SKINNING A WARSHIP.

Western Star, 30 March 1920, Page 2

SKINNING A WARSHIP.

The Navy can do almost anything. Their ‘latest exploit, which, has just come to light, is unprecedented in the. history of the Senior Service. They actually stripped the armourplates off a warship while she was afloat. . , There were no docks, no -sups, notning but the ship’s company. But they did it all! hy themselves. And, of all places, this, happened in North Russia. When the order came to all naval and military .forces on the Archangel front to evacuate at, once there was .seine consternation among naval men. The Dvina Rivet, in which the ships were operating, had fallen so low that most of the monitors were aground), and nothing would persuade them to. move. Eventually two. had to he blown up. " Some of the vessels were Hf deep draught, including H.M.S. Humber. Science has not yet developed sufficiently as yet to solve the problem of how to steam a' ship-drawing 6ft of water or more through water which is only sft or less deep. The sailor men in the Humber had to get their ship away; but how? Eventually the order was given: “Lighten ship.” Everything that was not essential was taken out of the vessel. Her draught was still too great. In the Humber, however, there was scope for some ingenuity and resource.. This particular ship was armoured, having on each side iai belt of Silt, armour running, fore and aft, and projecting 21ft below the water-line. It was estimated to weigh 70 tons. Each armour-plate weighed about three tons and was secured! by six bolts. To reach the bolt heads it was compulsory to get into the wing compartments, which were divided into spaces 3ft by 3ft by lift., just enough room for a small man to get into, but not big enough for him to. work in.

The men on board were inspected, and the smallest men were mustered. Specially large spanners had to be made, and with these andi huge hammers the staff of armour-opiate removers began their wort. It took 48 hours to get the first plate off, and l it fell into the Dvina* River with a mighty splash. After afew days at this new and diverting game the men managed to; get two and even three plates off each day, and dually, after a fortnight, the whole of toe plate .wias lying at tbs bottom of the river. The Humber came merrily down stream, but her journey home from Russia with no armour-plate was hardly pleasant, as the sides off the ship wore little protection against the heavy seas she encontered.