"WHIPPETS."

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11482, 2 September 1915, Page 4

"WHIPPETS."

ODD NEW CLASS OF WARSHIPS. There are many mysterious stories of a now class of war.dnp--nicknamed " whippets, "- that has been constructed in considerable numbers. It i? declared to bo of extremely shallow draught, low-lying bo as to be almost invisible —in iaet, practically a seagoing gun-platform. '1 'liese strange cralt are oil driven, with a &peed of forty knots and a bit more. _ Their use is conjectured to be twofold (or anti-submarine warfare and for operating in extremely shallow waters against land defences or shipping. They curry ovu* ywti, an 1 d ui some cases two guns of small calibre, and their stability has been secured by a. new secret device, Eight pt them are said to have been completely equipped and are at their .stations, and a verv large number are either eompletin"-" or in advanced construction. fhe British Admiralty in spite of all rei. resen tat ions maintains its letusal to 1 give information as to the names of warships which sink German sub- !! marines. For some time it was thought " r*oc/l business to refrain from stating 1 how"or by what kind of ship they were ' sunk This save the Germans an opportune of asserting that the U29 was 7 * «ent to "the bottom by an oil tanker j fK-irui n neu! ■ .ii fl'g- Whether owiny lo tie incervt-miuii ot th" censorship or I not, very liul.- has 0.-en published ivom ! Washington abwut uiis> matter, ali ! though it is not seen how it could oxor- ■ I rise any material iiiibn-nee <»> tho i I Ameneaii view German -nbinai me methods.