AFGHAN KING FIRES TORPEDOES, GAINING 2 HITS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18418, 21 March 1928, Page 8

AFGHAN KING FIRES TORPEDOES, GAINING 2 HITS.

WITNESSES GREAT ARMOURED CAR MOCK BATTLE. (Received March 21, 12 noon) RUGBY, March 20. The King of Afghanistan this morning left Bournemouth, where he spent the night, and at the Royai Tanks Corps School, at Wool worth Cove, witnessed one of the most spectacular armoured car displays ever arranged. The attack on objectives was made by 12 tanks, who fired several hundred rounds, while advancing, the King following the manoeuvres in a recorw naissance car. He found the spectacle most thrilling and afterwards spent some time inside a tank, testing the controls.

King Amanullah apparently found his voyage yesterday in submarine L 22 an extremely interesting experience. 1 he vessel was completely submerged, but for most of the journey from Portsmouth to Southampton she kept her periscope above water to enable him to see what was passing round him. He asked numerous questions about the mechanism and signalled to the Queen; “ I send you best wishes from under water.” A little later he received her reply. The outstanding incident was when standing at the periscope he fired two 21-inch dummy torpedoes, each weighing lb tons, at a minesweeper. The projectiles raced towards the target at over 40 miles an hour, only Jive seconds dividing them, and the King, who watched their tracks through the periscope. was obviously pleased when a signal was received saying that two direct hits had been registered. Afterwards, as a memento, he was given a water colour of L 22 flying the Afghan flag, and was amused to receive from the Commander a torpedoman’s gold badge in recognition of his marksmanship. At Southampton he visited, with the Queen, the White Star liner R.M.S. Majestic.—British Official Wireless.