420 



NAVY 



tin- citadel fore and aft extends the whole remain- 

 ing length f the ship a watertight turtle-backed 

 urinoiinil derk. from 2J to 3 inches thick ; and 

 it-low thi> .leek, which in below the water-line 

 and within tin- citadel, are contained all the vitals 

 of the ship engines, boilers, magazines, &c. the 

 only communication from alwve being down through 

 the* citadel. The quarters for the officers and men 



Fig. 9. Diagram showing Disposition of Armour and 

 Armoured Deck in H.M.S. Coloutu (1882), improved 

 Infexiblt type, twin-screw double-turret citadel battle- 

 ship, 1st class, with unannoured end but armoured 

 deck. 9430 tons, 7500 H.P., four 47-ton guns, two in 

 each turret ; five 6-inch guns on superstructure. 



are moetlv provided for in those parts of the ship 

 before and aliaft the citadel, and are built up alwve 

 the armoured deck ; the idea being that these mi 

 armoured ends might be destroyed l>y the enemy's 

 fire, but that the body of the ship would remain 

 intact; the citadel, in fact, resting on an un-ink- 

 alilc inner ship Ix'low the surface of the water, there 

 being as many a* two hundred dilleient watertight 

 compartments in some of the latest battle-ships, in- 

 cluding the compartment* of the (lonl)le bottom. 



Since the year 1880 another revolution has lieen 

 carried out, this time in the armament of ships, 

 steel breech-loading guns lieing now substituted for 

 the old muzzle- loaders. This change was rendered 

 necessary in order to obtain the increased velocity 

 requisite to penetrate the thicker armour now in 

 use. It was found that the necessary length 

 to obtain this increased velocity could not be 

 given to guns which were loaded at the muzzle, 

 so the authorities found themselves compelled to 

 re-arm our whole fleet anew. The work was long 

 in completing, hut since 18S'2 all the new battle- 

 ships and cruisers have received the new guns. 

 The introduction of fast si earning torpedo boats 

 has also rendered it necessary for the heavy 

 armament of battleship* to |H> supplemented by a 

 large numl>er of light guns ; and to the necessity of 

 meeting the attacks of these swift little vessels, 

 we are indebted for all the rapid-firing guns now 

 in nse, of which every ship carries a large comple- 

 ment. It thus again became necessary U> carry 

 guns on the broadside, and the design of the citadel 

 ship had to he materially modified. Six battle- 

 .-liip- were laid down, known as the Admiral class, 



Fig. 10. Diagram showing Disposition of Armour in the 

 Admiral claim, H.M.S. llnlmii (1888), twin-screw bar- 

 bette battle-ship, 1st claw. 10,300 tons, 11,500 H.P., 

 four G7-ton conn mounted in pairs in the barbettes (e); 

 six 6-inch gun* in central nnarmoured battery (a). 



*, ijmr-itock with quick ftringinmii; t, officers' qiurtcn ; rf, men's 

 quarters; /, (Within top, armed with two -pd. q.-t guns. 



being named after distinguished naval commanders. 

 Much controversy has arisen over these ships, and 

 it is certain that they are deficient in armoni 

 tion; on the other hand, their nrmametit is a formid- 

 able one; they curry four Ii7 -ton guns mounted in 

 pin,enbar//tr, in li\ed heavily armoured redoubts 



instead of in turrets. These barltettes are carried 

 at a considerable height above the armoured ]>ortion 

 of the hull, and all the hydraulic loading arrange- 

 ment* are protected by them. The ammunition 

 is also brought up from U-low through armoured 

 tubes. A belt of 18 inches of c<im]Hiuml armour 

 protects about 156 feet of the water-line ot tin- 

 ship amidships, and there is in addition a .') inch 

 steel-armoured deck. ISetween the barbettes is a 

 long central battery, in which arc carried the ten 

 (i inch guns forming the auxiliary battery, while 

 on the spar-deck almve are mounted a due propor- 

 tion of 3- and 6-pounder quick-firing guns. The 

 advantages claimed for the barbette system, which 

 is in general use by the French, over the turret, is 

 that the guns are carried much higher out of the 

 water; on the other hand, they are much more 

 liable to injury from an enemy's fire, as, except 

 when loading, the whole gun is completely ex- 

 posed ; while the absence of broadside armour for 

 the central secondary lattery i 8 a serious defect. 

 leaving the crews, as it does, exposed to destruction 

 by shells charged with melinite or other high 

 explosives, and the hail of lire from the quick - 

 firing guns. These ships are also too low for- 

 ward, and. although fast ships, they cannot steam 

 at any speed against a heavy head sea. 



As tl ntcome of the popular revulsion against 



the Admiral type of battle ship, in consequence of 

 the small amount of armour-protection, and in view 



of the development of high explosives for u-e in 

 shells, and the rapid growth in the size of the quick- 

 firing guns, the ft He and Trtifa/gar were laid down 



shells, and the rapid growth in the size of the quick- 

 firing guns, the Ai'/e and Trtifa/gar were laid down 

 in the year 1885. For their onensive powers and for 



Fit;. 11. Diagram showing Disposition of Armour in 

 H.M.& Trafalgar (1888), twin-screw doublu-turret 

 battle-ship, 1st class, with armoured central battery. 

 11,940 tons, 12.000 H.P., four 67-ton guns in turret (I); 

 eight 40-jKiunder quick-firing guns in central battery 

 (a); twelve 6-ponnder quick-firing guns on spar-deck 

 (e); fighting top with two 6-pd. q.-f. guns (d). 



the completeness of their armour-protection, as 



compared with any former ships, they were un- 

 questionably the two most formidable battleships 

 launched till then. Although not completely 

 In-lied all round, they are very nearly so, and may 

 lie described as impio\ed It, i;ixl<iti<,n.\, with the 

 addition of a central battery between the turrets 

 for the auxiliary armament, in place of the super 

 structure of the earlier ships. The main anna 

 meiit consists of four 67-ton guns, while the auxil 

 iary armament consists of eight 4 '7-inch 40-pounder 

 quick tiling guns, which are protected by 5-inch 

 steel armour: ami in addition they carry sixteen 

 :i pounder and ti pounder quick-firing guns, mostly 

 mounted on the spar-deck. In 1880 what is known 

 us the Naval Pet'encc Act was passed, which 

 authorised the construction of ten new battle ships. 

 forty 1st and '2d class ciuiscts. and twenty torpedo 

 gunl>ats. The battle-ships (of which the (irst 

 were launched in 189-2), of M.(KH tons displacement, 

 have a length of :isil feet, and a beam of 7.~> feel ; 



their engines of 13,000 horse-power have a s| I of 



is knots, a knot faster than that of the .%"/'/< and 

 Trnl'iiliinr. Tin 1 di-position of the armour is much 



the 'same as in the two former ships, and the am r 



is of the same thickness except at the water-line, 

 where it is two inches leas ; this water-line l>elt in 



