In general appearance these ships of the _Queen Elizabeth_ class do not greatly differ from their predecessors; but there all resemblance ends. In every other way they embody a “new idea”--an attempt so to blend the battleship proper with the battle-cruiser so as to secure the best points of both. Roughly, the battleship proper sacrifices speed for extra gun power and protection; while the battle-cruiser sacrifices these two latter for speed. The speed of the _Queen Elizabeths_ was fixed at 25 knots--something rather less than that of battle-cruisers, but still sufficiently high to take them out of the ordinary battleship category as hitherto understood. Certainly they differ from the normal quite as much as the original _Dreadnought_ differed from her immediate predecessors. It was only possible to secure this high speed, plus other qualities, by the bold adoption of oil fuel only--in itself of the nature of a gigantic experiment, which, however, results have more than justified. The designed horse-power to secure 25 knots is 58,000. If, however, the motive power embodied novelty, still more so did the armament. For the ten 13.5’s of preceding ships, eight 15-inch guns were substituted. So far as power is concerned the 13.5 is ample for all contingencies, but the 15-inch embodies a marked superiority in range and the additional accuracy which a heavier projectile naturally affords. Furthermore--a very important point--the “life” of the 15-inch gun is much longer, owing to there being no necessity to utilise the full power of which it is capable. The general arrangement of turrets is that of all the super-Dreadnoughts, with the middle turret (always the most restricted in arc of fire) omitted. Nothing has ever been officially stated as to the armour protection; but it is known to be equal or superior to that of any preceding battleships. When war broke out, the first two of these ships were nearing completion--the first being completed about the end of 1914 and the second at the end of March, 1915. The 1913–14 Estimates provided for five more or less normal battleships designed for coal fuel,[36] the usual 21 knots speed, but 15-inch instead of 13.5-inch guns. ==================+===============+============== Name. | Built at. | Machinery by. ------------------+---------------+-------------- _Royal Sovereign_ | Portsmouth Y. | (not stated) _Royal Oak_ | Devonport Y. | (not stated) _Resolution_ | Palmer | Palmer _Ramillies_ | Beardmore | Beardmore _Revenge_ | Vickers | Vickers ==================+===============+============== Beyond that they are of 25,750 tons, and were designed for 31,000 horse-power, no details of these ships have been furnished. Two were estimated to be completed by the end of 1915--the others in 1916.