MOLTKE TOWED 250 MILES.

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 5, 6 July 1928, Page 12

MOLTKE TOWED 250 MILES.

Tho Bugslcr Towago aud Salvage Company, of Hamburg, have successfully completed tho unique performance of towing a vessel keel upwards. The ex-German battlo-crulscr Jloltke, 23,000 tons displacement, 610 ft .long, rxift Bin beam, which was sunk in Scapa flow in 191S, and raised by Cox and Danks, Ltd., was towed by the Boggier tugs Seefallie. 4200 h.p. ■ (tho largest tug in tho world), Snmsou, 1000 h.p., and Pontos, 700 h.p. Towing operations commenced at noon on Friday, 18th May,, in moderate weather with, a northerly wind. After passing out of the Flow, tho passage through the stormy Pentlaud Firth proved vory difficult, as tho strong ebb tide caught the bulky tow and- forced her out of her course to the westward, and the tugs, lv spite of their enormous power, had a strenuous timo In Keeping her from getting adrift In tho rough sea and clearing Duncansbay Head before the ebb tide made again. Peterhead was passed at noon on Sunday, and Itosyth was reached ou the following afternoon, the MoltUe being delivered without any damage whatever. Taking into account the difficult and delicate naturo of tho tow (she was kept afloat by means of compressed air), the distance of 250 miles was covered in tho short time of three days, or an equivalent of about 3/4 knots.