Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-03-17
DREAD|NOUGH1
IS ! LAUNCHED |.
Pennsylvania One Of Nfightiest Of
Fighting Machines Ahoat; Is
Greater Than. Queen
Elizabeth.

Newport News. Va. March 10;
When the new super-dreadnoughl
Pennsylvania Slipped from the ways
into the historic waters OF Hampton
Roads here today she took her place
in ,he lead OF the nayies of the world
as the m.ightiest fighting machine
af1Oat.s F4a 5,m H s%5 =.
III size and gun power the Penn
~sylvanias Is greater even than the
Queen Elizabeth Of the. British Navy,
which led the, recent terrific assault
of the allies on the forts of the OAR
danelles. ,fWlhileSthss British monster
carrier larger gins, her main ..batteEy,
is only two-thirdA the size OF that Of
the Pennsylvania in number and the
American battleship is 5000 tons
greater is size. I S
Has Heavy Armament
The main battery i the Pennsyl-
vania will consist Of twelve 12.inch,
as calibre rifles, set in four ~turrets,
three guns to a turret, the plan Of big
gun arrangement adopted in the sis
ter ships which preceded her, the Ne.
vads. and Oklahoma. Her tonnage
measurement Is 31,4N0 against 27,5OO
for the Nevada and Oklahoma and the
Queen Elizabeth. The latter, how.
ever, carries eight z15-inch rifles. IS
calibre, set two; in a turret, while the
Nevada and Oklahoma have ten "A.
inch rifles each in two 3-gun and two
2-gunn turrets. In all these ships, in.
Gliding the Pennsylvania the turrets
are all on the center line to concen-
trate their fire on either %broadside.
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
24,5OO 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.
Main Battery Powerful
Five ships Of the Japanese navy, es-
timated for in 1914 and known as the
Fuse class. will not equal the Penn
syl ania in tonnage, with their dis
placement of 10000 tons, but will car
~ the same main battery of twelve
4.inch rifles. They will exceed the
Pennsylvania in speed, estimates call
ing for % knots against 81 knots for
the Pennsylvania.
The 1914 estimates for the German
navy call for three ships of the Kaiser
Friedrich III class, with a displace-
ment of $4,000 tons and carrying eight
15-inch rifles. Il
The British ships of the Queen Eliz.
abeth class greatly exceed those OF
any other navy in speed, require.
ments calling for Is knots an hour
while the Royal Sovereign class will
make at least 225 knots.
Details Guarded
Since the outbreak Of the war de.
tails as to foreign naval programs
have been jealousy guarded, and it
is probable that Great Britain, Ger.
many and France have laid down
many vessels Of which no report has
been made. So far as is known, how.
ever, no vessels have been planned
which will exceed III size the three
American ships Of the California class
work on which has barely. started.
These will have displacement Of
$4,000 tons. each and armament equa'
to that of.the Pennsylvania.
High Speed Requirements
The cruising radius Of the Pennsyl
vania will be considerably increased
by the fact that she will be equipped