THE KING'S SUBMARINE TRIP.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12817, 17 July 1912, Page 8

THE KING'S SUBMARINE TRIP.

King George bad his first trip' m a submarine m May last, •. on the occasion when, be went to seaori board the baltloehip Neptune to watph target practice. On severa} ! occasions -when visiting Portsmouth h js, has been aboard these craft, But' never before had he ventured on a .trip below the surface m one of them. At the King's request submarine D 4 was signalled ,to come ■ -alongside the battleship, and his Majesty ;_/ 'informed her commander that lte.wpuld like to dive m her. "Very good, air," ' said the officer. The King took his place on the little bridge, ...and., 'while the vessel headed for deep water the 12- --* pounder gun, with which all submarines, . . of the D class are fitted, was manipulated for li is Majesty's inspect -iuii. Deop water liavirig been!' reached itho submarine, which, is" of BQo' tons displacement', as big as the , latest destroy.orp, , ; pi:eßar r ed to descend to a depth which precluded the risk of an accidental touch of the bottom. All the deck fittings weretakor 1 . below and the King went down the co.mpaniohwjay and took .up his , stflti-u .at the periscope, where he could observe -the rest of the fleet. The submarine descended till the s'liinmit of her periscope _iube was just awash. Her oil enggines were stopped aod sho. was driven at a nace of ten knots an hour by her electric motors. The', vessel travelled thus for some two or, (three miles, ,and then r<jee to the ;. surface. ! The King's descent, was made unknown to all, save a few ".officers,. of '.J lhe Neptune, and the i*est of the' fleet, ...was unaware that the D 4's passenger list had temporarily become lUUisualljf iroportjant\ His, ( Majesty was much impressed with the efficiency of the submarine, and with the ease, with which "■ she was controlled whjle under submersion, and he thoroughly 'enjoyed his little jouprney.