VIII. Statement of the First Lord of the Admiralty, explanatory of Navy Estimates, 1889-90. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. The full viva voce statement which I shall have to make in explanation of the whole scheme of shipbuilding for the future, with its attendant consequences, will anticipate much of what would otherwise have been dwelt upon in this memorandum, which is now rather of the nature of a summary than an exposition of the expenditure contained in the Navy Estimates 1889-90. over vote of 1888-89 The expenditure is estimated to be £602,600 in excess of that voted Excess last year. The increases are mainly in the "Shipbuilding," "Manning," and "New Works" Votes; and the decrease in the Vote for Naval Ordnance. A short explanation of the causes of these variations is appended, as well as an account of the work done in 1888–89, and that proposed to be done in 1889–90. SHIPBUILDING PROGRAMME. PROGRESS OF NEW CONSTRUCTION (CONTRACT, IN 1888-89). The anticipations expressed in my Statement of February 1888, as Anticipato the progress to be made in new construction during 1888-89, have been realised for the most part, and in some cases surpassed. In a few instances the performance has fallen short of what was originally hoped for; but there have been special circumstances to account for the difference. tions of 1888-89 realized. Sans The completion for sea of the Victoria and Sans Pareil after their Victoria. delivery by the contractors has been affected, as it was feared it might Pareil. be, by the dates of delivery of the 110-ton turret guns. Both ships are, however, now fully in hand, and it is expected that the Victoria will be ready for commission (as flag-ship in the Mediterranean) in the course of two or three months. cienne. The protected cruiser Magicienne has been delivered by the con- Magitractors, and is about to proceed on her steam trials. Her sister ship the Marathon, is nearly ready for delivery. Marathon. Delay in Blenheim's contract. Bellona, Australasian The conclusion of a contract for the Blenheim was purposely delayed until September, 1888, for reasons that need not here be given; and this fact, together with the difficulty of obtaining an adequate supply of steel materials in consequence of the great demand for mercantile shipbuilding, accounts for the expenditure on that ship having fallen short of what was originally proposed. Similar difficulties in obtaining material have been experienced by the contractors for the Bellona and the seven vessels for the Australasquadron. sian service, but it is hoped that these difficulties have now been surmounted, and that in subsequent stages of the work lost ground will be recovered. Sparrow, Small vessels. Torpedo boats. Torpedo boats for India. First class battle ships. Two composite gunboats, the Sparrow and Thrush, complete the list of armed vessels building by contract. They are to be delivered early in the next financial year. Besides these armed vessels, there have been in progress in private yards a considerable number of coaling craft, designed in accordance with the recommendations of a special committee appointed to consider the arrangements suitable for coaling the fleet. A new type of boat has also been designed for the purpose of being carried on board large warships, and employed in mining operations or in coaling. The first example of the type is now undergoing trial, and, if successful, it is proposed to add to the number in the coming financial year. Six first class and ten second class torpedo boats have been ordered during 1888-89 for naval service, and are considerably advanced. The first class torpedo boats are 130 feet long, the guaranteed speed, when fully loaded, is 22 knots, and they are to carry an armament of 3-pr. quick-firers as well as three torpedo tubes. The second class boats are of an improved type, obtained as the result of competition between the firms most experienced in this class of work. They are 60 feet long, have a guaranteed speed of 16 knots, and are to carry a machine gun as well as two torpedo dischargers. In addition to these torpedo boats the Admiralty have advised and assisted the India Office in the construction of seven first class torpedo boats, which are now practically complete, and in course of being despatched to India. DESCRIPTION OF NEW DESIGNS. The first class battle ships to be laid down in 1889-90 include two types: one armed on the turret system, and the other on the barbette system. It is proposed to build one of the former and the remainder of the latter type. They are to be superior in speed and auxiliary armament to all preceding battle ships of the Royal Navy; and will surpass them all in displacement. The disposition of the armament has been most exhaustively con- Armament sidered. It has been decided as follows: To adopt an arrangement (in plan) similar to that carried out To place each pair of heavy guns in a separate armoured arrangements. To carry the 6-inch guns and smaller quick-firers chiefly in a long central battery, situated between the heavy gun stations. The armour protection of the hull proper includes two principal Armour features:protection. (1) A belt, 8 feet broad, extending over two-thirds of the Freeboard, Second class ironclads. First class protected cruisers. (2) The broadside above the thick belt is protected, to a height of about 9 feet above water over a considerable portion of the length, by 5-inch armour. Screen bulkheads, similarly armoured, enclose the central battery. The protection of the heavy guns consists of 18-inch armour on the turrets and 17-inch on the redoubts protecting the turretbases, &c. In the barbette ships the armour on the barbettes is 17-inch. The protection of the guns and their crews in the auxiliary armament, as well as the ammunition supply, has been carefully arranged for, in view of the development of high explosives and quick-firing guns. The turret and barbette designs are identical in nearly all the abovementioned features. The essential differences between them are (1) That the freeboard at the ends of the barbette ship is 18 feet as against 11 feet in the turret ship. (2) That the height of the heavy guns above water is 23 feet in the barbette ship as against 17 feet in the turret ship. The second class ironclads will be reproductions on a smaller scale of the first class barbette ironclads, being in speed and coal endurance their equal, but carrying a somewhat lighter armament, and armour of less thickness. Their displacement will be about 9000 tons. The first class protected cruisers which are to be commenced have been designed to carry an armament practically identical with that of the Blake and Blenheim (of which a full description was given last year); but they are to be of considerably less size and cost, to steam at a somewhat lower speed, and to have a smaller coal endurance than the Blake and Blenheim, although they will compare very favourably in these respects with any cruisers building for foreign navies. The protective deck, extending throughout the length, will have a maximum thickness of 5 inches of steel. Careful consideration was given to the question of the best system of protecting these vessels, their guns and guns' crews, before the arrangements approved were finally decided. The use of a very strong protective deck over the vitals, in association with certain novel arrangements for protecting the guns and their crews from shell-fire, was preferred to alternative plans in which the broadsides, to a certain extent, were protected by comparatively thin vertical armour. Special care has also been bestowed upon the protection of the ammunition during its passage from the magazines to the guns, and unusual facilities have been provided for the transport of the ammunition. copper Some of the vessels of this type will be wood-sheathed and coppered, Some to be in order to adapt them for distant service on stations where docks sheathed. will not be available, at least in war time. This will add somewhat to the displacements given above, and cause a small reduction of the measured mile speed. class pro The second class Cruisers, of which it is proposed to construct Second a large number, may be described as enlarged Medeas. In protec- tected tion, engine-power, speed, and coal-supply they are practically cruisers. reproductions of the Medea class. They are more heavily armed than the Medea, 35 feet longer, and of about 600 tons greater displacement. |