Semi-weekly herald., 1913-03-24
milton. Her full load displacement

than $500 tons larger than the Ne
vada. A part of this weight will be
consumed by the two additional a.
inch guns and the greater weight of
the two three-gun over the two two
gun turrets which they replace. There
will also be-. of course, an increased
weight of ammunition. A large part
of the $500 tons also will be consumed
by the increased length of the ship
and the greater weight Of the frames,
decks, beams, and deck plating, due
to her increase of beam. Then there
will be very large consumption of
weight due to the increased length of
the side armor. There will be slight
thickening up of the armor plan over
rhat of the Nevada. Furthermore,
the boiler and engine plant must be
enlarged somewhat to drive the heav-
icr ship; although the finishing out Of
her lines, due to her greater length,
will go far to offset the increased
load. Finally, and very important,
will be the larger fuel supply with
the considerable increase which it will
give to the radius of action.
The disposition of the turrets will
be similar ITO that of the Michigan,
which, by the way, affords the most
efficient distribution of the guns for
securing a maximum of all-round fire.
There will be two three-gun turrets
.bove the forecastle deck, and after
guns training above the roof of the
forward turret, and there will be a
similar pair of turrets aft. This will
| give an end-on fire, both forward and
aft, of six 14-inch, and broadside
fire of twelve 14-inch guns.
The three guns in each turret will
6e mounted in common sleeve, sc
that they will be elevated together
and the three shells, if there is no va
Ration in the powder. must fall alb
sclutely together matter of great
assistance to the spotter. There vii
thus be four gun pointers in place oi
| twelve, and errors Of range should b'
greatly diminished. The torpedo-de
3fcnse battery will consist of twenty
two S-inch guns, carried chiefly OIL
the main deck, about twenty-five fee
above the water line. The armamen
will also include four submerged 21
irch oipedo tubes.
In recent discussion of dread
), noughts befort the Society of ltalial
: Architects. distinguished officer sta
4 ted that the dreadnoughts of the Uni
ted States navy were better protecte
than those of any other navy. Un
auestionably this is a fact, and it
| our decided opinion that the policy o
. making the protection of the flotatio
of the ship and her main armamen
/ Of paramount importance will stan
, LIS in very good stead when it come:
= il il ever does, to the trial of a line
of-battle engagement.
The hull of the Pennsylvania
, most fully protected. The main bel
is eighteen feet in depth and foui
teerth inches In thickness; it extend
, far below the waterline. At the foe
, of it, from the armor shelf springs
.-inch protective deck, which slope
{ upwardly to about the level of the wa
, terline. At the top of the armor bel
| is an upper protective deck. Th
: main oelt extends to near the ends Q
{ the ship, and its extremities are joir
; ed by TRAVERSE bulkheads of heav
: armor. The barbettes are IA inche
in thickness. The sloping port plate
, of the turrets are no less than eigf
J teen inches thick. The roof armo
, has been thickened to five inches.
{ To protect the base of the singl
: smokestack and prevent the escape Q
poisonous furnace gases betwee
| decks, heavy armor is carried aroun
t the base.
; The battery of torpedo defense gun
J is without any armor protection what
i soever. To place relatively thin al
, NOR on this battery is to make Gel
tain the bursting of armor-piercin
shells, which might otherwise pas
: entirely through the thin plating 9
the ship.
/ Because of the wider space availabl
, due to the absence of side bunkers, tn
boiler rooms are placed together vi
der one large central smokestack.
: No attempt will be made to utili2
additional displacement of the shi
for any great increase of the me
| tive power and speed. The speed wi
be only little greater than tina
of the Nevada and Oklahoma, or sa!
, about 81 knots.
Il The Pennsylvania, therefore, wi
, be an enlarged and considerably NOR
, powerful Nevada. Her guns will hav
the same arcs Of training and she wi
be so designed that she can maneuve
with the same turning circles, etc
as her smaller sister. If congress ap
prcpriates, this year, for two NOR
Pennsylvania, we shall have di
vision of ships which cannot be match
|. ed in any navy in the world.
i The Pennsylvania embodies the com