BIG BATTLESHIP’S CLOSE CALL

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19801, 17 May 1934, Page 9

BIG BATTLESHIP’S CLOSE CALL

H.M.S. NELSON AGAIN IN DIFFICULTIES

EXPERT VIEW OF SHIP’S DISABILITIES United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright (Received May 16. 5.5 p.m.) LONDON. May 16. The battleship, H.M.S. Nelson had another narrow escape in grounding at Portland Roa/j. She suddenly slid on to a bank of mud and her screws churned helplessly until a destroyer and a couple of tugs towed her to deeper water. The naval correspondent of “The Daily Telegraph” says: “Reports have long been current in naval circles ' that the Nelson and Rodney are peculiarly difficult to navigate. The high freeboard and lofty control tower present an immense surface to the wind. Moreover, the bridge is so far aft that if is difficult to navigate when entering a harbour. It is virtually certain that no further ships of the Nelson class will be built, though their fighting power is tremendous.” PREVIOUS MISHAP. NOVEL METHODS OF REFLOATING The refloating of the £7,500,000 battleship Nelson which grounded on January 11, while leaving Portsmouth on her spring cruise, was accomplished after a series of novel manoeuvres. It is no secret that the Nelson is difficult to handle in narrow waters. Moreover, Portsmouth harbour is a tight passage for big vessels though the fairway is regularly dredged. Five tugs arrived in response to signals. They attached cables and pulled, but the battleship did not move. A flotilla of destroyers coming down the harbour was signalled to steam past at high speed, in a hope that their wash would refloat the Nelson. The destroyers created great waves, imperilling the smaller craft, but there was no result. Next the engines were put hard astern and the whole of the ship’s company jumped at words of command, but without result. More tugs arrived with a dredger which began scooping up sand and shingle. Vessel Considerably Lightened. Massive ‘ 16in. projectiles were unloaded into a lighter and hundreds of tons of oil fuel were pumped into a tanker and the oil forward pumped into the stem tanks in order to lighten the bows. Admiral Waistell, Com-mander-in-Chief at Portsmouth, arrived in his barge. Work continued all day long to lighten the ship. At 5.45 p.m. the signal was given for the engines again to be driven astern, the fleet of tugs pulled, someone yelled “She moves,” ahd the Nelson was again afloat. The Nelson had a crew of 1358 men and more than 100 officers aboard Thousands of people watched the refloating. Strong Newspaper Comment. “The Daily Telegraph,” commenting on the mishap said: “The news of the Nelson’s grounding will be read with amazement by sea-faring men throughout the world. There was no wind and no sea lunning. At one time when the bows were high out of the water and the stern well down, there may well have been fears of the day proving disastrous. The result of the official inquiry will be c waited with intense interest, for the entrance to Portsmouth harbour must be as familiar to responsible officers of the Navy as the road down Whitehall to the ‘Little Admiral’ himself on his pillar in Trafalgar Square.”