It
now was shown that the modern warship could carry a gun as heavy
as any on land. There were in the course of construction when the
war broke out eight more such monsters, the _Malaya, Valiant_, and
_Barham_, sister ships of the _Queen Elizabeth_, and the _Royal
Oak, Resolution, Royal Monarch, Ramillies_, and _Renown_, each
of 29,000 tons displacement, but having the same armament as the
_Queen Elizabeth_. All of these were hastened to completion as
soon as war was declared.
At the time of the declaration of war England had, in addition
to these greatest ships, a number of supporting ships such as the
ten battle cruisers, _Indomitable, Invincible, Indefatigable,
Inflexible, Australia, New Zealand, Queen Mary, Princess Royal,
Lion_, and the _Tiger_. Their displacements ranged from 17,250
to 28,000 tons, and their speeds from 25 to 30 knots, the last
being that of the _Tiger_. Their speed is their greatest feature,
for their armament and batteries are much lighter than those of
the first-line ships.
Next, there were ready thirty-four high-speed cruisers of quite
light armament and armor. There were six of the _Cressy_ type,
four of the _Drake_ type, nine of the same type as the _Kent_, six
of the same class as the _Antrim_, six like the _Black Prince_,
three of the same class as the _Shannon_, together with seventeen
heavily protected cruisers, of which the _Edgar_ was the prototype.
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