The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-03-16
PENNSYLVANIA Greatest
FIGHTING machine AfLOAT
In Size and Gun Power New Addition
to U. s. Navy Exceeds the Queen
Elizabeth. Which Led Assault on
Dardanelles

Newport News, Va, March 16.--
When the new super-dreadnaught Penn
sylvania slipped from the ways int,
the historic waters of Hampton Road
here to-day she took her place in tn,
lead of the navies of the world as tn,
mightiest fighting machine ahoat.
In size and gun power the Pennsyl
vania is greater even than the Queer
Elizabeth of the British navy, whicl
led the recent terrific assault of tn,
allies on the forts of the Dardanelles
While the British monster carries
larger guns, her main battery is only
two-thirds the size of that of the Penn
sylvania in number and the American
battleship is 5000 tons greater in size
The main battery Of the Pennsyl
vania will consist OF twelve 14-ineh, As
ealibre rifles, set in four turrets, three
guns to turret, the plan of big bun
arrangement adopted in the sister ships
which preceded her, tine Nevada and
Oklahoma. Her tonnage measurement is
31,40O against 1880 for the Nevada
and Oklahoma and the Queen Eliza
beth. The latter, however, carries eight
/ 15-inch rifles, 40 cahbre, set two to a
|
homa have ten 14-inch rifles each in
two S-ineh gun and two 2-gun tnrrets.
In all these ships. including the Penn.
sylvania, the turrets are all on the cen.
ter line to concentrate their fire on
either broadside.
Greater Tonnage Than British Ships
Five battleships of the British navy
yet to be launched will have less ton.
mage than the Pennsylvania, the ships
of the Royal Sovereign class being of
24,5O0 tons displacement, and none will
equal the Pennsylvania in armament.
Each is designed to carry eight 15-inch
guns.
Details of four other British battle,
ships, already authorized, are not
known here officially.
! Five ships oe the Japanese nav, es.
timated for i'll 1914 and known as the
fuso class, will not equal the Pennsyl.
wanna in tonnage with their displaee.
ment of $4,000 tons, but will carry the
same main battery of twelve 14-iuch
rifles. They will exceed the Pennsylva-
mia in speed. estimates calling for %
knots against . knots for the Penn
sylvania.
navy call for three ships of the Kaiser
friedrich III class, with displacement
of $4,000 tons and carrying eight 15-
inch rifles.
The British ships of the Queen Eliza.
beth class greatly exceed those of any
other navy in speed, requirements cali
ing for 20 knots an hour while the
Royal Sovereign class will make at least
22.5 knots.
Other Great U. s. Vessels Proposed
Since the outbreak of the war de.
tails as to foreign naval programs have
been lealously guarded and it is prob.
able that Great Britain, Germany and
France have laid down many vessels of
which no report has been made. So far
as Is known, however, no vessels have
been planned which will exceed in size
the three American ships of the Cali.
1ornla class, work OF which has barely
started. These will / we displacement
OF $1,000 tons each and armament
equal to that of the Pennsylvania.
Ihe cruising radius of the Pennsvl-
vania will be considerably increased bv
the fact that she will be equipped for
oil fuel exclusively and will have a
capacity of 1892 tons of fuel oil. The
queen Elizabeth has capacity of A.
ooo tons of oil because of her high
speed requirements.
From her enormous main battery the
Pennsylvania will be able to hurl. with
the pressure of single firing lever.
az tons of steel on either broadside. In
addition she will carry secondary
battery of twenty-five 5-inch rifles for
fefense against torpedo boats. She will
be fitted also with four submerged 81.
inch torpedo tubes and her ships com
pany will be composed of 65 officers.
500 biuejackets and "A marines. The
ship measures COS feet over all and
~ feet beam and her mean draft is 2S
rect, l0 inches, almost the limit in size
Dor the Panama canal and present
navy dry docks. There are only few
docks In the world which can receive
her and she could not enter many busy
haroors except under most favorable
conditions of tide and wind.
TO Cost More Than $4,000, 900
When completed the Pennsylvania
will have cost the government more
than s13,000.000. She will be ready
for commission. under contract, bv Feb.
""iI 20, iSio. IeI Keel was lalu Sr-
tOber 27, 1913.
The enormous size of the new ship
and the startling rapidity with which
'battleship construction had developed,
even before the great war, is indicated
by comparison of the Pennsylvania
with the British battleship Dread.
naught, first of the all-big gun shits
in any navy. The Dreadnaught was es.
tlmated for in 1907. She was designed
to displaee 1900 tons but actually
is considerably larger. In the main
battery are ten 12.inch guns with a
broadside fire of six guns and her trial
speed was 21.2 knots.
The Pennsylvania will be couipped
with turbine engines as is the Okla
homa, the Queen Elizabeth and all of |
the newest English, German and jap.
anese battle craft. The Nevada will |
be operated by reciprocating engines
while the California, of the $4,000
class, will be driven by electricity. One
of the other two American battieships |
of the California class will have tur. |
bine engines and the other reciprocal
ing in line with the Navy Department s