ROYAL NAVY;

Hokitika Guardian, 30 December 1925, Page 4

ROYAL NAVY;

DRASTIC lIEDUCTIONS. LONDON, Oct. 29. Drastic reductions are announced by the Admiralty in pursuance of the policy of economy which was undertaken to save the amount of the new mnser building programme. The list of mincings includes: The scrapping of all the “Iv” class submarines, except K. 26 and the rer (instruction of the First Submarine Flotilla with K. 26 and four “L” class submarines. The withdrawal,of fourteen tenders attached to the harbour training establishments at Home ports. Abolition of the Special Reserve of Engineer Officers and the reduction of the Sjvecial Reserve of Royal Marine Officers. Reduction of 2nd. Cruiser Squadvan by H.M.S. Calliope, which will he placed in reserve.

Reduction to reserve ol one of the Destroyer Flotillas attached to the Atlantic Fleet.

The complements of his Majesty s •Tups, it is also announced, have fieen 'Older consideration, and some reductions effected therein.

The torpedo and mining, establishments at Portsmouth and Devonport •.idler most severely in the reductions. Thpv lose altogether one monitor, four h'strover.s, and four trawlers, which have been used for various experimental purposes at sea. Submarine establishments lose three of their experimental craft, and two sea-going tenders to the hovs* training establishments are abolished. In other cases tenders will undertake double duties. Thus the destroyer whi' li has been tender to the Keylinm Engineering College will in future act also as tender to the Devonport Gunner v School, while another gunnery lender will take on all the work hitherto done by two ,shi|'s. UNLUCKY “K” BOATS.

Both before the war and since the “K” class of submarines have been renowned for their ill-luck and iho calamities which have overtaken them. They were sjieeiallv designed to manoeuvre with I lie Fleet in the North Sea. and for this reason they have the greatest surface speed of any in the Navy. They are the only submarines to be j ropelled by steam when cruising on the surfii'O. and are the largest in the Navy.

The eonijilieatod machinery and (living gear of the “K” class have made them exceedingly difficult to handle. The most recent catastrophe was the sinking of the “K 5" with all hands in the western approaches of the Channel on .Tan. 20th. 1921. The “K 5” left Torbay with the Atlantic Fleet, and when about 120 miles south-west of Iho Stilly Isles she sank during (living operations. Six officers and ol men were drowned. Although the enquiry was held immediately in the flagship. no clear explanation of the disaster was ever given. An earlier disaster was the sinking ol the “Kl 3 during her acceptance trials. On that occasion half the crew was drowned. ADMIRALTY STAFF.

‘•There is still no indication that those wielding the naval economy axe have turned their attention to the oreatly increased stall of the Adtnirallv,” says the “Dailv Mail." "In J 914. 5809 officials were found sufficient io administer the affairs of a Navy wltose personnel numbered 145.- ()()(). On April Ist. this rear, a staff of 8599 was engaged to do < orrespondine work for a force of 190.290. The culs in the pominnel of the Navy announced yesterday further reduce the force, ‘‘Aiming various explanations advanced in authoritative quarters is the view that the actual work involved ill 'lilting down in other directions creates temporarily an increase in decrcle wall dividing the storeroom from the passage way running from the street through to the hack ol the building was badly cracked Inin: ceiling In floor. At the rear of the room in which the explosion occurred is an office. This is divided oil' from life storeroom hv a big glass window partition. This partition was completely shattered, and

l!u“ contents ol ihi' office inrc tcred in all (liit'il ions. Sonic ol' ilic stuck nils iilso damaged mid l lie windows « ere blow ii oiit. The olfiee mvsniilcd a scene ui ileso--1:11Ion. sjiliiil el's ol ithi's covering everything. mid (lie (Icnr being Mown open. The wooden I nline oi I lie "las- partiI ion. wjis throw ii out ol plnce lor nil inch or two. mid portion;-; ol the woodwork - were siinished. Fortunately no one wns in the office at the time. Two men were working in the office f.f the Auto- I .ito Company opposite at the time of the explosion and they were hotli cut about the hands and arms hy class splinters through the window partitioning their room off from an adjoining room being shattered. One of them was struck on the bead by a piece of Hying wood, tint lie was not ineapacil a led. The room in which those men were working was also smothered with glass fragments and wood splinters, while some of the contents were damaged. A man in the Firestone Company’s office had a very narrow escape from wlmt must have been certain dentil. He had been reading a newspaper, am was on the point of walking into tin room where the air compressor wa when the explosion occurred. Natural 1 v he and the two men in the Auto Lite Company’s office were greatl; alarmed.

I thought it was old Fritz about again,” said one of the men, ‘‘as the roar of the explosion sounded like one of those •plum puddings’ he used to .sling over at us in Fiance.” Passers by and people in adjacent premises were considerably startled by the noise, and a crowd was soon on the scene. The rear part of the building looked as if it had been bombed, what with shattered glass and pieces of plaster and woodwork spattered over the lloors. No damage appeared to have been done to the front part of the building.