DEATH SHIP PLAN

Greymouth Evening Star, 4 July 1938, Page 11

DEATH SHIP PLAN

SEA WAR REVOLUTIONISED LONDON, June 9. A torpedo boat, only 100 ft long, but capable of firing 80 m.p.h. torpedoes, was planned by Lawrence -of Arabia, and he was working on the designs when he was' killed three years ago in Dorset. Edward Spnrr, the only man _ who knew Lawrence’s secret, carried on the work and has now perfected the boat. / This week he revealed some of the secrets of the invention which lie believes will revolutionise sea fighting. “The boats,” he said, ‘‘would operate in squadrons, like the R.Ah., and thev would attack enemy ships from all angles. If we- had had these boats in the Great War, the Battle of Jut- 7 land would have been over in i.O minutes,” he claimed. Each boat will -carry four 21-incb-torpedo tubes', powerful gunnery and depth charges. Torpedoes' could be released from under the 'boats without, being seen by enemy vessels. One, boat could scuttle- four hostile battleships with direct hits' in eight, seconds! When the idea for these death Ships came to Lawrence, he and Spurr worked for months making models with match-sticks and old metal. “Lawrence and I found most of our I inspiration in sleep at my lodgings' in Southampton,” Mr. Spurr .-said. “Lawrence had a great analytical mind. Although he was -not an engineer, he had amazing mechanical understanding, and could put his finger on a weak spot and suggest modifications to get out of difiicultie's 1 . “The great secret is that torpedoes can be fired fore and aft -alt two-second intervals without being dete'eted. They can ship 200 men at a time from point to point at great- speed, which would make them vital in a blockade.”