THE "HUSH SHIPS"

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 84, 3 January 1919, Page 5

THE "HUSH SHIPS"

BRITAIN'S GREATEST WAR. CRAFT. 'Much has been hinted about the "hush ships," which were bui.lt in British yards after the outbreak of war behind a veil of..secrecy. These ships did not get .their chance to assist in smashing .the German Pleet. The enemy preferred to j wait in liis harbours until tlie armistice had been; sighed and then 'surrender iglioniimously. But there is no doubt that if, the great naval battle desired - by the British sailors had' taken placo the ."hush ships" would have made their presence felt. - . ' , ~ The "hush ships, as announced already, were the Renown, the Impulse, the. Courageous,' the Glorious, and the Furious. They took the place of.the suiperDreadnoughts - that were to .' have been laid down in 1914r15, under provision made in the WU estimates. .These battleships -were to have- been heavily armoured. They were to have been comparatively slow- ships, steaming -at about 22 knots, and! were to have carried ten 15inch guns,-with a secondary armament of G-inch guns.' But i't appears that experience gained in the early stages of the war induced the .British naval authorities to make radioal changes in design. In fact, the pre-war type of battleship was abandoned in the face of the menace of the submarine and the mine. The design of the' "hush ships" has not .yet been made public in detail, hut some information has been published in the London newspapers sinoe the signing of the armistice. The Renown and the Repulse are stated to be "enormous bat-tle-cruise>rs, thinly armoured, but carrying each six 15-inch guns,, and steaming at about 30 knots." "They are extraordinary vessels," states Mr. H. W Wilson, "and had the Germans held out, their guns would have been heard in the Baltic. , For work in that shallow sea their light draft specially fits them." These two cruisers could not resist, heavy blows from enemy guns. JBut they could deliver their maximum blows at extreme ranges, they would be exceedingly difficult marks owing:to'their high speed, and they have special protection against torpedo attack. Thoir speed would enablo them to choose their own range and position in battle. . , • Tho Courageous is similar in design, sneedi, and armament to tho Renown nnd the Repulse, but she is fitted as a gigantic minelayer. Tust how many, ongines of death she can sow,in tho'soa in a given period is not announced, but it is known that slio can distribute mines with extraordinary rapidity. Her fighting tiowor and high speed would enable lier to reach positions that would bo unattainable to •an • ordinary minolayer, and it would be perilous for any enemy 6hip to follow where the Courageous had been at work. The Furious is an aeroplane ship. She carries numerous aircraft, which can ascend from her vast platforms or return thero at will. Liko tho other "hush ships," sho can 'fight in addition to performing her special function. All these ships are of about ,10,000 burden and approximately 1000 feet long. , ' '. Ono of the signs of the change which air warfare has brought (state* a naval correspondent) is the aeroplane 'carried by each of the British Dreadnoughts fnr firo control, reconnaissance, and attack on enemy aircraft. These wicked-look-ing "camel" mochines drove tho Zeppelins from tho water where they ventured to show themselves long after it became 1 too perilous for them to ilv over British soil. Tho daring of the 'Vamol" pilots n-ho handle these aeroplanes is legendary. In some of the shins two aeroplanes' aro onrrie'l. o>m> for ficht,i"g purposes and the other for "spotting" and noting the fill, of the giant projectile.

The House of. Lords lias GBS members. Motor-cars to tho vnhie of .€R.2911,000 were bought by the United Kingdom. France, and Russia from America last year. A book purchased for fourpence in Far. Road, London, was found to contain a note and two shillinp;sworth of stamps.