The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-08-20
BATTLE CRUISER
 BIG NAVAL HELP
Speed Varies According to "o ;tructiOn Says Mate
 McGibbOn
Lowing is the fourth in

-sIOWIHB IS the IOuTLT III a .~4eis of weekly articles contributed by Chief Electricians Mate J. w.. McGibbon, recruiting officer at the local naval station, on various phases of navy life and relating various little known facts about the navy.
 Following the battleship, the next type of vessel in offensive and de- fensive strength is the battle cruis- CT, of which the United Staets has none. Six were building in 1922, but by the terms of the Washing ton treaty all were either scrapped or their hulls converted into air craft carriers such as the U. s. s. Lezingt ton Saratoga type.
 In the design of the battle cruis- CT the balance of speed, protection and armament of the battleship has been destroyed. Battle cruisers have high speed with the offensive power of the battleship, but to gain this protective, armor has been reduced. The main battery of a battle cruiser consisted of ten l2- inch or 14inch guns, with a second- ary battery of from 12 to 16, five inch broadside guns, with eight or more 5-inch anti-aircraft guns. In addition 1t usually carried four planes Of various types, such as long range bombers, combat and torpedo. The speed of battle cruiser varied according to construction, but it was usually up around 24, 26 to 28 knots with tonange around 30,000.
 In the fleet, battle cruisers are used as a fast wing to deliver a blow in support of the battleships or to dash to the assistance of part Of the battleship line which may require aid They are further used in fleet battle either to break up an attack by enemy light forces on their own battle line, or to sup port their own light forces in at tack on the enemy battle line.
 Aside from the uses given for the battle cruisers in the fleet bat tic, they may, in time of war, be employed to guard their own con- mercial lanes or to destroy enemy commerce raiders
 In addition to battle cruisers there are two other types of cruis- CTS, both smaller and less powerful than the battle cruisers; heavy cruisers and light cruisers.
 Heavy cruisers came about AS A result of the naval treaties conclud- ed between the great powers after the World War. They are from 588 to 8l0 feet in length, Gl to 66 feet wide, of 10000 tone displacement, long cruising radius, high speed, equipped with battery of 6 to 10, 5-inch guns, ad to 6, 5-inch anti craft guns. In addition they carry three or four planes, either one or two of the bombing type or one or two of the combat type with high speed. In some instances there may be one or two of the torpedo type. Their light weight does not permit of much defensive armor and they depend upon their maneuverability to elude superior forces. They would be effective against enemy cruisers and craft Of similar nature, and in locating enemy forces known to be at sea.
 Light cruisers are of approximate ly 1000 tons displacement, very fast, armed with either 5-inch or 6-inch guns Like the heavy cruisers they and long cruising radius. They are are not equipped with defensive armament, and depend on their maneuVerability to elide enemy forces.