AMYSSERY SHIP.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 3 May 1919, Page 4

AMYSSERY SHIP.

Anions: the Xlavv',s many mysteryships built during the war there is one of which hitherto, I believe, there has been on whisper outside naval circles, and this despite the fact that censorship ceased, two months ago (writes the naval correspondent of a London paper). I came aciwss her quite by accident. (I was not meant to see her. but I was proceeding on my "lawful occasions" into Haslar Creek, in Portsmouth harbour, one day when T saw • alongside the wh'irf at I'n-rt Blockhouse the most incredible -ship that ever happened outside a niig'htin'ar". It was ill. It looked like a .submarine, and my instinct told me that it wp.s a submarine because it was lying alongside tho submarine depot. What was a submarine doing carrying a 12-in gun? The long barrel was unmistakable, the massive turret in the centre of the ship was equally convincing. • As a-matter '-•f fact, -V,'; and the other ships of_ the M class were built to carry 12-ineh guns. When it is remembered thai ■M.o hiirs-est gun carried by any of the German submarines was a (i-incli piec \ It will be seen that the M class 'had the Germans b"iten to a frazzle. The weight of a (i-incli '-run is five tons; the"weifht of a V2-inch gun is fifty t (Ml S. The weight of a (S-inc'h shell is • i . t] u . weight of a 12-inch shell i ! 8501b. The first cantain of Ml was o:ni-M-v T*. wh'i «nraii!'

f!Mn" :'t f h< hp'.nnniiut of flip wai when in Ei) l!.f toniclcpd th'> Hcla in Bright of Holigolntul. besides carrying out a series of darinsr reconnaissances in those dangerous waters.