Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-01-29
Battle Cruisers to Be Faster
and Superdreadnoughts
More Powerful

MUlC IUWCi III
Americas new battle cruisers,
which are to cost more than $4,000.
900 each, and will surpass any vessels
Of their class yet authorized by any
navy. VIII be ships of $4,000 tons dis
placement, more than three ordinary
New York City blocks long, mounting
10 guns of the latest 14-inch type, and
will be fitted with eight 21-inch tor
pedo tubes, says the New York Times.
In appearance they will be in a
class by themselves. Five great fun
nels, arranged four between the masts
and one aft Of the after mast an un-
usually low freeboard, and the slen.
derness Of the latticeworks nlasts, are
perhaps the three most distinctive
features so far as the appearance OF
the mighty fighters is concerned.
The Navy Constructor Bureau has
just completed the official drawings
OF the battle cruisers, as well as the
drawings Of the new 32,600-ton super
dreadnoughts. the construction OF
which Is about to begin. and each OF
which viii carry q main battery OF
eight guns of the 16-inch type. These
guns Will fire projectiles weighing
more than 1000 pounds. and every one
can be fired In a broadside to the
port or starboard. Astl!
The official description Of the bat.
tie cruisers shows that they viii be
1900 tons larger than the ships of the
British Tiger class, while In gun pow
er they will mount 10 guns Of the IL
inch type, as compared to eight OF
the 13.b.inch type on the Tiger. The
Tiger Is 720 feet long, whereas the
American ships viii be $50 feet long
In speed they are expected to exceed
the great British fighter by about two
knots. The displacement OF the Amer
lean ships exceeds that OF the British
battle cruisers Of the Lion type by
500 tons. while In length the Ameri-
Of the Lion type BY 175 feet. The
weight Of projectiles fired In q broad
side from the new American ships will
be 1900 pounds. whereas the big
guns of the Tiger and the Lion fire
broadside that totals about 5000
pounds.
Exceeds German Graft, Too
The German battle cruisers of the
Deffflineer type displace IS 1000 tons.
or 800 less than the American ships,
while broadside from the Derffling-
er's eight 12inch guns weighs $500
pounds, or less by 200 pounds than
half the broadside that the 10 14-lnch
guns Of the American ships will be
able to fire s
The only battle cruisers, other than
the proposed American ships, to mount
14inch guns, as indicated by the best
available records, are the Japanese
ships the Kongo and HilYei. each Of
which mounts eight guns Of that type,
which gives them broadside OF IL.
200 pounds. But the Japanese ships
are 100 tons smaller than the Ameri-
cans, while their speed Is about five
knots less. The Russian battle cruis-
ers Of the Borondino and Poltava
classes are about the same size as the
Japanese ships. but are still slower
and the American ships exceed them
n speed BY over eight and one-half
knots.
The official sketches OF the super
dreadnoughts Maryland. Colorado,
West Virginia. and Washington show
that the Navy Department has return.
ed to the ships Of the two-funnel, two
gun turret type. The new ships will
be about 5000. tons larger than the
famous Queen Elizabeth Of the Brit
fish Navy, and win mount eight 16-
inch guns In turrets, two forward and
two aft, as compared TO eight guns Of
the 15-inch type on the Queen Eliza
beth. The German superdreadnoughts
Worth and Friedrich III, like the
Queen Elizabeth, mount eight guns
Of the 15-inch type. They are about
$500 tons less in displacement than
the Maryland and her sister ships
In size the foreign ships that near.
est approach the vessels Of the Mary.
land type are the japanese super
dreadnouehts OF the Fuse and Yama-
shire types, the Fuse being ship OF
$4,000 tons and the Yamashiro of a.
500 tons The Fuse mounts IL IA
inch guns.
Lack Of Speed On Our Navy
The design Of the new American
battle cruisers" says the Record. "is
likely 10 exercise considerable influ-
cnce on naval construction throughout
the world. There are no converts
like new converts. But II Is not a lit
tie surprising that the American naval
authorities, once they were convinced
Of the value Of capital ships OF the
highest possible speed, should have
decided on 30 revolutionary step In
construction as the new battle cruiser
nlans indicate. The average speed OF
the ships of the American fleet, class
bv class, Is considerably lower than
that Of any other fleet II IA true that