El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-12-06
ENGLAND BUILDS
ITS LAST BIC
WAR5HIP
Naval Expert Believes the
Day Of Dreadnoughts
Is Over.
SUBCRUISERS TO
BE CHIEF WEAPON

I ONDON. Dec. 6.-Great Britaln's
Il newest battliship. the Hood, which
win be given her trials in the latter
part Of the month, IS regarded in
some expert naval circles here as the
last super-dreadnaught that the ad-
miralty viii build.
That opinion Is not based on any
assumption that the proposed league
OF nations VII make naval power su-
psrfluous. but on the very sound
opinion that the days Of dreadnaughts
are Ger. Admiral lord Fisher, now
retired, but whose ideas are mainly
responsible for what the British navy
Is to-day, and Admiral Sir Percy
Scott gunery expert, both believe
that the big above-sea battleshlp Is
out Of date. They offer too large a
target.
The sea terrors OF the future viii be
the super-cruiser submarines mount
Ing 20-inch guns or larger. That Is
the accepted theory OF the British
admiralty to-day These underwater
cruisers VIII work with naval air
craft.
Reason for Reduced NAVY
Ihat explains why British authorl-
ties. forced by the nations financial
difficulties. can calmly offer scores
Of antique Warships TO South Ameri-
can and other governments. dismautle
dozens Of other Warcraft and reduce
the navy straight-off 70 less than
10000 officers and men. Admiralty
experts know that Ia any future war
practically all present first-iine ships
Of all the naviss in the world, lnclud-
ing that OF the United States. VIII be
Is valuless as cardboard cannon.
Against torpedo-earrylug aircraft and
ships that can stick their guns
through the surface OF the ocean fif-
teen miles away. fire and disappear
present day battleships which can
not submerge viii be helpless.
Submarine cruisers Of the Nj type,
which carries a 12-lnch gun and In
stead Of a cheese-box coming tower
has q camels back hump some fifty
feet long and more than eighteen feet
high. VIII drive dread.naughts from
the sea Experts say there q no rea-
son why an 1S-inch gun should not
be mounted on the Nj type.
The success Of the Nj type has
80 impressed officials that three sister
ships Of the Hood in early stages OF
construction were abandoned. The
construction was FAR ahead OF the
wanted to see how ideas gained In
warfare would actually work out.
The Hood Is a fusion OF the dread
naught and the fast cruiser. Her dis
placement is LOO tons, length $50
feet horsepower $4,000 and her speed
81 knots. Internationally she Is the
most powerful big warship Britain
has ever built The Renown. which
previously held high honors. Is $50
feet long OF $500 tons, 2Q00 horse
power and does 30 knots
The Hood has twelve inches OF ar
NOR plate at the Waterline, the Re-
noWn half that The Hood has eight
15-lnch, twelve 5-inch and four T.
inch guns. the latter for anti aircraft
fire. while the RenoWn's battery COM
prises six 15inch anti-air- tshrdulvb
prises six 15-inch and seventeen 4
inch guns. with two 3-inch antl-air-
craft guns The Hoods furnaces are
adapted for oil fuel only, OF which the
ship can carry 1000 tons supply,
Gunhouses Protected
The Hoods gunhouses are protected
by armor from II 20 Is inches thick,
while the guns can be given higher
elevation than those on any other
British dreadnaught- The deck has
amor plating varying from one 10
three inches thickness; the coming
tower is protected by armor plate
from nine TO eleven inches thick
Against underwater explosion the
Hood Is protected by a bulge OF bis
ter. Both above and below water the
Hood has greater protection By heavy
armor plating than any other British
-arship.
Trials win be held off Davenport I
and after her commission she probably
viii be assigned to admiral Charles
Madden, commander OF the Atlantic (
fleet as flagship