GUNS ON THE ROTORUA.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1835, 22 August 1913, Page 4

GUNS ON THE ROTORUA.

AN ARMED MERCHANTMAN. The New. Zealand Shipping Company's steamer Rotorua,- which berthed at . the King's Wliart' yesterday, lias tho distinction of being the first armed merchant vessel to arrive in a Dominion port. In accordance with the schemo recently adopted by. tho Admiralty, two 4.7-incii guns have been mounted at the stern of the Hotorua. . There is one gun on each sido of the vessel, so mounted that both can bo trained to fire astern, or one on either hand. Tho vessel, carries a'number of members of tho Royal Naval Reservo who would form the guns' crews in timo of necessity. The need for such armament arises from the fact that the overseas trade of Great Britain is so huge that in war time cruisers could not possibly be available to protect every individual ship. In tho caso of a naval attack on the British Isles thero .would be grave danger that the food supply-of. tho Homeland would bo cut off: - In order that merchant vessels might not fall an easy prey to dny puny gufiboat "which, might be sent out against them, they-ara now being provided with two guns each, powerful enough to keep at a "distailce : torpedo and other small craft'. •' Thofßritish -1.7-inch gun throws .a shell'weighing •151b. a distance of about six miles. Tho projectile is capablo of piercing about nino inches of'-\vrought-iron, .arid the gun. can bo fired at'the rate of eight shots per minute. : '