ginal ship of
17,900 tons displacement. The _Dreadnought_ made the marvelous
speed (for a ship of that size) of 21 knots, which she was enabled
to do with turbine engines of 23,000 horsepower. Her armor measured
from 8 to 11 inches in thickness, and her great size enabled her
to carry as high as ten 12-inch guns. Her minor batteries were
strong in proportion.

Then, as if taking her breath after a stupendous effort, England in
the following year built two ships of 16,000 tons displacement, the
_Lord Nelson_ and the _Agamemnon_, with speed, armor, and armament
much lower than those of the _Dreadnought_. But having taken a
rest, Britain was again to make a great effort, launching in 1909
the _Temeraire, Superb_, and _Bellerophon_, monsters displacing
18,600 tons. With engines of 23,000 horsepower that could drive
them through the seas at 21 knots, ready to ward off blows with
armor from 8 to 11 inches thick, firing at the same time volleys
from ten 12-inch guns down to sixteen 4-inch rapid firers.

Naval architecture had now taken a definite turn, the principal
feature of which was the tremendous size of the destructive floating
machines. England, a leader in this sort of building, in 1910 built
the _Vanguard, Collingwood_, and _St. Vincent_, each displacing
19,250 tons. Nor were they lacking in speed, for they made, on an
average, 21 knots. The 20,000-ton battleship was then a matter of
months only, and it came in the following year, when the _Colossus,
Hercules_, and _Neptune_ were launched. It was only in the matter
of displacement that these three ships showed any difference from
those of the _Vanguard_ class; there were no great innovations
either in armament or armor. But in the same year, 1911, there
were launched the _Thunderer, Monarch, Orion_, and _Conqueror_,
each of 22,500 tons, and equipped with armor from 8 to 12 inches
thick, for the days of 3-inch armor on first-class warships had gone
forever. These had a speed of 21 knots, and were the first British
ships to have anything greater than a 12-inch gun. They carried as
a primary battery ten 13.5-inch guns, and sixteen 4-inch guns,
along with six more of small caliber as their secondary battery.

In 1912 and 1913 there was only one type of warship launched having
23,000 tons displacement with 31,000 horsepower, a half a knot
faster than previous dreadnoughts, and carrying, like the previous
class, ten 13.5-inch guns, along with some of smaller caliber. Th