The Alaska citizen., 1913-09-29

Three new battle-Cruisers are now
being built in Japan-the "FIiyei" at
NokSosuka dockyard. the "Haruna
AZ Kobe and the 'kirishima" at
Nagasaki. while fourth. the "Kon
90" has recently been completed by
Nessrs. NiCkers Ltd. at Barrow-in-
Furness, and will shortly be deliver
ed The stratcgical and tactical quail.
ties governing the design of these
four battle-cruisers having been On.
unciated by the japanese Naval De.
partment from experience gained by
the Russo-Japanesc war. it was left
TO this firm to embody the stipulated
requirements. The machinery for the
first of these battle-cruisers has al
so been constructed by Messrs Wick
ers, and she is now in an advanced
stage of construction. having been
laid down at Yokosuka dockyard
on November 4th. 1911. while the
'tll'i HNlt Itlu w" IL III hdIIn Oh
the following year. The vessels have
the following dimensions Length.
70f feet; breadth 90 feet; draft 81
feet 6 inches: displacement. 27,500
tons: service speed. 2S nots: maxi
mum coal capacity. 1000 tens; oil
fuel capacity. LOO tons; shaft horse
power 10000 armament. eight IL
inch and sixteen G-inch guns; torpe-
does six 21-inch submerged.
1t will. therefore. be gathered that
the "kongo" and her sister ships are
practically the same length as the
princess Royal" but have each 3
feet inches more beam. and LOCO
tons greater displacement, due TO
the greater fighting qualities laid
down by the Japanese authorities.
the armament of the Japanese cruis-
ers comprises eight 14-inch guns. as
compared with an equal number of
13.5-,nch guns in the British ship,
an equal number (sixteen) of guns
for repelling torpedo attack. but
they are of G-inch bore as compared
with finch in the British ship The
"kongo" has double the number of
submerged torpedo tubes fitted in
British ships. and as in these they
are designed to fire 21-ineh White
head torpedoes. Generally the broad
side armor corresponds to that in
the Princess Royal" but owing to
the introduction of armored bulk
heads below the waterline. a greater
weight has been absorbed for pro-
lection in the Japanese ships.
The eight 14-inch guns are mount
ed in pairs in four barbettes. two
of which are located forward and
two aft. all on the center line.
These barbettes are arranged, and
the elevation of the gun is fixed, so
that four may fire forward and four
aft. while all eight may fire on
either broadside. Notwithstanding
the very powerful armament provid-
ed, the armored protection is most
effective, particularly against tor
pedo attack. The main broadside
armor is of special quality steel, and
is equal in thickness to that of any
battle-cruiser yet designed. and is
carr ed to the height of the boat
deck. which is continued on the same
level as the forecastle, forming a
citadel, into which the 6-inch gun
classmates are worked. The main
waterline and under this again there
is an auXil airy armor belt extending
some distance below the normal
armor shelf There is a special ar
raugement of armored bulkheads pro-
4 tecting the vital parts of the ship;
the magazines. for instance. being
completely surrounded with special
steel armer. There is an armOred
deck at the waterline level. and in
addition to this there is an armored
deck closing in the ship from stem
to stern at the level of the top OF
the side armor.
The water-tube boilers burn oil
fuel as we'll as coal; the turbine
are of combined impulse and reac
ton type. To insure safety, the
boilers are arranged in eight com
partments, four en- each side of a
center line bulkhead which extends
throughout their entire length while
the coal bunkers are also disposed
to afford protection. Again, the en-
gines-two sets of turbines on foul
shafts-are arranged in two com
partments with a center line bulk
head between them. The whole o.
the arrangements preserve the in
dependence the port and star
board sets Of machinery and allow
either set to be worked when al
parts of the other are disabled. Tit
high-pressure ahead and astern tur
bines are of the Parsons combined
Impulse and reaction type.
The full power trial of eight hours
duration was carried out success