Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-18
NEWU.S. CRUISERS
SECRETS GUARDED
Radius of Vessels and Range
of 8-Inch Guns Held
From Public.
~ the Associated Press.

~ the Associated Press.
Uncle Sam has a very particular
secret about his Navy.
He isn't telling any one the cruising
radius Of his new 10,000-ton battle
cruisers or the range Of their S-inch
guns.
Two Of them, the Houston and the
Northampton, will be launched stimuli
taneously September q, the first at
Newport News, Va, and the latter at
Quincy, Mass. Mrs. Calvin Coolidge
will sponsor the Northampton and Miss
Elizabeth Holcombe, daughter Of for
mer Mayor Holcombe of Houston, will
sponsor the ship that bears that city'S
name.
The cruisers are the fourth and NTH
Of eight authorized in December, 1924.
The Pensacola, Salt Lake City and the
Chester already have been launched.
The Augusta, Louisville and the Chi
cago are not yet completed. When they
are done the eight will become division
S of the scouting feet operating from
the Atlantic Coast. June. 1880, is the
tentative date of commission, with the
Northampton as the divisions flagship.
Only Modern U. S. Cruisers.
Built under terms of the Washington
limitation of ornaments conference,
the new craft are Uncle Sans only
modern scout cruisers. Like similar
ships Of other naval powers they are
limited to 10000 tons displacement and
e-inch guns.
In authorizing them Congress asked
for the highest practicable speed and
Exclusive of armor and ornaments.
they were not to exceed a cost Of
$1,000, 900 each.
It is no secret they will make SAT-
knots an hour and carry an airplane,
nine S-inch guns, four 5-tnch anti
aircraft guns and six torpedo tubes.
But. questions about the radius Of
action"-the distance they will cruise
without refueling-get no official an.
swer
Here" says Uncle Sam, "is q privatc
publication with an unofficial list Of
all the war craft in the world. It say.
they will cruise 10000 miles at IS knot:
an hour without refueling"
How far will those new guns shoot?'
For answer Uncle Sam chortleS q
couple of significant liar, har. har's'
and looks mighty well satisfied.
Step to Capital Glass.
He knows that one step more ant
his new sea tigers would be capita
ships" instead of battle cruisers Ir
fact, two of them, the Salt Lake City
and the Pensacola, mount 10 S-inct
guns instead of 9 and the main
batteries on all Of them are operated
from turretS that offer every conven-
fence of elevation and rapid operation
With only two stacks for the oil
burners and stripped of all except
essential rigging, they radiate an atmoS-
phere of crushing efficiency.
They are far superior to the 10 T.
500-ton cruisers of the Omaha type
now afioat. These have q cruisins
radium Of 10000 miles, have only six.
inch guns and three-inch anti-aircraft
guns.
Only six of the 20 old-type cruisers
built between 1890 and 1908 are In
use and they are not combatant ships
now. BY June, 1880, Uncle Sam will
have 10 cruisers. Two more laid down
under the 1929 naval program are being
constructed in private yards at Camden,
N. j., and Quincy, Mass.
BY order OF President Hoover the
construction Of three more has been
stopped.
The program called for IS, to
be built each year for three years.