The Tiger (28,600 tons, eight 13.5 in., guns, speed twenty-eight knots) is the fifth capital ship of the 1911-12 programme; the first keel plate was Inid down at Messrs. John Brown & Co.'s works, at Clydebank, on June 90, 1912, and the vessel was launched on December 15, 1913. The builders did good work in completing the vessel List. before the end of the year. The Tiger is of the Queen Mary class, but she displaces 1,000 tons more man the Queen Mary. This is accounted for largely by armament, for although the primary guns are the same, the torpedo-repelling armament comprises twelve guns of 6 in, instead of sixteen of 4 in. calibre. There has also been an increase in the armour protection.
With the Queen Elizabeth we come to the battleships with 15 in. guns. The Queen Elizabeth. Bar ham, \Valiant, Warspite and Malaya 683 are of the 1912-13 programme, -f 27,500 tons displacement, with eight 15 in. guns each and a speed of twenty-five knots. Normally two years and three months, at least, are occupied in completing a ship from the date of laying down the keel. These magnificent ships have aroused intense interest as the boilers have been constructed to use oil fuel only. This procedure was adopted to enable the speed of twenty-five knots to be ized with moderate dimensions without forfeiting any of the offensive and defensive qualities.
As to the 15 in. gun, we shall have ten ships armed with this weapon by the time any other naval Power has two, Oil and Coal, The new Royal Sovereign class numbers five ships in the 1913-14 programme. These ships are small-than the Queen Elizabethe, namely 25,750 tons, but they all carry eight 15 in. guns. In armament and armour protection they resemble the Queen Elizabeths; but the machinery is designed for the same speed as all the other preceding ships, namely, twenty-one knots, and thus there has Hier no need to ialoue with, or oil
ively to, coal. The construction of these ships, the Royal Sovereign, Royal Oak, Ramillies, Resolution and Kevenge was ae: colorated owing to the postpone: ment of the Canadian Naval Bill, it being intended to ensure that our position would not be jeopardized by the absence of the three Canadian ships. For the same reason two of the four battleships included in the programme of 1914- 15 were laid down at an early date. The latter vessels are to resemble the Royal Sovereigna. At the beginning of the war Germany only had two ships under construction to be fitted with 15 in, guns.
The Benbow (25,000 tons, ten 1: in, guns) and the Emperor of In: are of the 1911-12 programme. These ships were delayed owing to labour disputes. Of the other ships: the Agincourt (27,500 tons), Cansda and Erin (33,000 tons) no other details have been made public. It is interesting to record that the Audacious is in the January Navy
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.