Modern ships of warReed, Edward J. (Edward James), Sir
History
Modern ships of war
Reed, Edward J. (Edward James), Sir
Navies; Warships
In addition to the vessels mentioned above there are others not
described nor noticed in the text. The two battle-ships referred to
upon page 55 are the _Sanspareil_ and the _Victoria_, the latter
formerly known as the _Renown_, but named anew in April last. These
ships are to carry 1180 tons of coal, and under forced draught
are expected to develop 12,000 horse-power and a speed of 16.75
knots. The 9.2-inch 18-ton stern pivot gun originally intended for
these vessels has been replaced by a 10-inch 26-ton rifle, and the
secondary battery now includes twenty-one 6 and 3-pounder rapid
fire guns. The other prominent departures from the central-citadel
type are the _Nile_ and _Trafalgar_. These 11,940-ton ships are the
largest war machines ever laid down for the British service. They
are to carry revolving turrets on the fore and aft line amidships,
and will have an intermediate broadside battery mounted in a
superstructure which covers the full width of the ship between the
turrets. A water-belt line 230 feet in length rises in the waist
for a distance of 193 feet, and both belt and citadel are covered
by a three-inch steel deck, which is curved forward and aft to
strengthen the ram and protect the steering gear. The armor is
compound—eighteen inches thick on the turret and twenty inches
thick as a maximum on the water-line—and to support the backing
there is an inner skin two inches thick. The armament consists of
four 13½-inch 68-ton breech-loading rifles, two in each turret;
of eight 5-inch guns in broadside on a covered deck protected by
three inches of vertical armor, and of eight 6-pounder rapid fire,
ten 3-pounder Maxim, and four Gardner guns. The horse-power under
forced draft is to be 12,000, and the estimated speed is 16½ knots.
The main battery originally designed for these ships included only
one 68-ton breech-loading rifle for each turret; subsequently this
plan was rejected, and the armament stated above was adopted. “The
economy of mounting the heavy guns in pairs arises not only from
the increased power thus obtained from a given weight of guns, but
from the fact that it requires but little more armor to protect two
guns than to protect one. It also requires more machinery to work
two guns separately than in pairs, and the magazine and ammunition
supply arrangements of guns mounted separately are necessarily more
complicated, and require more men to operate them than those mounted
in pairs.
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