The New York herald., 1921-07-18


sister Hush Hush" ships were laid
down in 1915 has so much mystery
prevailed regarding the British super
fighting ships as surrounds the four
dreadnoughts which will be built un-
der the current navy appropriations.
THE New York HERALD neverthe-
less has received from authentic
sources certain details which reveal
that the general character Of the
ships is compromise between a
battle cruiser and battleship, and
that they adopt many American ideas
and are five knots faster than the
newest American battleships, but are
less we'll protected.
All manner Of conflicting rumors
are rife about these vessls. Specula'
tion as to their displacement ranges
from a modest estimate of $4,000 tons
up to $4,000. Their speed is vari-
ously estimated at $3.50 and 35 knots
and they have been credited with
every conceivable kind of armament,
including one battery Of eighteen
inch guns.
The British Admiralty has been
sharply criticised in certain quarters,
in which it Is contended that the Sc
cretive policy pursued during the war
is no longer justified In peace times.
THE New YORK HERALD has reason
to believe the official announcement
of the features of the new battleships
will be made when the vote on the
shiphuilding programme comes be-
fore Parliament this month. The
ships are officially described as "fast
battleships."
Batteries Ponderous.
They embody a ponderous battery,
massive armor and ship lines which
with their speed enable them to out
strip all but the latest type Of battle
cruiser.
The second interesting feature of
their design is that it marks the
virtual acceptance of American tao
tical ideas by British naval opinion.
In the past there has been pro-
nounced cleavage between the British
and American views as to what con-
stitutes the essential elements of
fighting efficiency In battleship.
Broadly speaking. American Off
GERS favored mounting the largest
possible number of heavy guns on
each ship, while the British experts
regarded eight as the maximum num-
Der of guns that could be handled
with full effect.
The result Is that with certain ex.
ceptions the latest American battle
ships are armed with twelve heavy
guns apiece, and the latest British
battleships with eight each. Since
the battle of Jutland, however, Brit.
ish views have undergone a change.
That action clearly demonstrated the
advantage of a large battery OF big
guns on each ship. Modern sea bat.
ties are fought at such an immense
range that the percentage of hits
never can be high, and the ship with
the most big guns probably will reg.
lister the most hits, other things be.
ing equal
In Indiana Glass.
The British naval officers regard
the six battleshlps of the same class
as the Indiana now being built for
the American Navy as ideal from the
gunnery viewpoint. These ships dis.
place 43.200 tons and carry twelve
sixteen inch guns in four triple tur,
rets. How closely the new British
battleships resemble the Indiana may
be judged from the fact that they
will displace $4,000 tons, "or there
sbouts." and probably will be armed
with twelve sixteen inch guns in four
triple turrcts.
Where the two designs differ is in
respect TO speed. for against the In
diana's twenty.three knots the new
British heavyweight battleships are
credited with a speed OF twenty-eight
knots. On the other hand they will
have thinner armor plates at the
sides and probably thicker deck plat
ing TO resist high angle fire. AS re
CARDS TO speed they will be five knots
faster than the latest American bat
tleships, five knots slower than the
latest American battle cruisers.
Here. therefore, is plain evidence
that the fusion Of the two types re
ferred to has been carried out.
The triple gun turret which is to
be adopted in the Big Four" is a