THE SHAPE OF SHIPS TO COME

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27796, 22 October 1955, Page 11

THE SHAPE OF SHIPS TO COME

A+om-propelled, Funnelless,

Fast

INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGES ALREADY IN SIGHT

[By

EDWIN SPRATT,

r, writing from London]

Here is the shape of ships to come. And it s not a Wellsian fantasy or a Jules Verne creation.

The atom ship . . . funuelless, fast and able to stay at sea indefinitely without refuelling. An all-out race between Britain, America, France and Germany has just begun to build the first of these ships of the future.

At the moment America is leading this race. The United .States House of Representatives two months ago approved a bill to build the world’s first atomic merchant ship. President Eisenhower hopes the ship will be launched before 1957. France is not far behind. A new £stg3o,ooo,ooo French liner, on which work is to start in a few weeks, is expected to be the fastest liner on the Atlantic when the first voyage to New York is made in 1960. West German shipbuilders and scientists have formed a research group to build atom-powered merchants ships. , „ , The British Shipbuilding Research Association has decided that the atom engine for merchant ships is feasible. Preliminary studies have already been completed, and now a team of engineering scientists with a marineengine background is working alongside the atom scientists at Harwell. The marine scientists at Harwell have been briefed to design an atomic reactor which .will meet these specifications:—

ECONOMY of operation in comparison to the present marine power units. SAFETY: There must be no danger of radiation affecting the crew or passengers. SIZE: It must take up the minimum of space, and its weight must not overburden the hull of a ship. The men at Harwell are basing their designs on the use of a “fast reactor.” This uses more concentrated, fission materials than the bigger slower reactors at present planned for Britain s power stations. It needs no moderating material —such as graphite or heavy water —to contain it, and can be built into a space the size of a petrol can. But it, must still be shielded to cut off radiation Metallurgists are now working on shields to repla e the mass of concrete or lead at pres nt needed. While the scientists are working on the reactor—which will be used to provide the heat for the steam to drive conventional turbines —naval architects are working on the hulls to carry it. But shipbuilding firms are reluctant to suggest when Britain’s first atom ship will be launched. Some cautiously hint it will be in the early 1960’5; others think it will be later than that. And there is good reason for their caution. For shipping history shows that major changes in propulsion take place only when the newer offCfS

some inescapable economic advantage. For example, a 30,000-ton gross passenger liner may well cost some £stg.lo,ooo,ooo today with modern geared turbines and water tube boilers. The atomic ship is not likely to cost less, even though there would be a big saving in fuel charges. Only a few pounds • of uranium (“enough to fill a suitcase’’) will be needed, so there will be no fuel tanks or bunkers which, in turn, will mean more cargo space. But what of naval surface craft? Al the moment scientists and technicians are years ahead of Royal Navy admirals. It was only recently that a decision was made to put the Vanguard—last of Britain’s mighty battleships—into mothballs. Britain’s capital ships of the future will be guided-missile cruisers. Two years ago, a landing craft “mother ship,’’ the Girdle Ness, went to Devonport to be reconstructed as an experimental gnided-missile ship. She should be ready for trials next year. But again the experts are thinking ever further ahead—

To “killer” submarines fighting each other with electronic brains and weapons under the sea. To a weapon which can be releaaca under water by a submarine and shot into the air to “home” on attacking aircraft.

To underwater cruisers, firing guided missiles with atomic warheads. To submarine aircraft-carriers. The designer says his carrier would be able to submerge to 1000 fathoms, carry 500 jet planes, and have a surface speed of 100 knots. Its jet planes would be shot out of tunnels in the ship’s bows, their retractable wings and fins opening automatically as the planes emerge. Radar would guide the returning planes into a tunnel in the ship’s stern. Sixteen electrically operated lifts would park the planes in a shuttlecock service at the rate of one a minute.

Even diehard naval designers would not rule out the possibility of the submersible aircraft carrier, which, says the designer, would of course be unsinkable, invulnerable to sea, air or underwater attack.

It would be protected by impenetrable armour and would defend itself with super guns and batteries of atomic rocket weapons. Nerve-centre would be the lighthouse-shaped radar tower on the streamlined upper deck and. of course, every officer and man, 1000 altogether, would be a highiy trained specialist.

So, as you can see, it is not a Wellsian fantasy, nor a Jules Verne creation. It is the shape of ships to come.