The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-07-01
LARGEST WARSHIP EVERBUILT
DREADNOUGHT THE MOST pow
ERFUL BRITISH W.ARSHTP.

Enfbodies the Lessons Taught by the russo
japanese warrior $4,000 Tons Dis
placement Turbine Engines only H.
inch Guns Carried-FBuilt Cieapiy.
Not for many years has the building
Of a man-of-war excited such widespread
interest as that Of II. M. 8. D~readnought.
In many respects this ship has assumed
a sensational characteristic Is the largest
vessel ever constructed for any war feet ;
she was the first to be commenced after
the recent great struggle In the Far East;
her design, which embodies many new
features, has hitherto been kept an official
secret, and the work OF construction has
been pressed forward with 30 much SUCCESS
that It is hoped she will be In commission
within fourteen months OF the laying Of the
keel plates.
All these facts, says Casters Magazine,
have contributed TO arouse GU curiosity,
PARTICULARLY as 1t is we'll known that British
naval attaches we're accorded special
privileges by the Japanese, and were en-
abled to watch the progress OF the war to
greater advantage than the representatives
Of other Powers.
The essential feature Of the D~readnought
which distinguishes her from all battle
ships now in commission in the worlds
fleets is that she is Of huge size and mounts
only one type Of gun for use In battle.
The war between Japan. and Russia oon-
cusively showed that the intermediate arma-
ment carried by vessels flying European
flags was not effective at modern battle
ranges. It has been calculated that the
effective ranges for battle have been raised
from 5000 yards to 1000 or 5000 yards.
Careful calculations show that at such q
distance the striking power Of rs inch and
Q inch guns, which have been the ~favorite
intermediate weapons In the British Navy
hitherto, is comparatively useless.
Prior to the war Great Britain was
mounting In each Of the King Edward VII.
class four u inch and four 90 inch guns,
hut since the battle Of Tshushima she is
Inclined to depend altogether on the 10
inch gun.
1t is understood that originally the Dread
nought was to have carried twelve guns OF
the IL inch type, but II was eventually
decided to drop out two Of these weapons
in order to mount effectively ten pieces
Of this colossal striking power 80 that eight
of them could fire, on the broadside, six
ahead and four astern. without ~endanger-
ing either the stability Of the ship or running
undue risk owing TO the blast.
The armament OF the Dreadnought
has encountered some criticism on account
Of the slowness of fire OF the - inch gun
in comparison with the rapidity which can
be obtained by the rs inch and o inch
weapons. With the best gun crew
the u inch gun or the o. inch gun can fire
only about two rounds a minute, while the
rs inch weapon can discharge as many az
three or four, and the 0 inch gun can dis
charge In the same unit Of time - many %
eight mojSctIles.
1t has been urged that though the smaller
guns may not DO able TO pierce the armor
plates Of battleship or cruiser at modern
ranges, the effect OF . series Of 100 pound
shells falling on q ship Is Of great value In
demoralixing 9 foe. driving the crew from
exposed positions and bringing down top
hamper Of one kind and another, thus fire.
auently setting up local free.
On the other hand, II Is urged that the
rapidity Of fire claimed for the smaller
guns is largely imaginary. at tho range
which will obtain in future battles. Owing
to the limited supply OF ammunition which
the fight of zach shell must be carefully
watched, with q view to correcting the
-anse before another Is discharged.
This operation OF watching q shell find
its billet severely limits the rapidity OF
in battle action not more than W shells
a minute can be fired from any one gun
with any hope Of making good firing. Under
these circumstances the advantage OF the
6-inch and rs inon weapons disappears.
The IL inch gun which is to mounted
in the Dreadnought j.. not however, the
weapon hitherto carried by British men-of-
war. As the result OF long experiment Q
~ inch weapon Of .45 calibre has been
evolved which is claimed to be the best yet
constructed for use afoat.
1t may be noted that the newest II inch
gun of the British navy, though 1t fires the
same weight of projectile as the gun which
o being mounted In the American ships OF
the Connecticut and New Hampshire classes,
does not attain quite as high . velocity
by about 100 foot seconds.
The new u inch gun, like all OF thoee
mounted in recent British ships. has been
built on the wire system, the advantage
Of which is held to be 30 considerable IN
Great Britain in assuring the strength and
%soundness Of mater;al, as to outweigh All
the advantages which have been urged BY
foreign gun manufacturers. Many early
IL inch guns built on the wire system gave
some trouble, but the newest weapons are
being made with a shoulder, 90 as TO pre-,
vent the inner tube from slipping forward
under the great pressure to which It 10 sub
jected, and increased care il Dsing exeroised'
in the testing Of material.
The principle adopted in the design OF
the Dreadnought has been to construct
five entirely separate redoubts, each carry..
ing a revolving turret fitted for two 2linc
guns. Each Of these circular redoubts
will be heavily armored over it's full
length, and for fighting purposes they will
be entirely distinct.
Around these five fortresses the ship has
been constructed In such q way as to place
two Of tho II inch gum on the forecastle
ls feet above the water line, two redopbts
in the after part Of the ship and two. others
on the broadside. The effect Of this ar
rangement is to keep SIX Of the ten guns
on the centre line, but the arrangement
has the d~isadvantage OF causing two OF the
guns to be marked for fire astern. The
Dre~adnought, however, has not been built
10 run away.
The Dreadnought is tho first battleship
without q ram constructed for the British
navy since the battle Of Lipea, in 1893. The
British Admiralty has finally decided that
no British Captain would ever think Of m
ploying such 8 weapon. In view cfthe denger
which any ship incurs whom 1t rams full
tilt at Q foe. .
The bow Of the D~readnought. in view Of
the elimination OF the ram. has been greatly
strengthened, and the chip Ii provided
with an Armor belt running practically
lie full length, and varying IN thickness
from 0 TO II inches. This belt Is carried