[Dreadnought designer: Sir Philip Watts, naval architect.] Offprint with presentation inscription by author: ‘Ships of the British Navy on August 4, 1914, and some matters of interest in connection with their production.’ With four fold-out plates.

This offprint is scarce. The only copy on WorldCat at the Caird Library of the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. See Watt's entry in the Oxford DNB, which underlines his pre-eminence: 'At the battle of Jutland (31 May 1916) twenty-nine of the thirty-four British battleships and battle cruisers engaged were of Watts's design.' The item is an offprint from the Transactions of the Institution of Naval Architects, vol. 61 (1919). 65 + [1]pp, 4to. Side-stapled, with no covers. Four fold-out plates at end, on both sides of two pieces of paper, with various plans for the battleships 'Iron Duke' and 'Queen Elizabeth', the battle cruiser 'Tiger', and the light cruiser 'Arethusa'. Drophead title: ‘Ships of the British Navy on August 4, 1914, and some matters of interest in connection with their production. / By Sir Philip Watts, K.C.B., F.R.S., LL.D., D.Sc., Hon. Vice-President. / Read at the Spring Meeting of the Sixtieth Session of the Institution of Naval Architects, April 9, 1919. / Rear-Admiral the Most Hon. the Marquis of Bristol, M.V.O., Past-President, in the Chair.]’ A detailed work, largely comprising tabular information. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper, apart from wear to the last leaf of plates at the spine. Inscribed at head of first page 'With the Author's kind regards'.