8 ” | | 1,040 | | 63.4| 8 ” | | 764 | | 33.8| Cast-iron Muzzle-loader. 12 ” | | 1,095 | | 12 | -------------------------+-------+-------+--------+--------+------ The standard Italian naval ordnance is the Armstrong muzzle-loader. There are some batteries of breech-loaders of the French type, and now that the Armstrong 100-ton gun has become a part of the standard ordnance, the government have ordered them made breech-loading with the Armstrong breech mechanism. The guns are to be provided with arrangements for both breech and muzzle loading. With the breech-loading, as the block is turned to unlock it, a grip on the end of a hydraulic piston in rear takes in a slot in the block, and when the latter is unlocked, a movement of the piston to the rear withdraws it from the gun to a small car having a transverse motion by which the block is carried sideways so as to unmask the bore. An iron cylinder is then inserted and pushed up to the rear of the powder-chamber as a loading-plate, guarding the screw-threads from injury. The charge, being raised by a hydraulic press in the usual manner, is forced home by a hydraulic rammer, and the breech-block is closed by its car and piston. The Gatling gun is used, and there has been an attempt to introduce the Albertini machine-gun, which is used in the army. Although of native manufacture, it has not as yet been received with much favor, being still too complicated in its mechanism, although the instrument is not as yet perfected. GREEK ORDNANCE. The armament of the Greek Navy is exclusively of Armstrong muzzle-loaders. DUTCH ORDNANCE. The standard naval ordnance of Holland is at present the Krupp type. Many of their vessels have batteries of Armstrong muzzle-loaders, and there are a few Finspong guns. The Hotchkiss machine-gun has been adopted for torpedo defence. (See page 305.) JAPANESE ORDNANCE. The standard Japanese naval ordnance is the Krupp. There are a few batteries of Armstrong muzzle-loaders, but none are now purchased. SWEDISH ORDNANCE.