Bridgeton pioneer., 1916-02-17

News Express Highest Admiration
of Most Powerful OF All American
BattIeships-Must Make Twenty one
Knots.
1t has been announced by the New
port News Drydock and Steamship
Building company that the new su-
rerdreadnaught Pennsylvania. which
is to be the flagship of the Atlantic
fleet and which is 1000 tons larger than
the largest ship of the dreadnaught
type ever built for the United States.
will leave Newport News for her build
ers trials at once. The Pennsylvania
is now about 81 per cent completed
and if necessary can be made ready
for active service within few weeks.
Powerful as are the new superdread
naughts Oklahoma and Nevada. the
future flagship of Admiral Fletcher is
superior to those vessels not only in
size, but in armament, for she carries
a main battery of twelve fourteen-inch
guns as against ten of the same caliber
in the main batteries of the Oklahoma
and the Nevada. Those ships are of
27,500 tons displacement, whereas the
Pennsylvania displaces 31,4OO tons.
Twenty one Knots an Hour.
The Pennsylvania contract calls for
a speed of u knots, but it is the hope
and expectation of her builders that
she will exceed that speed by at least .
a knot. The Oklahoma, which under
her contract was required to make
20.5 knots. exceeded % knots in her
recent trials off the Maine coast.
A little more than 200 yards from
the spot where the Pennsylvania is ;
receiving the finishing touches is the
Elder-Dempster liner Appam, captured
by German raider and brought to
Newport News as Il prize of war by
German crew from the raider When
the Germans got into Newport News
the first vessel that they saw was the
magnificent new battleship. Lieuten-
ant Berg, the prize commander, and
his men did not hesitate to express
their admiration for the mighty fight
er, which American naval officers de-
clare is to be the equal in battle efti-
cheney of any vessel of the all big gun
type afloat.
An idea of the power of the Pennsyi-
vania may be had by comparison of
her broadsides with those of other
first line battleships Of the dreadnaught
type now in the Atlantic fleet or soon
to be added to it. The present fleet
flagship, the Wyoming, fires from her
main battery of twelve twelve-inch
guns a broadside of projectiles that
weigh about 10,100 pounds. The New
York, the flagship of the First division
OF the fleet, like the Oklahoma, fires
from ten fourteen-inch guns a broad
side weighing $4,000, whereas broad
side from the twelve fourteen-inch
guns of the Pennsylvania will weigh
$4,000 pounds. just nine tons.
Looks Like the Oklahoma.
In appearance the Pennsylvania is
much like the ships of the Oklahoma
class. Like them, she has a single fun
mel and has her main battery guns
mounted in four turrets. In the Okla
homa the guns are mounted three in
TWO turrets and two in the remaining
two turrets. There are three guns In
each of the Pennsylvania's turrets.
which are placed two forward and two
aft.
The Wyoming is 554 feet long. the
oklahoma is 575 feet, and the Pennsyl.
vania is 800. The Wyoming has two
twenty-one-inch submerged torpedo
tubes, whereas the Pennsylvania, like
the vessels of the Oklahoma type. has
TOUR twenty one inch torpedo tubes.
The Arizona, building at the New
York navy yard, is sister shin of the
pennsylvania, but will not be ready
Tor her trial trips until several months
after the Pennsylvania is ready to be
turned over to the government 1t is
expected that the Pennsylvania. Okla
noma and Nevada will all be added to
the Meet at about the same time. This
VIII necessitate an almost complete re-
alignment of the first line vessels.
Inc oklahoma and the Nevada. New
YORK, Texas and present fleet fiagsbip
wyoming are expected to compose tbe
hrst division. the second division being
made up Of the Arkansas. Utah. Flori-
ua' Delaware and North Dakota
winch will give the Atlantic feet for
the hrst time in its history. two com.
piete divisions of dreadnaughts.