LAUNCHING A BATTLESHIP

Evening Star, Issue 19127, 19 December 1925, Page 3

LAUNCHING A BATTLESHIP

nSDiIEV TAKES THE WATER TUK CTIUISTKXINB CKREMONV Prtas Association—By Tolegraph—Copyright. LONDON, December 17. Twenty thousand persons watched Princess Mary at Birkenhead try three times to break a bottle of champagne on the bows of the Rodney. The bottle was suspended by a silken cord Irom the prow. The first time Her Royal Highness threw it very gently, and the bottle bounced hack unharmed. The second time she throw it more forcibly. but missed the huge target. At the third attempt, amid thunderous applause, she succeeded. A platform on which a number of women were accommodated collapsed, and several minor injuries were attended by ambulance men who were in readiness. 'The bottle which Princess Alary broke contained Imperial burgundy, w/iich was substituted for champagne for the first time in naval launchings —A. and N.Z. Cable.

_ Britain's two now battleships, the Nelson and the Rodney, will each mount nine 16m guns. The guns will he carried in triple turrets, a new form of mounting. Flach of These giant guns will he capable of hurling a shell weighing approximately ‘2,5001b. In the American and Japanese navies there are ships mounting guns of Idin calibre, but the Nelson and Rodney will form a unique type, because they will carry nine guns of this size, instead of eight mounted in foreign warships, i’uo reason for,introducing the triple turret is the necessity for economising in weight, owing to the restricted displacement, laid down in the terms of the Washinglon Agreement. Triple turrets were first used in the British Navy two years ago. when they wore temporarily lit ted on a monitor which bombarded the exGerman battleship Baden during a scries of experiments. Some naval gunnery experts contend that triple mountingdocs not produce the most accurate and rapid firing. Another Nature -f the new battleships will he special antiflash arrangements, which > re a closelyguarded secret. They will rmoo-Iy tho lessons of Jutland, where-some British ships were sunk owing to shell {lashes penetrating to the magazines.