Make a fleet of toy battleships and submarines, and you will be able to have all sorts of fun. With them mounted on wheels, you can work out your fleet maneuvers on the

Fig. 281. - A Simple Toy Battleship floor. In conjunction with the fort and toy cannon described in the following chapter, you can stage wonderful land and naval engagements that will take hours to fight out to a finish. If you have never played at miniature warfare with

Fig. 282. - Detail Showing How the Hull (A), Superstructure-Deck (B), Masts (C), Fighting-Tops (D and E), Funnels (G), Conning-Tower (H, I,) Gun Turrets (K), Main-Battery Guns (L), Secondary Battery Guns (TV), Running Gear (P, Q, R), and Aerial (5, T, U) are Assembled ships, forts, cannon, and paper and lead soldiers, you don't know what exciting fun you have missed.

In building the ships for a fleet, you probably will not want to make them all of the form shown in Fig. 251 of Chapter X. Several of that size will do. Make the others simpler, of the cruiser types shown in Figs. 281 and 293 of this chapter.

Fig. 283. - Plan and Side Elevation of Hull

Figure 282 shows a detail of every part required for The Battleship shown in Fig. 281, with an indication as to how each part is assembled. Dimensions for the parts are given in the detail working-drawings of Figs. 283 to 292. If you build several ships alike, you will save time by making all of the parts for one ship, first, and then using these parts as patterns. Mark out and cut the hulls {A) for all the other boats, then the decks (B), then the masts (C), and so on. Use soft pine, cypress, or other soft wood, for the models.

In marking out

The Hull (A, Fig. 282), draw a center-line upon the working material, as shown in Fig. 283, and lay off the measurements each side of this, to get the sides alike.

The Superstructure-Deck (B, Fig. 282) extends three-quarters of the length of the hull, and it is of the same shape and dimensions as that portion of the hull (Fig. 284); therefore, it can be marked out with the hull as a pattern. The holes shown along the edge (Fig. 284) are made to receive the guns of the secondary-battery, the holes in the upper face are made to receive the masts, funnels, etc.

Fig. 284. - Plan and Side Elevation of Superstructure-Deck

The Masts (C, Figs. 282 and 285) can be whittled out of sticks, or dowel-sticks can be used.

The Fighting-Tops (D and E, Fig. 282) are button-moulds of the sizes shown in Figs. 286 and 287. The larger one (D) must have its hole enlarged so it will slip over the mast, the smaller one (E) rests on the mast-top, and is held in place by the nail F driven into the mast (Fig. 282).

Figure 288 shows a detail of

The Funnels (G). Use a dowel-stick if you can get one, otherwise whittle a stick to the given diameter.