THE NAVY'S "LAME DUCES."

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17270, 20 September 1919, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE NAVY'S "LAME DUCES."

HOW THE LION WAS SAVED.

SOME NOTABLE REPAIR WORK.

Details of the way in which famous warships damaged at the battles of tae Dogger Bank and Jutland were returned whole to the Grand Fleet in record time were related at the final meeting of the North-east Coast Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders at -Newcastle.

A paper describing the ship repairs effected on the north-east coast during the war stated that 7856 war vessels and merchantmen were dry docked and repaired, and over 20,000 repaired afloat. Women nobly -and effectively responded to the call made upon them, and some of the large battleships, for example, had been painted and coated by the women on the Admiralty floating dock. Women had even cheerfully undertaken such disagreeable and dirty work as the chipping and scaling of the interiors of marine boilers. They could do a great work if the trade unions would let them.

In a period of just under four years, during which the Admiralty pontoon had been stationed at Jarrow Slake, upwards. of 145 vessels, ranging frcm the small minelayers to the very largest battleships had been safely docked, repaired, and undecked. In this connection the writers commented on the fact that ten years

ago, in reply to strong representation in favour of the establishment of a large pontoon dock on the Tyne, the then First Lord stated that his experts reported that the narrow river was not suitable for dry docks. Many famous vessels were accommodated in the pontoon dock, and the Tyne became the natural refuge for tht> larger class of " lame ducks " from the fleet.

The Lion, after Dogger Bank, had 1500 square feet of her outer bottom plating damaged, and arrived in the river drawing 37ft forward. The vessel was Heeled over eight degrees to enable four coffer dams to be fitted, and the latter were then pumped dry. One hundred and fifty tone of concrete, with which the damaged parts had been- filled, had to be b.aated out. The repairs to the Lion occupied seven weeks.

In the case of the super-Dreadnought Marlborough, badly torpedoed at Jutland, time was of the greatest possible importance "at that critical period. The firni entrusted with the work undertook to finish the repairs in six weeks, and the promise was ridiculed by many. The men, however, agreed practically to live on the job until it was finished, and messing and sleeping arrangements were provided on a vessel alongside. Tlje men worked from 6 a.m. to "9 p.m., with intervals only for meals, a small night shift carrying on. A special boat service was. run between the firm's yard and the dock for the expeditious transport of material, and the vessel undocked in the allotted time. It was a great performance, which would long be remembered to Tyneside's credit.