PREFACE. With the view of giving the British Navy Estimates for the current year, side by side with those of the leading maritime powers, it has been determined to postpone the publication of The Naval Annual to a later period of the year. It is hoped that the change will be approved, as facilitating those comparisons on which the policy of the Admiralty, as embodied in the Navy Estimates, must mainly depend. It will not be necessary to enumerate once more in the Preface the ably-conducted and well-informed journals from which The Naval Annual is mainly compiled. It has been desired to acknowledge in each case in the body of the work the source from which matter has been borrowed. As an annual summary of the events of the year, drawn from widely scattered sources, it is hoped that the compilation of The Naval Annual may be of real service to those interested in naval affairs. The NEW PROGRAMME of construction is the great incident of the past year. A forward movement on the part of the Naval Administration of the British Empire had become necessary in view of the active efforts of other Powers. The year 1888 has been darkened by the loss of some distinguished ornaments of the naval profession. The members of Lord Northbrook's Board remember with affection their colleague, Sir Cooper Key. In Sir William Hewett the Navy has lost a great leader. The distribution of work in the present volume is acknowledged on the title-page. The revision of the proofs has been undertaken by Mr. Barnes, with the assistance of Mr. J. Potter, the faithful secretary for many years of Lady Brassey. CONTENTS. PAGE The study of imperial defence—Sir John Colomb's pamphlet—The Duke of Wellington's famous letter - Military views on imperial defence-Royal Commission of 1859–60–Local defence–Gibraltar relieved by Admiral Rodney, 1780; by Admiral Darby, 1781; and by Admiral Howe, 1782 Defence of communications–Our Mediterranean position in 1779— Alternative routes to the East-Lord Randolph Churchill's pressure—The frontier of the empire-First line of defence- Command of the Channel Early contests for supremacy-Necessary result of our communications with the colonies being cut off — Naval war with sailing ships- Security of communications 9-15 16-20 CHAPTER II. RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR MANNING THE FLEET. Distribution of the Navy proper including marines Numbers of men and officers increased as shown in Estimates for 1889-90—In- sufficiency of lieutenants and engineers for war—Strength of the Naval Reserve officers--Remedy for the deficiency of stokers- Lieutenant Colwell's paper on Naval Reserves-Suggested reme- dies for defects in present system of Naval Reserve 21-26 CHAPTER III. 1 ROYAL NAVAL ARTILLERY VOLUNTEERS, AND HOME DEFENCE. Lieutenant Colwell on Royal Naval Artillery Volunteers—United States Congress Bill for a Naval Militia-Admiralty views on the Naval Volunteer movement-Number of ships captured by privateers 1793–1815—Volunteer Home Defence Association 27-31 Memorial to the Prime Minister from the local committees on the Clyde, the Forth, the Mersey, the Tyne, and the Tees, for the defence of their coasts and commerce Naval Volunteers for local defence of coaling stations-Sir Vesey Hamilton's words of encouragement to the volunteers at Hong 31-32 33-34 GERMAN, FRENCH, AND ENGLISH SYSTEMS OF COAST DEFENCE. Reasons for transferring the German sea-coast defences to the single control of the Navy-French system-Suggested alterations in 35-37 SHIPBUILDING—RECENT CONSTRUCTION. Ships launched, on the stocks, and ordered, in 1888--Great Britain, France, Germany, Austria, United States, Chili, Argentine Con- 38-47 Pareil-Jubilee gift from the Navy to Her Majesty the Queen .. 47-61 Belted cruisers: Orlando type—Description of Orlando-Sir Arthur Hood's evidence—Sir Anthony Hoskin's evidence-Mr. White's evidence-Parliamentary return on Orlando as designed and as Armoured ships : France, Italy , Germany, Spain, Russia, and United 65-106 ly-Torpedo boats, England, France, Russia, Germany, and Submarine torpedo-boat-Nordenfelt submarine boat, description and .. House of Commons Committee on the Navy estimates in 1888-Com- mittee on designs 1871-Armoured versus unarmoured ships Central citadel ship and unarmoured raft-Effect as to quick- High explosives-Raft body-Armour belt-Packing, and effect of — .. 120-123 French armoured ships—Belted and pro- tected ships compared-Table representing the two systems, An impregnable ship not possible—General agreement as to sails being obsolete for war ships—Sail power necessary for vessels THE NEW SHIPBUILDING PROGRAMME. Lord George Hamilton's speech in the House of Commons 7th March, 1889—Gunboats for police purposes—Basis of the new programme -Government responsibility-House of Commons Select Com- mittee on new shipbuilding programme-How supremacy on the sea must be measured-Effect of naval war on our commerce- Dockyards and private yards compared–The story of the guns- Designs of ships-Proposed expenditure in dockyards and by contract-Time occupied in building each class of vessel-Ad- vantages of building ships rapidly Special accounts to be kept of ships built in dockyards and by contract - Proportion of cost for the new programme_Summary of the scheme Improved coaling facilities–Additional men for the fleet-Naval reserve-New designs—Consultation for designs .. 144-148 The new battle-ships-Protection of commerce-Merchant cruiser- Local defence-Naval Volunteers—First Lord's suggestions—The Admiralty scheme must stand or fall as a whole .. Tabulated statement of ships which will be added to Her Majesty's Navy between 1st April, 1889, and 1st April, 1894—Effective ships afloat 1st January, 1889—Proposed standard in 1894– Number required to bring present number to proposed standard 153-159 Mr. W. H. White's paper on the designs for the new battle-ships- Dispositions of armaments—Sir Edward Reed's patent-Sir N. Barnaby's patent-Disposition of armament in new designs, Concentration of the armament—Number and calibre of heavy guns—Weight of the auxiliary armament in the new ships .. 160-167 Increased complement of men-Armour protection of new turret-ship design-Facts placed before the committee of naval officers- Respective provinces of the naval architect and the naval officer 167–173 Extent of armour-belt in Admiral class and in the new designs, Tabular statement of the water-line protection in a number of British and foreign ships—Risks to ships below the armour- Description of the barbette design-Barbettes versus turrets- Speed, model experiments--High speed in merchant ships-Coal supply and endurance-Remarks on the size of new battle-ships- Defence of constructive department—Tabulated particulars of British and foreign battle-ships-Discussion on Mr. White's paper |