbedded in slots round the inner face, inside which the field magnet revolved. The main current was generated in the stationary ring and taken off direct, without any of the intermediary devices necessary when collecting current from a rotating source. The field magnet received its exciting current from a small direct-current machine, mounted on the generator shaft. This current, which only amounted to about 2 per cent of the generator output, was delivered to the revolving field through simple collecting rings. It was of importance to note the exceptionally high efficiency, light weight, and low steam consumption of such combinations as converters of mechanical into electrical energy. The efficiency varied from 85 per cent in small sets to 98 per cent in large sizes, such as used for traction generating stations; the weight was between 35 pounds and 22 pounds per kilowatt output continuous rating, according to speed and other circumstances; while the steam consumption in 7500-kilowatt sizes, running at 750 revolutions per minute, with 160 pounds steam pressure at the stop valve, 150 degrees superheat, and exhausting into 27 ½-inch vacuum, was only 13.5 pounds to 14 pounds per kilowatt-hour, including the steam which is used for auxiliaries.
As regards the induction motor, its powerful starting torque, light weight, simplicity, low cost of construction, mechanical strength, durability, and running characteristics, made it especially suitable for marine work. As there was no commutator and no sparking limit the output could be carried much higher per unit weight than in other machines. These motors could be built for marine work of from 1000 to 10,000 horsepower continuous rating, weighing 35 pounds to 20 pounds per brake horsepower, with an efficiency of 93 to 97 per cent. Although polyphase motors were termed non-synchronous they always tended toward synchronism, and with squirrel-cage rotors the variation in speed from light to full load seldom exceeded 5 per cent, even in small sizes, and would probably not exceed 1 per cent in large sizes. The main working current passed through the stationary part of the motor only, facilitating strong and reliable construction for the conductors and rendering the machine so simple as to require no skilled and very little unskilled attention with consequent low cost of maintenance.
Assuming a vessel of 4000 horsepower fitted for electric propulsion with four propellers taking 1000 horsepower each at 250 revolutions per minute, the motors would be polyphase induction type with squirrel-cage rotors and with stators wound for full-, half-, and quarter-speeds. The generating plant would comprise duplicate sets of turbo-alternators and exciters capable together of supplying 3250 kilowatts, and running at 1500 revolutions per minute, with 150 pounds steam pressure and 150 degrees F. superheat. These alternators would be two-pole machines, and the motors would be wound for 12 poles giving a reduction of 6 to 1. For half-speed a second winding would be arranged for 24 poles, giving 12 to 1 reduction with two sets of windings in parallel, and for quarter-speed this winding would be arranged for 48 poles, giving 24 to 1 reduction; the synchronous speeds would thus be 250 revolutions per minute for full speed, 125 revolutions per minute for half-speed, and 62 ½ revolutions per minute for quarter-speed.
At full speed of the vessel the propellers would require 4000 shaft horse-power, and the turbo-generators would be run in parallel delivering 3250 kilowatts to the motors. The consumption of steam would be 13 pounds per shaft horsepower or 16 pounds per kilowatt hour, equivalent to a total consumption of 52,000 pounds of steam per hour. Compared with propeller turbines the consumption in which, under similar conditions and speed, was of the order of 22 pounds of steam per shaft horsepower or a total of 88,000 pounds per hour for 4000 horsepower, the saving in favor of electric transmission was no less than 41 per cent. At half-speed of the vessel about 600 shaft horsepower would be required, less than half load on one turbo-generator, and this would allow the duplicate set to be shut down. Estimating the motors at 60 per cent efficiency on half-speed the generator would deliver 740 kilowatts at its full normal speed, and take 24 pounds of steam per kilowatt hour, equivalent to 17,760 pounds per hour, as against 28,200 pounds for propeller turbines, thus saving at least 37 percent in steam when the vessel is moving at half-speed. The weights of the electrical transmission plant in this example would be:
| Tons |
4,000 B.H.P. at 35 lbs. per H.P. developed | Say 62 ½ |
Conductor, switch-gear, etc. | Say 6 |
Two turbo-generators as above | Say 70 |
Condenser for above | Say 19 |
Steam piping, etc. | Say 13 |
Air pump and motor | Say 6 |
Circulating pump and motor | Say 7 ½ |
| 184 |
While the weight of the direct-coupled turbines and part of the propeller shafts, tunnels, etc., including condenser, steam pipes, etc., air and circulating pumps—which would have to be arranged efficiently to deal with the 88,000 pounds of steam—would be at least, taking the speed of the turbines at 250 revolutions per minute, 148 tons, showing that the electrical machinery would be about 25 per cent heavier, but it is here necessary to point out that that only applies to the plant from stop valve to propeller shaft connections.
This comparison does not cover the saving in power and weight of boilers. On the other side of the stop valve the weight of cylindrical boilers (empty), mountings, funnel, forced-draft gear, pipe work for steam-water and exhaust, pumps, gratings, platforms, etc., is stated to be 180 pounds per indicated horsepower in reciprocating engined ships. Taking a vessel carrying two reciprocating condensing engines developing together 4000 brake horsepower equal to 4700 indicated horsepower at 85 per cent mechanical efficiency the weight of boiler and stokehold equipment would be 377 tons. At 16 pounds of steam per indicated horsepower, including auxiliaries and losses, the total consumption would be 75,200 pounds, or 200 pounds of steam per hour per ton of boiler-room-equipment.
At this rate the boiler-room equipment on the electrically equipped vessel, taking 52,000 pounds of steam, would be 260 tons, while for the propeller-turbine vessel the weight would be no less than 440 tons. There would thus be a saving for equal propeller horsepower of 180 tons weight that is, no less than 40 per cent. Comparing coal consumption, the author took it that, with good Welsh coal, hot feed, and clean flues, it was possible to evaporate 10 pounds of water per pound of coal burned, and at this rate a turbine-propeller vessel would burn 8800 pounds per hour, as against 5200 pounds by the electric-propeller vessel a saving of 1.6 tons per hour. This represented a saving in dead weight carried of about 230 tons on a six days' trip, with correspondingly reduced running cost. Electrical propulsion should be of considerable interest to cargo vessel owners, as not only could dead weight and cost be saved, but the propeller speed could be kept as low as necessary and usual in these slow boats to secure the best economy at the propeller; and it would also be possible further to reduce the propeller speed if necessary to meet practical conditions by slight increase in the weight of the motors only, the generating plant weight remaining the same. The author pointed out that the conclusions deduced should not be considered as perfectly definite, on account of the widely different conditions in practice; but the paper was chiefly put forward to lead naval architects and marine engineers to give serious consideration to the question of electric propulsion.
Reference was made to other systems proposed, and a large number of lantern views and drawings exhibited. The original Hart-Durtnall continuous-current system employed series-wound generators and motors direct-coupled to six propeller shafts, but was for small powers only. In Mr. Parsons' system the exhaust was taken from the main reciprocating engines to drive a low-pressure turbine coupled to an electric generator delivering current to a motor on the engine propeller shaft. Single-phase commutator motors had been proposed in one German and one American system; in the former case with three-phase, and in the latter with single phase generation, and in one other American proposition three-phase non-synchronous generation was included. A Swiss proposition was to use direct-coupled turbines at the vessel's full speed and a separate turbine driving an electric generator supplying current to electric motors on the main turbine shafts for reducing the vessel's speed or reversing. The reverse, however, in most of these systems was only one-third of full power. The Han-Durtnall three-phase system, as applied to marine propulsion in conjunction with internal combustion engines, providing a reverse and three ahead speeds with control from the bridge, was referred to but the author pointed out that until a satisfactory internal combustion engine of large power was produced, the steam turbine would remain the most simple, light, and efficient prime mover.—Scientific American.
ZOELLY MARINE TVRBIXES FOR GERMAN SCOUT CRVISERS. Escher, Wyss & Co. of Zurich, Switzerland, are building a 20,000-horsepowcr marine turbine engine and a new German scout cruiser of 4500 tons' displacement. The German cruiser is building at Kiel, and the 20,000-horsepower engines are expected to afford a speed of Jo knots per hour. The Escher-Wyss turbine engines are of the new Zoelly type, and their development for marine purposes is of very recent date. It will be seen from the displacement of the German cruiser and the horsepower involved that the designs called for speedier vessels than the new American scouts Salem. Birmingham, and Chester.
The new turbine is a parallel-flow "simple action" one with pressure stages, and with a minimum number of stages of nine or ten. It differs from the reaction turbine in several essential points. In the latter the pressure is -converted into steam partly in the guide apparatus and partly in the turbine wheel itself, so that there is always a difference in pressure between the two sides of the wheel. This sets up longitudinal thrust and occasions some loss of steam through the clearance between the wheel and the turbine parts. In order to reduce the loss of steam the radial clearance is brought down to a minimum, and unless there is very careful workmanship may give rise to fatal results to the engine. In order to take up the axial thrust recourse is generally had to a special balancing piston, and this piston also rotates.
In the case of the Zoelly turbine, the pressure is converted into steam exclusively in the guide apparatus. The steam enters the turbine wheel with its pressure preserved and is not lowered in passing. As there is neither axial thrust nor leakage a large radial clearance can be allowed between the turbine wheels and stationary parts. In this new Zoelly steam turbine, which may also be described as a simple-action turbine, the steam jet from each guide apparatus acts on one wheel only. The steam on being admitted to the turbine passes on to the first guide apparatus, in which it is partially expanded, and so acquires kinetic energy, and is further directed at the proper angle to the running wheel, which absorbs the energy corresponding to the first expansion. The steam then passes to the second guide apparatus, where the second expansion takes place, and in like fashion the steam works through all the wheels and passes out to the exhaust pipe. Each guide apparatus consists of a disc divided along its horizontal diameter, and is made of cast steel or cast iron in one piece with a distributing ring. The blades are of nickel steel, and the whole apparatus is very solid in construction. The construction of the runners appears perfected to a high degree of reliability. Each turbine wheel disc is made of high grade steel forged in one piece at the boss, and is carefully turned and polished all over. The blades are thickened toward the center in order to make the stress of the metal the same at every radius.
The Zoelly has only about one-third to one-fifth the number of blades of a multi-stage reaction steam turbine of the same output, and the average velocity of the steam being low the wear on the blades is not appreciable. The Zoelly seems to be regarded in high favor in Germany, and is especially commended by reason of the little care and attention that is necessitated.
The engine installation for the German scout involves four screws with two 6000-horsepower engines working the outboard screws, and two 4000-horsepower engines working the inboard screws. The four turbines are grouped in water-tight compartments, so that each engine is independent of the others. Each turbine is provided with a complete set of auxiliary engines. The turbines are designed for economical working at reduced speeds. For long cruises the lower-power turbines only are used, and the heavier engines are only brought into play for high speeds. The number of turbine revolutions will vary between 380 per minute for 14-knot speed and 580 for full speed. These revolutions apply only to the lower-powered engines; for the heavier engines the maximum number of revolutions will be 400 per minute. Each shaft possesses an independent astern turbine, which further assures great facility in maneuvering.
In addition to the scout cruiser, Escher, Wyss & Co. have designed turbine engines for a new 450-ton torpedo-boat destroyer, and still another installation for a 650-ton torpedo-boat destroyer. In the 450-ton boat the engine output is designed at 9000 brake horsepower. In the case of this vessel there will be three shafts, and the number of revolutions will vary between 500 and 820, according to the speed. The maximum number of revolutions of the outboard engine will be 675 per minute. The center engine is the lowest in power and is designed for economical working during long cruises at low speeds.
In the 650-ton torpedo-boat destroyer the designs call for a turbine output varying between 13,000 and 14,000 brake horsepower. Each turbine is constructed for economical working at low speed, and each shaft is designed for ahead and astern working. The maximum number of revolutions at 30 knots per hour is 650 per minute. One of the above torpedo-boat destroyers is to be brought out by the German government and the other by the French government. The engines for the French boat will be built at home.
In the 450O-ton German scout, steam will be used at pressures varying from 14 to 15 atmospheres. This, of course, is superheated steam, and I understand that Schultz super-heaters will be used in conjunction with Thornycroft-Schultz tubular boilers.
The blades of the Zoelly marine turbine are built of nickel, and the frames of Siemens Martin steel. Krupp furnishes the greater part of the steel that is used in the construction of these engines. This marine type of Zoelly engines differs from the land type of machine in being more solidly built. The Escher-Wyss engineers declare that the turbine is as economical as the reciprocating engine.—Nautical Gazette.
MISCELLANEOUS.
THE NAVAL STRENGTH OF THE NATIONS. By Sidney Graves Koon. As has been the case continuously for nearly 200 years, Great Britain occupies the premier naval position at the present time, with 193 ships of upward of 9000 tons each, active and building, as compared with 117 for Germany, no for the United States and 96 for France. The list following tabulates the situation at the moment for the leading eight powers, with the results of such combinations as the Anglo-Saxon, the Franco-Russian, the Dreibund (Germany, Italy, and Austria), and the sum of the two latter:
| Ships | Displacement, Tons | Guns | Average | Ships over | ||
Tons | Knots | 10,000 tons | 16,000 tons | ||||
Great Britain | 193 | 1,897,860 | 7,540 | 9,833 | 20.15 | 103 | 20 |
United States | 110 | 837,208 | 3,955 | 7,611 | 18.97 | 41 | 12 |
France | 96 | 788,573 | 3,235 | 8,048 | 19.09 | 37 | 6 |
Germany | 117 | 780,720 | 3,844 | 6,673 | 19.1 | 33 | 9 |
Japan | 48 | 422,709 | 1,829 | 8,806 | 19.97 | 18 | 4 |
Russia | 50 | 339,689 | 1,747 | 6,794 | 18.38 | 13 | 2 |
Italy | 43 | 321,872 | 1,681 | 7,485 | 20.16 | 13 | 1 |
Austria | 27 | 171,991 | 866 | 6,370 | 19.67 | 6 | … |
All others | 156 | 558,285 | 3,550 | 3,580 | 17.9 | 3 | 3 |
Totals | 840 | 6,118,907 | 28,247 | 7,284 | 19.44 | 267 | 57 |
Anglo-Saxon | 303 | 2,375,068 | 11,495 | 9,027 | 19.79 | 144 | 32 |
Franco-Russian | 146 | 1,128,262 | 4,982 | 7,727 | 18.87 | 50 | 8 |
Dreibund | 187 | 1,274,583 | 6,391 | 6,816 | 19.44 | 52 | 10 |
Continental | 333 | 2,402,845 | 11,373 | 7,216 | 19.18 | 102 | 18 |
Such figures as these do not tell the whole story. For instance, the fastest navy is that of Chile, with an average speed of 20.74 knots. Brazil comes next, with 20.18 knots, followed closely by Italy and Great Britain, while Argentina, with 18.88 knots, is ahead of Russia; otherwise the order may be picked from the table. In average size of ships no nation in the table has an average as great as has Austria, the lowest listed. The only ships of over 10,000 tons belonging to any nation outside the eight tabulated are three battleships building for Brazil in England, and said in some quarters to be ultimately destined for Japan.
An examination of the table shows that the Anglo-Saxon combination is superior to the five combined continental nations in displacement, guns, average size, and speed, and much superior in the number of large ships. In total number of ships only are we inferior. Of course, the large advantages accruing from a common language and common ideals would be of enormous benefit should it ever be necessary to measure strengths.
Taking up the eight leading nations in a little more detail, and omitting further all ships under 3000 tons and all unarmored ships under 18 knots, we get two tables, one covering battleships only, while the second covers cruisers, both armored and protected. In each case the divisions are somewhat arbitrary, but they are thoroughly uniform, and totally fair.
Battleships | First class | Second class | Third class | ||||||
Ships | Tons | Speed | Ships | Tons | Speed | Ships | Tons | Speed | |
Great Britain | 56 | 862,000 | 19.08 | 14 | 152,070 | 17.29 | 2 | 18,660 | 14.43 |
United States | 31 | 445,679 | 18.54 | … | … | … | 11 | 45,339 | 12.83 |
France | 22 | 313,956 | 18.66 | 8 | 84,362 | 15.98 | 10 | 66,789 | 15.33 |
Germany | 20 | 314,290 | 19.63 | 14 | 152,581 | 17.61 | 13 | 66,634 | 14.98 |
Japan | 15 | 231,752 | 19.8 | 3 | 36,308 | 18.04 | 3 | 18,126 | 14.91 |
Russia | 8 | 112,134 | 17.71 | 4 | 37,753 | 16.47 | 5 | 32,923 | 14.7 |
Italy | 10 | 135,528 | 21.04 | 5 | 62,317 | 17.74 | … | … | … |
Austria | 3 | 43,500 | 20 | 6 | 55,923 | 20.15 | 5 | 28,459 | 17.02 |
Cruisers | Armored | First class | Second class | ||||||
Ships | Tons | Speed | Ships | Tons | Speed | Ships | Tons | Speed | |
Great Britain | 35 | 417,360 | 23.01 | 23 | 213,710 | 20.75 | 39 | 176,320 | 20.11 |
United States | 15 | 186,651 | 22.19 | 3 | 20,620 | 22.58 | 12 | 47,117 | 21.27 |
France | 18 | 190,796 | 22.07 | 4 | 29,655 | 22.14 | 16 | 80,230 | 19.33 |
Germany | 8 | 78,381 | 21.15 | … | … | … | 27 | 107,996 | 21.84 |
Japan | 9 | 81,412 | 21.53 | 1 | 6,500 | 23.7 | 8 | 33,931 | 21.49 |
Russia | 6 | 62,644 | 20.67 | 6 | 38,935 | 23.14 | 6 | 32,100 | 19.46 |
Italy | 7 | 61,250 | 21.61 | 1 | 6,000 | 25 | 3 | 17,303 | 19.44 |
Austria | 1 | 7,185 | 22.01 | … | … | … | 5 | 22,804 | 20.68 |
These two tables should be supplemented by another giving the totals, the total battleships and the total armored fleets, as follows:
| Grand totals | Total armored | Total battleships | ||||||
Ships | Tons | Speed | Ships | Tons | Speed | Ships | Tons | Speed | |
Great Britain | 169 | 1,840,120 | 20.06 | 107 | 1,450,090 | 19.95 | 72 | 1,032,790 | 18.78 |
United States | 72 | 745,406 | 19.39 | 57 | 677,669 | 19.16 | 42 | 491,018 | 18.01 |
France | 78 | 765,788 | 19.12 | 58 | 655,903 | 18.97 | 49 | 465,107 | 17.7 |
Germany | 82 | 719,882 | 19.27 | 55 | 611,886 | 18.81 | 47 | 533,505 | 18.47 |
Japan | 39 | 408,029 | 19.98 | 30 | 367,598 | 19.77 | 21 | 286,186 | 19.33 |
Russia | 35 | 316,489 | 18.68 | 23 | 245,454 | 17.87 | 17 | 182,810 | 16.91 |
Italy | 26 | 282,398 | 20.39 | 22 | 259,095 | 20.37 | 15 | 197,845 | 20 |
Austria | 20 | 157,961 | 19.71 | 15 | 135,157 | 19.55 | 14 | 127,972 | 19.4 |
One further table will conclude our study of the question. This deals with the batteries of the various ships, arranged according to the size of gun. The first column shows the number of guns of 12-inch caliber and upward carried on the ships listed, with the broadside fire in parenthesis. The second column shows the guns of 8-inch and upward, but under 12-inch; the third shows those between 3.9-inch (10-cm.) and 8-inch, while the last shows the smaller guns and torpedo tubes:
| 12-in. guns | 8 to 12 in. | 3.9 to 8 in. | Smaller |
Great Britain | 312 (298) | 172 (134) | 1,915 (1,047) | 4,701 |
United States | 172 (172) | 224 (162) | 728 (374) | 2,230 |
France | 103 (100) | 108 (62) | 859 (472) | 1,870 |
Germany | … | 326 (299) | 741 (371) | 2,187 |
Japan | 66 (66) | 126 (89) | 428 (218) | 1,080 |
Russia | 50(46) | 83 (53) | 379 (304) | 1,035 |
Italy | 44 (44) | 97 (69) | 310 (161) | 788 |
Austria | 17 (15) | 63 (51) | 210 (108) | 448 |
It will be noted that, with regard to number and aggregate displacement of fighting ships, the United States, France, and Germany are running a very close race, standing in that order in armored ships, but with little room for choice. When we examine the batteries carried, however, the immense superiority of the United States in heavy guns, and particularly in 12-inch guns, becomes at once apparent. Germany has no guns over 11-inch. In those of 8-inch and upward the United States carries 396, to 326 for Germany (averaging smaller in size) and 211 for France. It will be remembered that in the war of 1812 a large part of the American success at sea was attributed, and rightly, to the American guns and the way they were handled. We have today a navy with heavier guns on the average than those carried by the ships of any other power, not even excepting England, and reports of target practice leave little doubt that our gunnery is without an equal on the face of the globe. So it will be seen that American traditions in this respect are being followed out in the present force in such measure that we can rightly say that “ship for ship, and gun for gun, our navy is without a peer.”—Iron Age.
STRENGTH OF BRITISH AND FOREIGN FLEETS. A return has been issued showing the strength of the fleets of Great Britain, France, Russia, Germany, United States, and Japan, on March 31, 1908. All vessels are shown which still retain their armaments and are not for sale. A fair comparison, says the return, may be obtained between the older vessels of each Power by reference to their respective ages, displacements, armaments, etc. Vessels are arranged in classes as follows: Battleships, coast defence vessels, armored cruisers, protected cruisers, first-, second-, and third-class, unprotected cruisers, scouts, torpedo-vessels, torpedo-boat destroyers, torpedo-boats, and submarines. The number of vessels, which include both those built and building, are as follows:
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G |
Battleships | 67 | 38 | 15 | 40 | 19 | 30 | 19 |
Coast defence vessels | 0 | 7 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 11 | 1 |
Armored cruisers | 38 | 22 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 15 | 13 |
Protected cruisers, first-class | 21 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
Protected cruisers, second-class | 42 | 12 | 2 | 24 | 4 | 16 | 11 |
Protected cruisers, third-class | 16 | 11 | 1 | 12 | 12 | 2 | 8 |
Unprotected cruisers | 1 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 0 | 10 | 7 |
Scouts | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Torpedo-vessels | 19 | 13 | 6 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 1 |
Torpedo-boat destroyers | 141 | 42 | 93 | 58 | 17 | 20 | 54 |
Torpedo-boats | 118 | 284 | 85 | 83 | 127 | 32 | 79 |
Submarines | 60 | 68 | 36 | 3 | 6 | 20 | 12 |
In the above table Great Britain is represented by A, France by B, Russia by C, Germany by D, Italy by E, the United States by F, and Japan by G. The return also shows the date of launching and completion of each vessel, its displacement, horsepower, and armaments.—United Service Gazette.
NEW RECORD FOR COALING WARSHIPS. The battleship Virginia has just established the world's record in the matter of coaling, having taken aboard 1667 tons in four hours. There is great rivalry between the crews of the warships which are making a tour of the world with regard to rapidity of getting fuel aboard.
As is well known, coaling is the dirtiest and most tedious job in the navy, but the new spirit of the service regards it as a part of the day's work. The bands play while the colliers or lighters are alongside, and competition between ships has run up the records until Rear-Admiral Sperry is highly gratified at this most recent performance. All three ships belong to the second division. They have an advantage in a gallery which runs all around the outside of the main deck and makes coaling easier than on some of the other ships, but no one assumes to detract from the excellence of their performance on this account.
First the Georgia took 1779 tons in five hours and twelve minutes, an average of 342 tons an hour, with 458 tons for the best hour. The Rhode Island next took 1710 tons in four hours and forty-seven minutes, an average of 358 tons, with 461.8 tons in the best hour. The Virginia then outdid them by taking 1667 tons in four hours, averaging 417 tons an hour, with 555.9 tons for the best hour.—Nautical Gazette.
NEW GIANT LINER FOR WHITE STAR. Great preparations are now going on at the yard of Harland & Wolff's, Belfast, for the construction of a mammoth vessel, the Olympic, for the White Star Line, says The Steamship. She will be 50,000 tons and 840 feet long. This is 50 feet more than a Lusitania and Mauretania, which are each 790 feet long. The preparations involve the reconstruction of slips and gantries. Three slips have been turned into two. A new 20O-ton floating crane; an American crane built on six pillars each 175 feet high; and a cantilever traveling crane built by Messrs. Arrol at a cost of 140,000, are part of the new equipment, the total cost of which exceeds a quarter of a million pounds.
The total cost of the vessel is estimated at over 1,500,000. The keel will be laid in September and it is expected the vessel will be launched by September, 1910, just two years in building. She will be propelled by four screws, two driven by quadruple-expansion balanced engines and two by low-pressure turbines. The speed will be over 21 knots per hour. The designs for the internal fittings are of the most elaborate and gorgeous description.—Nautical Gazette.