Great Falls daily tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1895-1921, 1921-01-08
Sea Power Double.

} Sea Power Double.
The information has been compiled
in the form of tables which show that
Great Britain's sea power is double
that of the United States. and that al
though the British preponderance in
capital ships will practically have been
overcome by the United States with the
completion in 1923 of the American
building program. the American navy
will still be greatly inferior in types of
vessels which naval officers regard as
extremely important, notably destroyer
leaders. cruisers and light cruisers,
cruising submarines and airplane ships.
The American navy today, according
to this information, has more than double
the strength of the Japanese xavy.
Without reference to second line ships.
of which Great Britain has preponder
ance in all classes over the United States
and Japan, the British navy contains 26
battleships carrying at least 10 guns
each of 12-ineh caliber or larger, and dis
placing 10000 tons or more. The United
States has 16 such vessels. Japan six,
France seven and Italy four. Great
Britain has no first line battieships
under construction, while the United
States has IL, Japan seven, France four,
and Italy four.
The British navy, pioneer in the devel-
opment of the battle CRUISER type. still
retains an easy advantage in this gen
orally regarded indispensable class Of
modern ships.
Rigid CIassificatons Exaeted.
In light cruiser strength, Great Bri-
tain leads by a large margin. with Japan
second and the United States poor
third.
Several French and italian ships were
obtained from the former German navy.
Great Britain is shown to be the only
nation with any destroyer leaders. hav-
ing "a such vessels. Neither Japan nor
the United States has any destroyer
leaders under construction.
Despite the United States great war
time destroyer building program, Great
Britain still maintains preponderanee
in both first and second line vessels OF
this type.
England has II first line submarines
in service of q fleet line, Is first hne
fleet submersibles, and second line. one
cruiser submarine and two monitor type
suhmersibles mounting 12-lneh gun.
and another building. Against this great
undersea fleet of 165 such vessels. the
United States could show total of 9S
second line short radius craft, two fleet
submarines and no cruiser snbmersibles
with 146 others of various types author
lied
The United States has none of the
great monitor submersibles mounting L
inch turret guns either built or building.
Japan has no first line submarines of
any class. although about 40 submersibles
of all classes have been authorized:
France has 63 submarines in service of
all types and none building, and Italy
% built and eight building.
A recapitulation of the figures show
that the January l. 1921, strength of
the three principal naval powers in first
line major ships. (battle ships and battle
cruisers), mounting guns of l3.o inch
caliber or greater. is as follows:
Great Britain, 2S vessels of T23.650
tons: United States. 10 vessels of 300.10o
tons. and Japan vessels, of 26T $50.
This compilation excludes capital
ships mounting guns of less than 13.a
inch caliber because of their low rate of
in modern battle.
The projected strength of the same
three powers at the end of 1923. in cap
ital ships within the same limitations as
to ealiber of guns. on the basis of pres
ent projected building. is fixed at:
Great Britain, 2S ships, totalling 1913.
ESQ tons; United States. 81 ships. of
9S3,0 900 tons, and Japan liz ships of 52S,
$40 tons.
The total first line ship strength of
the three powers January l is placed as:
Great Britain 432 ships of 1901 $50
tons: United States, $50 vessels of 1885,
IT'S tons, and Japan, I3 ships, of 340, 500
tons.