THE PERIL OF THE WARSHIPS

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 21, 25 January 1936, Page 26

THE PERIL OF THE WARSHIPS

The Admiralty recently confirmed statements that two cases of attempted sabotage had occurred during 1935 in warships in Devonport Dockyard—in the submarine Oberon and the battleship Royal Oak, says the "Daily Telegraph."

"Inquiries into these cases are now proceeding, and it is not in the public interest to make any statement at present," it was added.

These two acts of attempted sabotage were revealed at Plymouth some days previously, but official confirmation had hitherto been lacking.

It is understood that the incident in the Royal Oak delayed refitting, and caused damage amounting to several hundred pounds.

It was reported also that a short circuit led to the failure of all the electrical, work on the Royal Oak, and that the.fault was not traced for three days.

■It was then found that a sailpin had pierced the cable connecting the electric power station with the control tower of the battleship. 'The top of the pin, it;was stated, appeared to have been filed' off, and the lead covering of the cable replaced.' • ■

'The damage to the submarine Oberon occurred several weeks before, while the yes£el, was refitting at Devonport Dockyard,' 'A commutator was reported to have been, interfered with.

Following', the inquiries into the mysterious, damage to electrical apparatus of the battleship Royal Oak, in D/evonport Dockyard, I learn that similar cases of damage to warships have been reported from other dockyards, writes the newspaper's naval correspondent.

■It appears to bp accepted that the incidents are to be attributed to malicious action., ,1 gather that the view, is

held that the damage was intended as an act of demonstration rather than an attempt to interfere with the working of the ships.

Military intelligence officers an.! the Royal Marine Police, who are making investigations at Devonport have, I understand, reduced the number of suspected persons to four.

They have given much attention to the leakage of secret information. There is no doubt there has been at least one instance of highly confidential information being promptly circulated in unauthorised Quarters.

Officials declined to make a statement regarding the Royal Oak, on which an electric cable had been pierced.

The submarine Oberon, which was also reported to have been damaged, will leave the dockyard, her refit having been completed.

It was reported in Boston, U.S.A., that sabotage has been done to the tur-bine-reducing gears of the new United States 10,000-ton cruiser Quincy. The vessel is under construction at Quincy, Massachusetts. The gears cost £20,000, and it is estimated will cost twice that sum to replace.

The Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation stated that during the run of the main propelling unit recently the gears "showed signs of damage and will require replacement."

It is reported in the "Boston American" that a steel nut, which had been taken aboard from another part of the yard, was found in the gears. The corporation, however, declined to make any comment on this.

Last August, two months after the Quincy was launched, the electric control room was destroyed by a fire that started in mysterious circumstances.