THE WAR OPAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 149, 19 March 1919, Page 8

THE WAR OPAL

DESTROYER TYPE OF TRAMP. An interesting product of the war is now in Wellington Harbour in tho British Government's steamship War Opal, a vessel now on her first voyage to the Pacific. Tho War Opal was only launched from the yards of J. and L. Thompson at 'Sunderland in October last, and left on her maidew voyage to New York (whence she came to New Zealand) on December 13 last.. She is tho largest of three; or I'our types of standard cargo steamers approved by the advisers of the British Government, and is at present trading tinder the aegis of the Imperial Government, with Thomas Law and Co., of Glasgow, as tho managing firm. Hor outline at a distance curiously resembles that of a large destroyer, and tho haze of distance would easily confuse the identity of the tramp. She has an extremely lofty forecastle head, a squat funnel, and a single short slender mast amidships for signalling and wireless purposes. These, with a flush deck aft, givo the vessel the •"rake" of a destroyer, serving as a protection from attack by enemy submarines. The War Opal has two stump steel masts, fore and aft, but theso can bo lowered and made fast in such a position that they resemble hoavy-calibro guns. Tho vessel has iron fittings aft for two 4.7 guns, but as she left Homo after the armistice was signed, there was no need to mount the guns. Another wartime contrivance carried by the War Opal is what is known as an "otter"—a contrivance which projects forward from the stem below tlio water; with teeth to sever the mooring chains or wires of moored mines. Tho act of liberating tho mino brought it to the surface clear of the ship, in a position where it could be sunk with rifle fire or-'by Other'means,'- 1 ' The War Opal's gross tonnage is G685, fend her registered tonnage is 4161). She Jiaa capacity for 11,300 tons dead-weight, aad etoams 12 knota an hour.