SALVAGING SUBMARINES.

Waikato Times, Volume 97, Issue 15999, 30 May 1924, Page 5

SALVAGING SUBMARINES.

THE WORK OF THE NAVY. SIR F. YOUNG IN HAMILTON. MAN WHO DIRECTED OPERATIONS. An exceedingly interesting- address was given before the Hamilton Rotary Club by Sir Frederick Young, Director of Naval Salvage during the war, attached to the Grand Fleet. At the outset Sir Frederick displayed on the screen a diagramatical picture setling out the modus operandi by which the system of raising sunken ships was carried out by the Admiralty. With these preliminary explanations Ihe audience was clearly able to appreciate the difficulties and magnitude of the salvagers' task and understand how sunken submarines and ocean liners were raised from the bottom of the sea and brought into port for repairs so as to fit them to carry on their former work. The historical accidental sinking of the new submarine Kl 3, of 2 600 tons displacement and 320 ft long, was very vividly shown. This submarine, through the omission of an officer to close the engine-room ventilators at her trial, was flooded, and sank with 83 persons aboard. Fortyeight of them immediately shut themselves in the fore part of the ship, and through the efforts of the salvage department were later saved. The vessel sank in IT) fathoms. On board at the time there was a guest, the captain of a sister ship in course of construction. The imprisoned crew decided to afford their visitor what was regarded as the only possible chance of escape and, along with the captain of the ship, he entered the conning tower. Air under pressure was forced into the tower, lifffing the lid against the outside pressure of the water. The visitor was previously stripped of all clothing, but was furnished with a belt in which were placed the ship's papers and messages from the crew to friends ashore. The captain of Kl 3 retained all his clothing, with the intention of returning from the tower to the imprisoned crew. Unfortunately the guest was shot out like a missile from a gun and, striking a beam in his flight, was killed, while the captain was accidentally shot out also, but owing to the weight of his clothing making for resistance, and by a seeming miracle was saved. Eventually contact was established with the crew by signals, and air and food were pumped into the submarine through a 3in. pipe inserted in a hole bored in the hull by divers, and after 56 hours the bow of the vessel was hove a few feet out of the water and by the aid of an oxyacetylene flame a hole was cut through the hull and 48 men escaped with their lives.

Some most interesting and explicit views were shown of the blocking of the Bruge canal and also of the damage done to the Zeebrugge mole by British submarines. Graphic pictures of the raising of Captain Fryatt's ship, the Brussels, and also a number of German pictures of the sinking of the Illinois, which was largely, responsible for [he Americans coming into the war, were also screened. A number of exclusive pictures' obtained from Germany since the war, illustrating the refurn of a crippled Zeppelin to Ostend, were a feature amongst those shown.

The lecture was greatly enjoyed, and at the conclusion a hearty vote of thanks was accorded Sir Frederick.

A vole of thanks was also passed to Mr Christie for operating the lantern.