Abstract
THE Times of the 19th inst. contains a long and vigorous criticism by Sir E. J. Reed, M.P., of the ten largest British ships of war “launched in 1879, or since, or remaining on the stocks.” These are the Ajax, Agamemnon, Colossus, Edinburgh, and the six vessels which constitute the Admiral class. These vessels are all built upon the central citadel system—i.e. their armoured portions are merely citadels erected in the middle of the length; the ends being left without armour-plating. One of these ships may thus be considered as being divided into three parts, so far as her out-of-water structure is concerned. The central part is plated completely around with very thick armour, which extends from the upper deck to several feet below the water-line; while the parts before and abaft this are not protected by armour, but rest upon a thickly plated deck situated at the depth of the lower edge of the citadel armour. This deck protects the hull beneath the armour against the effects of a plunging fire.
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The Relative Efficiency of War-Ships . Nature 31, 381–384 (1885). https://doi.org/10.1038/031381a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/031381a0