II. S. S. TEXAS, About two years later the larger battleships In diana, Massachusetts, and Oregon of tons were commenced. A prejudice still existed against 'high-sided' armorclads, and these were designated as 'coast-line battleships' and given very moderate freeboard. They were very re markable ships for their (lay. Their speed was rather low than high—but the battery was pow 18S4, were originally planned as improved Dallas without side armor, but when completed more than half the whole side from water line to up per deck was covered with 4-inch plating as a defense against small-calibre rapid-firing guns, and they were the first vessels to be so pro erful and included, in addition to four 13-inch guns, a powerful auxiliary battery of eight 8-ineh and four Cinch guns. The possession of S-inch guns makes them still formidable foes for the most recent European battleships, for shells from these guns will atbattle range pierce the armor protect ing any auxiliary battery afloat. Two years later juster ideas of the true uses of a naval force per mitted the building of the Iowa (11,3-10 tons), which was frankly called a 'sea-going battle ship.' She was followed by the Kentucky and Kcarsargc of 11,525 tons. These vessels bodied many new ideas, the most talked of being in the next five ships. the Georgia, New Jersey, Nebraska, Virginia, and mode Islaml (15,000 tons, commenced in 1901), which have superposed S-inch turrets over the 12-inch guns and another pair of S-ineh guns in a turret on each side amid ships; in addition, a battery of twelve 6-inch guns is provided. in the next two ships, coin ' the superposed turrets of the S-inch guns. which were placed on top of the turrets of the 13-inch. The second peculiarity is the arrangement of pie guns in a long central battery (but separated by 1.5-inch steel screens) behind continuous armor; the side amidships is thus completely armored. The third point of interest is the wide applica tion of electricity—every piece of auxiliary machinery outside the engine and fire rooms be ing driven by electric motors. In the next ships, the Alabama, Illinois, and Wisconsin (11,525 tons—completed 1901), and the Maine, Missouri, and Ohio (12,500 tons, completed in 1902-03), the S-inch guns were omitted, following the European practice. This mistake was corrected meneed about the end of 1902, the Connecticut and Louisiana (16,000 tons), the S-inch gulls were retained, but arranged over the central superstructure, nearly as in the Oregrm; the four 12-inch guns are mounted as in all recent Ameri can battleships; and in addition to the S-inch, there is an auxiliary battery of twelve 7-inch guns. These ships are much the most strongly armed ships so far designed for any navy.
As regards belt armor, the vessels of the Orc!/on class have water-line belts extending for little over half the length amidships; the Iowa's belt is proportionately much longer; in the Kcarsarge and Alabama classes the belt is ex tended to the bow while in the Maine, Georgia, and Connecticut types it extends to the stern as well. Deference to the cut in the article SHIP
BUILDING, showing a midship section of a modern battleship, will illustrate the arrangement of the armor.
We have so far considered battleships only. Alany ships are more lightly armed and armored, but are given high speed and a large coal sup ply. These are called armored cruisers. At first, armored cruisers were rather small, and the armor confined chiefly to a belt at the water line. While older vessels, designed as ships, partake of the character of cruisers, the first armored cruisers designed as such were the Imperieuse and Warspitc, of the British navy. They were completed in ISSfi-SS, but were de signed about 1881. The armor consists of a short water-line belt and shallow barbettes for the four principal guns. The first innovation was the French Dupny de Lome, commenced in 1SSS and finished about 1892. With the excep tion of a small area at the bow her sides are completely covered with 4-inch armor from the water line to the upper deck, and, in addition, she has armored barbettes for her principal guns. She was followed by other French ships almost equally covered—the armor a little thinner—but later types in all navies have much less area of side covered. In order to provide adequate sus tained speed in heavy seas and to carry large sup plies of coal, armor, and armament. the size of armored cruisers has grown until now many of them exceed 14,000 tons in displacement and ap proach the most powerful battleship in armament and protection. Such, for instance, are the Tennessee and Washington of the United States Navy, which were commenced about the end of 1902. They are 502 feet long, and have a dis placement of 14,500 tons, while their battery con sists of four 10-inch guns, sixteen 6-inch, twenty two 3-inch, twelve 3-pounders, four 1-pounders, and eight automatic and machine guns.
The third type of armorclad is the coast-de fense ship. The ordinary type of armored coast defense ship is the improved monitor, of some what similar design, a vessel carrying heavy ordnance, and fairly thick armor, with light draught and good manoeuvring qualities, Coal capacity, habitability, seaworthiness. and ly) speed are sacrificed to keep the dimensions within moderate limits. Many small countries have built coast-defense ships on these lines, real izing their inability to maintain an adequate naval force to assume offimsive operations against a first-class power. In the greater navies the coast-defense ships are largely vessels of obso lete types, many of them designed originally as sea-going ships, but now unfit for modern offen sive operations. For the defense of certain harbors and channels the United States has recently built several improved monitors and a few powerful coast defenders have recently been completed by France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Russia. Many of them are thoroughly sea worthy ships, however, and only regarded as in the coast defense class because of their size and moderate coal supply.