HC Deb 03 January 1913 vol 46 cc674-7W
Mr. HIGHAM

asked the First Lord of the Admiralty, on a comparable basis, the time occupied in building those British, German, Italian, and Austrian "Dreadnoughts" already completed; and if he will give, in addition, the date of laying down and the expected date of commissioning of such vessels as are not yet completed; and if he will state, where possible, how much they are late and the reasons for such lateness?

Mr. CHURCHILL

The following tables give the time occupied in building the ships of the "Dreadnought" type that have already been completed for Great Britain, Germany, Italy, and Austria-Hungary; also, where possible, the dates on which those building were laid down. As regards the expected dates of com-

(a) GREAT BRITAIN.
"Dreadnought" Type Ships—completed.
Ship. Programme Year. Date of Ordering. Date of Commencement (Laying of Keel). Date of Completion. Difference between (1)and (3). Difference between (2) and (3).
(1) (2) (3)
Yrs. mths. Yrs. mths.
"Dreadnought" … 1905–6 July, 1905 Oct., 1905 Dec, 1906 1 5 1 2
"Invincible" … Nov., 1905 Apl., 1906 Mar., 1909 3 4 2 11
"Indomitable" … Nov., 1905 Mar., 1906 June, 1908 2 7 2 4
"Inflexible" … Nov., 1905 Feb., 1906 Oct., 1908 2 11 2 8
"Bellerophon" … 1906–7 Oct., 1906 Dec, 1906 Feb., 1909 2 4 2 8
"Temeraire" … Oct., 1906 Jan., 1907 May, 1909 2 7 2 5
"Superb" … Dec, 1906 Feb., 1907 May., 1909 2 5 2 4
"St. Vincent" … 1907–8 Oct., 1907 Dec, 1907 May., 1910 2 7 2 5
"Collingwood" … Oct., 1907 Feb., 1908 Apl., 1910 2 6 2 3
"Vanguard" … Feb., 1908 Apl., 1908 Feb., 1910 2 1 1 11
"Neptune" … 1908–9 Dec,1908 Jan., 1909 Jan., 1911 2 1 2 0
"Indefatigable" … Nov., 1908 Feb., 1909 Apl., 1911 2 5 2 1
"Hercules" … 1909–10 June, 1909 July, 1909 July, 1911 2 1 1 11
"Colossus" … June, 1909 July, 1909 Aug., 1911 2 2 2 1
"Orion" … Oct., 1909 Nov., 1909 Dec, 1911 2 2 2 1
"Lion" … Oct., 1909 Nov., 1909 June, 1912 2 8 2 7
"Monarch" … 1909–10 (Contingent ships) Jan., 1910 Apl., 1910 Apl., 1912 2 3 2 0
"Conqueror" … Jan., 1910 Apl., 1910 Nov., 1912 2 10 2 7
"Thunderer" … Jan., 1910 Apl., 1910 June, 1912 2 5 2 2
"Princess Royal" … Jan., 1910 May, 1910 Nov., 1912 2 10 2 6
"King George V." … 1910–11 Nov., 1910 Jan., 1911 Nov., 1912 2 0 1 10
"New Zealand"* … Apl., 1910 June, 1910 Nov., 1912 2 7 2 5
* Built at the charge of the New Zealand Government.

(b) "Dreadnought" Type Ships—Building.
Ship Programme Year. Date laid down.
"Centurion" … 1910–11 January, 1911
"Ajax" … February, 1911
"Audacious" … March, 1911
"Queen Mary" … March, 1911
"Iron Duke" … 1911–12 January, 1912
"Marlborough" … January, 1912
"Benbow" … May, 1912
"Delhi" … May, 1912
"Tiger" … June, 1912
"Queen Elizabeth" … 1912–13 October, 1912
"Warspite" … October, 1912
"Valiant" … Not yet laid down
"Barham" …

NOTE.—The"Australia,"building for the Australian Commonwealth, and due for completion in May, 1913, has not been included in above statement.

missioning, I would prefer not to attempt to give information which in so many cases must be merely conjectural. It is not possible to make the comparative statement asked for in the last part of the question as the information in the case of foreign vessels is not available.

"Dreadnought" Type Ships—Completed.
Ship. Programme Year. Ordered. Commissioned for Trials. Completed Trials. Difference between (1) and (2). Difference between (1)and (3).
(1) (2) (3)
GERMANY. Yrs. mths. Yrs. mths.
"Nassau" … 1906–7 *Aug.,1907 Oct., 1909 May, 1910 2 2§ 2 9§
"Westfalen" … *Aug., 1907 Nov., 1909 May, 1910 2 3§ 2 9§
"Rheinland" … 1907–8 Apr., 1907 Apr., 1910 Aug., 1910 3 0 3 4
"Posen" … Apr., 1907 May, 1910 Aug., 1910 3 1 3 4
"Von der Tann" … *Mar.,1908 Sept., 1910 Feb., 1911 2 6§ 2 11§
"Ostfriesland" … 1908–9 Apr., 1908 Aug., 1911 Sept.,1911 3 4 3 5
"Helgoland" … June, 1908 Aug., 1911 Dec, 1911 3 2 3 6
"Thüringen" … June, 1908 July, 1911 Sept.,1911 3 1 3 3
"Moltke" … Sept., 1908 Sept., 1911 Mar., 1912 3 0 3 6
"Oldenburg" … 1909–10 †Apr.,1909 May, 1912 July, 1912 3 1 8 3
"Kaiser" … ‡ Aug., 1912 Dec, 1912 — —
"Friediich der Grosse" … ‡ Oct., 1912 Trials not yet completed — —
"Goeben" … †Apr., 1909 July, 1912 Aug., 1912 3 3 3 4
ITALY.
"Dante Alighieri" … 1907–8 June, 1909 July, 1912 ||Nov.,1912 3 1 3 5
AUSTIUA-HUNGARY.
"Viribus Unitis" … 1911 July, 1910 — Oct., 1912 — 2 3
* Date keel was laid.
† Promised to the firms in autumn, 1908.
‡ No official information.
§ From date keel was laid.
|| Press information.

Building.
Ship. Programme Year. Date laid down.
GERMANY.
"Kaiserin" 1910–11 November, 1910*
"König Albert" July, 1910*
"Prinzregent Luitpold" No information
"Seydlitz" February, 1911*
"Ersatz Kurfurst Friedrich Wilhelm" 1911–12
"Ersatz Wiessenburg" No official information
"S"
"K"
"Ersatz Brandenburg" 1912–13 No official information
"Ersatz Kaiserin Augusta"
ITALY.
"Giulio Cesare" 1909–10 June, 1910
"Leonardo da Vinci" 1909–10 July, 1910
"Conte di Cavour" 1908–09 August, 1910
"Duilio" 1911–12 April, 1912
"Andrea Doria" 1911–12 March, 1912
AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.
"Tegetthoff" 1911 September, 1910
"Prinz Eugen" 1911 January, 1912
"VII" 1911 January, 1912
* Press information.