WHITE BANDS ON SMOKE-STACKS OF WARSHIPS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1165, 28 June 1911, Page 6

WHITE BANDS ON SMOKE-STACKS OF WARSHIPS.

AND THE REASON WHY

Warships which have visited Wellington of late liavo been causing some littlo curiosity on account of their now funnel markings. For somo time past H.M.S. Cambrian has had a white wand on her forward funnel, and 11.M.5. Pioneer two white bands round tho after smoko-stack. Various theories havo Ijeen advanced by the uninitiated as tho reason, so it will no doubt be interesting to know that these markings have been put (hero simply to facilitate rapid and convenient identification by other ships of tho fleet. Tho regulation ordaining tlicni was issued in 1306, and the bands havo long been finite common on vessels associated with fleets other than those in the Australian Squadron. Until that year it was fairly «a*y for officers of one ship to recognise other ships of the same class as herself by means of tho general construction and build (in some eases), tho number of yards carried on tho masts, funnels, distance between first funnel <iml foremast, and so oil. But in the last four or five years tho various classes of warships have been multiplied enormously, and it is no longer easy lo recognise them at sea.. Hence tho bands oil the funnels, which (presumably) would be paintod out in war-time. Somo men-of-war now havo four white bands, some tlijce, and so on. Tho number of funnels also has to bo taken into account, but tho total combination of funnels and bauds gives .sufficient variety to render any ship in the British licet readily recognisable by any other.