Ships launched, on the

stocks, and

CHAPTER V.

I.

SHIPBUILDING RECENT CONSTRUCTIONS.

It will be convenient to commence the present section with a summary view of the naval construction now in progress at home and abroad. For this purpose we may avail ourselves of a valuable paper communicated by a correspondent to the Times, and published Summary in its issue of December 28.

ordered in

1888.

from the

Times.

"The year 1888 has been one of unusual activity, not only in the Royal and private dockyards of Great Britain, but also abroad, and especially in Italy, Spain, France, and the United States. A new Era of na- era of naval rivalry seems to have recently begun. States which val rivalry. not long ago were content to rank as third or fourth-rate maritime

Medea class.

Powers now betray a tendency to push forward into the second, if not the very first, line, and the threatened disturbance of the old order of precedence among naval nations has already induced nearly every important country to adopt a fresh and more extensive shipbuilding policy.

"For the British Navy only one battle-ship, the Nile, was launched The Nile. during the year, and no battle-ship was laid down. The Nile, a turret ship of 11,940 tons displacement, was laid down at Pembroke in April, 1886, and launched on March 27, 1888. She is being completed at Portsmouth, and will, it is expected, be ready for sea in 1890. Of protected cruisers five were launched during 1888. The list includes Melpomene, Marathon, and Magicienne, steel cruisers sheathed with wood and coppered, of 2950 tons displacement, and Medea and Medusa, steel cruisers, of 2800 tons displacement. The Melpomene was built at Portsmouth, and launched on September 20; the Marathon and Magicienne were both built by the Fairfield Company, at Govan, and were launched on August 23 and May 19 respectively. They will carry armaments of six 6-inch breechloading rifled guns, nine 6-pounders and one 3-pounder quick-firing guns, three machine guns and one light field gun, and will steam at an extreme speed of about 193 knots. The Medea and Medusa were

class.

class

gunboats.

laid down in April, 1887, at Chatham, and were launched, the first on June 9 and the second on August 11 last. Their armaments will be similar to those of the Melpomene class, but the vessels will probably steam about a quarter of a knot faster. Two composite sloops, each of 1140 tons displacement, were also launched in 1888-the Nymphe Nymphe at Portsmouth on May 5, and the Daphne at Sheerness on May 29. The armament of each is eight 5-in. breech-loading and an equal number of machine guns. Engines designed to drive the vessels at fourteen-and-a-half knots on the measured mile, have been furnished by Scott & Co., of Greenock. A smaller sloop, the Melita, of 970 Melita. tons displacement, was launched at Malta on March 20. Her speed is 12 knots, and her armament is similar to that of the Nymphe or Daphne. Of first-class gunboats, six have been launched within the year. Of those the Pheasant was launched at Devonport on April 10, Pigeon the Partridge at Devonport on May 10, the Peacock at Devonport on June 22, the Pigmy at Sheerness on July 27, the Pigeon at Devonport on September 19, and the Plover at Pembroke on October 18. They are all cruising gun-vessels of the improved Rattler type, and of 755 tons displacement, with an extreme speed of 13 knots. They have wood-sheathed and coppered bottoms, and armaments of six 4-in. breechloading and four Nordenfelt machine guns. One torpedo gunboat, the Sharpshooter, was launched at Devonport on November 30. SharpShe is of 735 tons displacement, and will have an extreme speed of shooter. 21 knots. Her armament will consist of two 36-pounders and four 3-pounder quick-firing guns. The other vessels that have been launched are the Research, a paddle-wheel surveying vessel of 520 Research. tons displacement, that was launched at Chatham on December 4, and the Ernest, a steel-plated river gunboat for use on the Nile. She Ernest was launched at Sheerness on March 27, after having been housed in for about two years.

Blenheim.

"Of British war-ships which have not yet been launched, but which Blake and are building or have been ordered, the most important are the two large protected cruisers Blake and Blenheim. Both have been designed by Mr. W. H. White. They are twin-screw steel vessels of 9000 tons displacement and 20,000 indicated horse-power, intended to steam 22 knots on the measured mile, and to carry enough coal for a trip of 15,000 nautical miles at the economical speed of ten knots. The Blake is being built at Chatham, the Blenheim by contract at the Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company's yard. The length of each is 375 feet, and the beam 65 feet, and the armament will probably consist of two 22-ton breechloading and ten 6-inch quickfiring guns, together with eighteen 3-pounder quick-firing guns, four

Barham and Bellona.

Blanche

class.

Basilisk

and Bea

gle.

Vulcan.

torpedo tubes, and machine guns. The Barham and Bellona are two smaller protected cruisers, each of 1830 tons displacement, and having a speed of 19.5 knots. They are being built of steel, the former at Portsmouth, where she was laid down on October 22, and the latter in the Tyne by Hawthorne, Leslie & Co. They will each carry six 4.7-inch 36-pounder quick-firing guns and four 3-pounder quickfiring guns, together with two torpedo tubes and machine guns. At a speed of ten knots they will be able to steam 2600 miles. Still smaller are the protected cruisers Blanche, Blonde, Barracouta, and Barrosa, each of which is of 1580 tons displacement. The armament is similar to that of the vessels of the Barham type, but the speed will be 16.5 knots, and the radius of action, at ten knots, 3400 nautical miles. The Blanche and Blonde are building at Pembroke, and the Barracouta and Barrosa at Sheerness and Portsmouth respectively. Two smaller unprotected cruisers, the twin-screw sloops, Basilisk and Beagle, are under construction, the former at Sheerness and the latter at Portsmouth. They are of 1170 tons displacement and will steam at an extreme speed of 14 knots. To enable them to serve on distant stations they will be sheathed and coppered. A large torpedo depôt ship, the Vulcan, was laid down at Portsmouth on June 18. She is to be of 6620 tons displacement, and to steam 20 knots. She will carry eight 4.7-inch 36-pounder and twelve 3-pounder quick-firing guns and a number of second-class torpedo boats, and she will have coal to enable her to travel 12,000 miles at 10 knots. The engines are being constructed by Humphrys, Tennant & Co. The smaller vessels which are being built are exceptionally numerous. They include nine first-class gunboats, each of 805 tons displacement, and eight torpedo gunboats of the Sharpshooter type, each of 735 tons displacement. To the latter type belong the Spanker, building at Devonport, the Speedwell at Devonport, the Salamander at Chatham, the Seagull at Chatham, the Gossamer at Sheerness, the Sheldrake at Chatham, the Gleaner at Sheerness, and the Skipjack at Chatham. To the former type belong the Magpie, Redbreast, Redpole, and the Widgeon, which are building at Pembroke; the Goldfinch, which is building at Sheerness; the Lapwing and Ringdove, which are building at Devonport; and the Sparrow and Thrush, which are building by the Greenock Foundry Company. Summary. These vessels may be regarded as improved " Pheasants." Summing up the constructive work of 1888, we find that we have launched, excluding the Ernest, which does not figure in the Navy List, seventeen vessels, with an aggregate displacement of 35,425 tons, and have set about building twenty-eight vessels, with an aggregate dis

Smaller vessels.

Torpedo gunboats.

1st class gunboats.

placement of 41,065 tons. In addition, we have ordered or laid down, for the Special Service Australasian Squadron, five protected Australasiansquadcruisers, each of about 2500 tons displacement and 19 knots speed, rons. and armed with eight 36-pounder and eight 3-pounder quick-firing guns. These vessels will be named Pandora, Pelorus, Persian, Phoenix, and Psyche. For the same purpose we have also ordered two cruising gunboats of the Sharpshooter class, which will be named Whiting and Wizard. These vessels raise the total of our construction work taken in hand during the year to thirty-five ships, with an aggregate displacement of 55,035 tons.

ton.

Cécille.

"France next claims attention. During the year she has launched France. one armoured battleship, the Hoche, of 10,580 tons displacement, at L'Orient, and one armoured coast-defence turret vessel, the Phlégéton, of 1640 tons displacement, at Cherbourg. The Hoche, which was Hoche. laid down as long ago as 1880, will be armed with two 52-ton guns, and will steam at 15 knots. She is completely belted, the strongest armour on her water-line being 18 in., and on her barbettes 16 in. thick. The Phlégéton will carry a 28-ton gun. Among the un- Phélgéarmoured vessels that have been launched the chief is the Cécille, a deck-protected iron and steel twin-screw cruiser of 5766 tons displacement, which was launched at La Seyne on May 3. She will steam at an extreme speed of 19 knots, and she carries six 5-ton, ten 54-in. 3-ton, and ten machine guns. Of the other cruisers, the Troude, of 1877 tons displacement, was launched at Bordeaux on Troude. October 22. She is a steel, twin-screw, 19-knot vessel, carrying two 54-in. 3-ton breechloading and seven machine guns, together with five torpedo tubes. Exactly similar to her is the Lalande, and slightly Lalande. smaller (1848 tons), though of similar armament and speed, are the Coetlogon. Coetlogon, Cosmao, and Forbin, all of which were launched during the year. The only other important launch was that of the iron 'aviso-transport' Rance, at L'Orient. She is a single-screw ship of 1597 tons displacement, with a speed of 14 knots, and an armament of four 5-in. and two 31-in. breechloading, and four machine guns. Of the vessels that were laid down previous to 1888 and are still on the stocks, the most noteworthy are the ironclad Brennus, Brennus. and the armoured gun-boat Cocyte. Among vessels laid down or ordered during the year are an ironclad battleship of 10,480 tons, since called the Trehouart, to be built at L'Orient, two armoured Trehouart. cruisers, each of 6297 tons, one of which, the Dupuy de Lôme, is Dupuy de building at Brest, and the other, as yet unnamed, at Rochefort. These vessels will steam at a speed of 20 knots, and will each carry two 7-in., six 6-in., and 14 machine guns. They will be

Cosmao.

Forbin.

Lôme.

completely belted. Three unprotected first-class cruisers have also Isly. been begun, the Isly at Brest, the Jean-Bart at Rochefort, and the Jean-Bart. Alger at Cherbourg. Each is of 4162 tons displacement, will steam Alger. at a speed of 19 knots, and will carry four 6-in., six 54-in., and ten Davoust. machine guns. The second-class cruiser Davoust, of 3027 tons, and Surcouf. the third-class cruiser Surcouf, 1848 tons, together with the torpedo Vautour. Wattigcruisers, Vautour and Wattignies, each of 1273 tons, and two nies. 'avisos-torpilleurs,' each of 321 tons, together with three torpedo Summary. scouts, each of 150 tons displacement, conclude the list, which thus comprises nine vessels of 28,751 tons displacement, launched, and 15 vessels, of 44,073 tons displacement, laid down.

Italy. Re
Umberto,
&c.

"Italy during the year has launched the ironclad barbette ship Re Umberto, of 13,298 tons: the torpedo gun-vessel Confienza, of 745 tons; the torpedo gun-vessel Monzambano, of 741 tons; the 'avisotorpilleur' Saetta, of 317 tons; the steel despatch vessel Archimede, of 784 tons displacement; and the cruiser Piemonte, of 2500 tons, together with four gunboats, each of 108 tons displacement. The Sardegna. ironclads Sardegna and Sicilia, which were laid down some years ago, remain on the stocks at Spezia and Venice respectively. There have been laid down during 1888 four torpedo rams, each of 3530 tons; five torpedo rams, each of 2050 tons; one torpedo despatch vessel, of 317 tons; six torpedo gun-vessels, each of 741 tons; and two steel despatch vessels, each of 784 tons. The year's total is ten vessels, of Summary. 18,817 tons displacement, launched; eighteen vessels of 30,701 tons displacement, laid down or ordered.

Sicilia.

Russia.

Uraletz.

"Russia has launched no ironclads, either in the Baltic or in the Black Sea, neither has she launched any protected cruisers. Indeed, her most important launch was that of the steel 20-knot corvette Uraletz, at Nicolaieff. This is a vessel of 1224 tons displacement. Russia has also launched a steel twin-screw 14-knot gun-vessel of 950 tons. But what Russia lacks in launches she has made good in the laying-down programme. Russia has laid down in the Black Sea two ironclads, each of 8000 tons displacement, and in the Baltic one ironclad of 9800 and another of 6600 tons displacement. She has also laid down in the Baltic a steel-protected 18-knot cruiser of 4300 tons-these, in addition to the ironclad Imperator Alexander, which was begun previous to 1888. She has, moreover, laid down on the Neva a new steel 17-knot Imperial yacht, of 3346 tons displacement, to be called the Standard, and, in the Baltic, four new corvettes of the Uraletz type, each of 1224 tons displacement. Her year's work Summary. may be set down as two vessels, of 2174 tons displacement, launched and ten vessels, of 44,942 tons displacement, commenced.