THE "PARAVANE"

New Zealand Times, Volume XLV, Issue 10432, 10 November 1919, Page 6

THE "PARAVANE"

A MYSTERIOUS DEVICE HOW BRITAIN FOUGHT THE MINE MENACE. The two last lectures at the British Association meeting (writes a correspondent of the "Daily News"). Wo were told some of the wonders of mines and paravanes. As to mines. Commander Gwynne said that whilo at the beginning of the war we were- not well prepared in this regard, yet soon after the end there would nave been British ininos in German harbours. Over 980 firms were engaged in the manufacture of mines and their parts, and over 300.000 mines were laid, of which about half were in the Channel and North Sea. In 1918 mines were being turned out at the rate of 10,000 a. month. Mine-laying from the air was more picturesque than effective. Some extraordinarily interesting discoveries were made and some wonderful dcvioes created, but the Admiralty even now would not permit anything to be said about them. Mr Uobert F. McKay told the story of the Paravane. He repeated once more ths tale heard so often that at one time it was touch and go whether Whitehall would not strangle the new invention. Mystery surrounds the Paravane. The very nawo is camouflage and a philological monstrosity. "Paravane" ought to mean "protection against weathercocks. It had been proposed to call the thing "parnplane," but finally it was known in the Navv as "P.V." while merchant men baptised it "Otter." There were 16 or 20 different types, divided into two classes—explosive and protector The lecturer described its work, which was the cutting of the mooring chains of mines and making things uncomfortablo for tho IT bonts. At the end of the war they could out chains of three strands of 37 wires euch, which were thought to be irresistible. Warships had cut 48 mine wires, and in four more cases had probably done so—a splendid result from 180 paravanes used. At a moderate estimate over wan savod in this way, to say nothing of human lives. One ship alone saved nearly all the money spent on paravanes. Throe thousand merchantmen were fitted with paravanes, and one shin cut three mines in fifteen minutee. There was no case on record of a merchantman towing a paravane being sunk by mine. So much for the "protector." The explosive paravane was effective when other means could not be employjd. The lecturer continued: "It 16 com-

puted that the total loss of •hipping du| to the submarine warfare i* about jG1,000,000,000. Hence, each, submarine destroyed web responsible for about .£5,090,000 worth of damage. Accepting this figure as a basis, it may be said that the explosive paravane* saved fm> ther damage being inflicted upon out shipping to the extent of about ■£25,000,000." Thus the total saving effected by thi two kinds of paravanes is nsarly fcmj hundred millions. The credit of the in* vention is due to Commander O. P. Bun ney, C.M.G., and its working w-as directed mainly by Bear-Admiral Meld.