Two vessels of this class, “Kaiser” and “König Albert,” recently completed an ocean cruise of 20,000 miles, and are said to have proved excellent sea boats. Their maximum fuel capacity is 3,600 tons. HELGOLAND CLASS. (Completed 1911-12.) HELGOLAND. OSTFRIESLAND. THÜRINGEN. OLDENBURG. The “Helgoland” class, to which these vessels belong, represents the second group of German Dreadnoughts. They are undoubtedly powerful units, but the design has been sharply criticised in Germany. Displacing 22,440 tons, and with a designed speed of twenty knots, which has been slightly exceeded in service, this class is armed with twelve 12-in., fourteen 5·9-in., fourteen 21-pounders, and six submerged torpedo tubes. The big guns are in twin turrets, of which four are placed on the broadside, and two on the centre-line. This disposition allows only eight guns to be trained on either beam; in other words, only 66 per cent. of the heavy armament is available on the broadside. The designers have explained this apparent defect by pointing out that if the ship were attacked on both sides simultaneously it could reply effectively on each broadside. Nevertheless, this system was not approved by German experts, and was subsequently abandoned in favour of a turret disposition which permits the free use of all big guns on each beam, as in the “Kaiser” and “König” classes. The “Helgolands” have 11¾-in. armour on the water-line. They are very steady in rough weather, and all have done well at gunnery. The maximum coal supply is 3,000 tons. A complement of 1,106 officers and men is carried. NASSAU CLASS. (Completed 1909-10.) NASSAU. WESTFALEN. RHEINLAND. POSEN. The “Nassau” class, to which these vessels belong, were the first Dreadnoughts to be built by Germany. For their size they have an extremely powerful armament, but too much was obviously attempted on the displacement, and they are admittedly failures. These ships displace 18,600 tons. They have exceeded their designed speed of nineteen knots by more than one knot. The armament comprises twelve 11-in., twelve 5·9-in., sixteen 21-pounders, and six submerged torpedo tubes. Owing to the disposition of the four broadside turrets only eight of the big guns can be used on one broadside, so that the ships, in spite of their more numerous armament, can train only the same number of heavy guns on the beam as the British Dreadnought. So much room is taken up by the gun positions and their magazines, &c., that space between decks is very limited, and the officers and men can scarcely be accommodated. Over vital parts of the hull there is 11½-in. armour, but the turrets have much thinner protection. It is held by experts that these ships would be quickly put out of action if subjected to heavy fire, and it is considered doubtful whether they would be able to stand for long the concussion of their own numerous heavy guns. The complement is 966 officers and men. The full coal capacity is 2,700 tons.