New Britain herald., 1915-03-16
LAUNCH PENNSYLVANIA
At HAMPTON ROADS
New US. Super -dTesdaaughl Christ.
caed by Miss ko'b.

| Newport News, Va, March 16.-
When the new uper-dreadnaught
Pennsylvania slipped from the ways
into the historic waters of Hampton
Roads this morning shortly after 10
o'clock, she took her place III the lead
| of the navies of the world as the
mightiest fighting machine afloat
| In size and gun power the Penn
! sylvana's greater even than the queen
! Eliza beth Of the British navy, which
led the recent terrific assault of the
allies on the forts of the Dardane1les.
While the British monster carries
| larger guns, her main battery is only
two-thirds the size of that of the
Pennsylvania in number and the
| American battleship is 5000 tons
greater in size.
! The main battery Of the Pennsyl-
vania will consist Of twelve 14-inch,
As calibre rifles, set in four turrets,
three guns to a, turret, the plan OF
big gun arrangement adopted in the
sister ships which preceded her, the
Nevada and Oklahoma. Her tonnage
measurement is 81, 400 against 27,5OO
for the Nevada and Oklahoma and
the Queen Elizabeth. The latter
however carries eight 15-inch rifles
As caliber, set two to a turret, while
the Nevada and Oklahoma have ten
14-inch rifles each in two 3-gun and
| two 2-gun turrets. In all these ships,
including the Pennsylvania, the turrets
| are all on the center line to concen-
! trate their fire on either broadside.
/ Will Have Less Tonnage.
| 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
! 24,50O tons displacement, and none
| will equal the Pennsylvania in arma-
! ment. 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 Of the Japanese navy,
estimated for in 1914 and known as
the Fuse class, will not equal the
Pennsylvania in tonnage with their
displacement of 10000 tons, but will
carry the same main battery Of twelve
14-inch rifles. They will exceed the
Pennsylvania in speed, estimates call
ing for % knots against Fl knots for
the Pennsylvania.
Call For Three Ships.
The 1914 estimates for the German
navy call for three ships of the Kaiser
Friedrich III class. with a displace-
ment of 10000 tons and carrying
eight 15-inch rifles.
The British ships of the Queen Eliz-
abeth class greatly exceed those of any
other navy in speed, requirements
calling for twenty five knots an hour
while the Royal Sovereign class will
make at least 22.5 knots.
Since the outbreak of the war de-
tails as to foreign naval programs have
been jealousy 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 I
have been planned which will exceed |
in size the three American ships of the |
California class, work on which has |
barely started.
These will have displacement of |
80 900 tons each and armament equal |
to that Of the Pennsylvania.
Oil Fuel Exclusively.
The cruising radius of the Pennsyl-
vania will be considerably increased |
by the fact that she will be equipped
for Oil fuel exclusively and will have g !
Queen Elizabeth has capacity OF
1000 tons of oil because of her high |
speed requirements.
From her enormous main battery
the Pennsylvania will be able to h11rl
with the pressure of q, single firing
lever, IL tons of steel on either
broadside. In addition she will carry
a secondary battery of twenty-five s.
inch rifles for defense against torpedo
boats. She will be fitted also with four
Emerged 21-inch torpedo tubes and
her ships company will be composed
OF 65 officers, S63 bluejackets and "a
marines. The ship measures sos feet
over all and 81 feet beam and her
mean draft is 2S feet, 10 inches, al
most the limit in size for the Panama |
Canal and present navy dry-docks
There are only few docks in the
world which can receive her and sh "a
could not enter many busy harbors
except under most favorable condi
lions of tide and wind.
Cost Over $13.OOO.OOO.
When completed the PENNSYLVANIA
will have cost the government more
than $13, 100000. She will be ready
for commission. under contract by
February %, 1916. Her keel was
laid October 81, 1913.
The enormous size of the new ship !
and the startling rapidity with which
battleship construction had devel-
oped, even before the great war, is
indicated by comparison of the Penn