The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1930-10-13

THIRST Of this type was the ship designed to replace the
Preussen, one of the battleships which Germany had
been permitted to keep after the armistice. The Ger
man word for replacement or substitute is "Ersatz" hence
the ship was given the provisional name Ersatz-P reussen.
which she still carries. Eventually there will be SIX ships
of this type. but as yet none has been completed.
When the plans tor these ships hrst leaked into the tor
eign press they created a sensation abroad and something
of a scandal at home; for the German admiralty wanted
to keep the details secret for a time. 1t was Immediately
evident that the ingenious Germans had again stolen q
had purposely been imposed by the Allies to prevent Ger
many from having any more b~atteships. These new ships
are not battleships. They couldn't stand a ha!f-hour's en-
5 s9.pea, w snt.d even w,i one sns Jf the ,,e o1de r. d sva;d .nsb cn sus tns.'
There are. to be sure. plenty of ships in the world that
could catch these new German hybrids. The treaty"
cruiser type has plenty Of speed for that. But no commander
Of any such cruiser will try to catch the Ersatz-P reussen
if he knows what's good for his ~ship-unless he can slip
up under cover of fog or darkness to a range where his
eight-inch guns. with their more rapid rate of fire. could
counterbalance the harder hitting, longer-ranged guns of the
German ship.
The advantage of the Ersatz- Preussen in such an i'm
agnary combat would not accrue wholly from her heavier
guns. She is akosmore heavily armored than the treaty"
rather quiet. but it appears that her main protective belt is
about FIVE inches thick. Behind his main belt is a second
deep wall of light armor, to localize the effects of shells
that might penetrate and burst, and also for protection
against torpedoes.
A criticism that has been leveled against the treaty
cruisers is that they are not armored against ships bearing
their own type OF main battery guns. her armor is good
against six-inch guns at long ranges. and partially good
against six-inch guns at medium distances. But it is not good
against eight-nch guns at any range; and by the same
token it is even less good against the l ! Inch guns of the
new German ships.
THIS weakness in armor Of the eight-inch gun cruisers
has been sharply criticised by one of America $ leading
naval architects, Prof. William Hovgaard of the Mas
sachuseus Institute Of Technology. Prof. Hovgaard believed
it would be better to cut the main battery down to six eight
inch guns in two triple turrets, as they are mounted in the
Ersatz-P reussen. reduce the present high speeds somewhat.
and invest the saving in weight in better armor.
1t is indeed an open question whether any other nation
can meet the German challenge in propulsion machinery.
The new ships are to be wholly Diesel-drven; the FIRST
large warships in the world to be so engined. The $4,000
horsepower for which they are designed will be developed
by two sets of extremely lightweight Diesel engines, said to
weigh only Is pounds per horsepower. far lighter than any
other marine Desels now in existence.
OF course, Diesel engines cost money. much more per
horsepower than steam. The lavish use Of light metals and.
thin plates of ~high-grade steel costs more money. Building
in armor plates as integral parts Of the structure. instead Of,
merely boiling them on the hull, costs still more. And using
electric welding instead of riveting adds further to the
expense.
So when the total bill is added up, the Ersatz- Preussen
will set the German treasury back $40. O00. 900. exactly
twice the cost of a treaty cruiser of the same displacement.