There were two intermediate steps between them and the epoch-making _Dreadnought_. The first was the creation of the "King Edward" class of five ships, dating from 1902-3. These were very similar to their predecessors, but had over 1000 tons more displacement, were more thoroughly armoured, and, in addition to the four 12-inch and ten or a dozen 6-inch guns which formed their armament, were provided with four guns of 9·2 inches calibre, each placed singly in a turret at the corners of the superstructure. The final type before the _Dreadnought_ made her sensational appearance was the "Lord Nelson" class, which, however, only comprised two ships--the _Lord Nelson_ herself and the _Agamemnon_.[43] They were very little bigger than the "King Edwards", but in their case the 6-inch guns were replaced by ten guns of 9·2-inch calibre, a most formidable secondary battery, capable of penetrating a considerable thickness of armour. The Battle of Tsushima, between the Japanese and Russians, led to the temporary abandonment of the secondary battery. It was considered that battles would in future be fought at such immense ranges that a decision, one way or another, would be reached before the smaller guns could be brought within effective range of the enemy, and the events of the European War go to confirm this theory. So it was that we once more arrived at the "all-big-gun ship", and in the _Dreadnought_, launched in 1906, went back to the principle followed in the armament of her namesake of 1875, and confined her armament--except for a few small anti-torpedo-boat guns--to cannon of the largest size. A comparison of the two _Dreadnoughts_ will form an appropriate termination to this chapter, which has already occupied more pages than I intended. 1875--H.M.S. _Dreadnought_. Displacement, 10,820 tons; speed, 14 knots; guns, four muzzle-loaders; armour, 10, 11, 13, and 14 inches; weight of projectiles, 809 pounds; penetration of wrought iron at 1000 yards, 17-1/2 inches. 1906--H.M.S. _Dreadnought_. Displacement, 17,900 tons; speed, 21 knots; guns, ten breech-loaders; armour, 6, 7, 9, and 12 inches; weight of projectiles, 850 pounds; penetration of wrought iron at 1000 yards, 36 inches. FOOTNOTES: [42] If we except the _Neptune_, which was built by a foreign Government and eventually acquired by the Royal Navy. [43] It would perhaps be more correct to call the _Lord Nelson_ and _Agamemnon_ contemporaries of the _Dreadnought_. They were practically experimental ships offering an alternative type. The cost of thirty of these ships would have been the same as that of twenty-nine _Dreadnoughts_. The annual upkeep of twenty-nine _Dreadnoughts_ would be less by £15,000 than that of thirty _Lord Nelsons_. CHAPTER XII The Evolution of the Submarine and Submarine Mine