The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-26
VESSELS OF FOUR NEW TYPES TOU.S 5.
 ARE NOW BUILDING
Fast Battle Cruiser, Light Cruiser, AirpIane Carrier and Fleet of Submarines Are
 Under Construction
By Associared rrss.

1. WaSnIHELont Decctlper sd.--A1nonE ths 1b vessels under construction for the navy are four types new to the American battle fleet, but long in use by the other principal maritime powers. They are tho hatte cruiser. of which six are being built the scout or light cruiser. the air plane carrier and the fleet submarine
 The battle cruisers will be of great speed. light armor. long cruising radius and strong offensive armament, the ships being designed primarily for rang ing work ahead of the main body and for action at long range against vessels of their own class, They are to havs g. speed of slightly more than Ss knots tahout 40 mes) all hour and will carry eight 16-inch guns mounted two in turret
 The 10 light cruisers also will function as scout cruisers They will have a speed of 537 knots and will carry an exceptionally heavy armament for vessels of their class, mounting l2 6-inch guns. They are designed to develop 90000 horse- power. half that of the battle cruisers.
 MOST INTERESTING TYPE
 One of the most into toresting of the new types is the aircraft carrier Langley.
 
 i7 being rebuilt along the line of the gen eral boards policy that aircraft carriers should be combatant ships whose speed and other characteristics will permit of their use with the fleet at seas.
 The Langley will carry in the neigh borhiod of 15 planes of both the sea and military scouting types. The ships fly ing deck will consist of a. huge platform 56 feet above the waterlne extending from bow to stern, distance of about 525 feot and with an amidship's width of 6i feet The planes will be housed below on the hangar deck when not in use and will be carried to the flying deck in elevators. Catapults will be provided on the flying deck to project the planes into the air sand give them the necessary mo- mentum for a start. Arresting devices will be rgged on the flying deck to per- init of landing directly on the deck, while tho Langley is under way while huge cranes will also be installed to pick planes out of the water
 Beneath the flying deck other travel- ing cranes will be provided to hoist air planes out of the hold space and for carrying them to machine shops, assem- bling spaces and to the elevators. Shop facilities for repairs will include com pletely equipped machine shop, wing re- petely equipped machine shop, wing re- and various store rooms.
 INGENIOUS ARRANGEMENT
 An ingenious method for providing smoke pipes without breaking the flying deck are provided for the Langley. Tho ship will have two smoke tunnels, opsi or each side clear of the flying deck and interconnected that the smoke nay always be discharged on the lee side and thus not interfere with the landing or discharge of aircraft.
 The fleet submarines building number six Six others authorized have not vet been contracted for. Their principal characteristics will be a long cruising rad- jus, enabling them to accompany the fleets under practically all conditions, and new structural designs to make them as nearly as possible proof from depth charges. The submersibles will be over 3O1 feet long, with a displacement of about 2,000 tons. The propeiling machin- cry for surface cruising will be two main Diesel engines aft Two othey lsesseis forward will drive electric geQefRtnrs which will provide current for fhs ewUS main electric motors to propet tae afsHs marines when submerged. The .sstsuaefeA surface speed is 20 knots and tlis sub merged speed 10 knots.
 In addition to these new types Secre- tary Daniels and the general board have recommended the construction dur ing the next three years of three other types heretofore unknown in the United States navy, They are the destroyer leader and long range cruising subna- rines. and mine laying submarines sim liar to the German U-117