BRITISH SUBMARINES

Hokitika Guardian, 9 December 1929, Page 3

BRITISH SUBMARINES

Britain’s latest submarine Phoenix was christened and launched from Cammen, Laird’s Birkenhead shipyard on October 3, by the wife of Rear-admiral M. E. Dunbar-Nasmith, V.C., whose exploit .in the Dardanelles 14 years ago as commander of submarine Ell was one of the epics of the war (says an overseas paper). Phoenix has a surface displacement of 1570 tons (2040 submerged). She is one of the six “P” class' boats, and carries a 4in gun and eight torpedoes. She is the successor of a number of ships of that name. Mr W. L. Hiehens, chairman of Messrs Cammellj Laird and Co., Ltd., in a speech, revealed that the Admiralty had cancelled an order lor a new submarine named Rupert, which was to have .been laid down by his firm, following A;the launch of the .Phoenix. “ This (submarine died in childbirth,” said Mr Hicheiis, “ and we are squabbling ovhr the. funeral.expenses.” “ Politicians’” Mr Hiehens continued, “are seldom' right, but they are sometimes, and rfiis may be one of the occasions on which they are abundantly justified in the action they have taken. As shipbuilders it is wise to hold our tongues about something of which we know nothing. Therein is the differ- 1 ence between the shipbuilder and. the | poli ticia n. ’ ’—(Laughter.) Assuming that the politicians were right—and it was of fundamental importance to the future of the world to | reduce armaments —it would be foolish, j said the speaker, to build warships which were not wanted. To justify it on economic grounds and argue that it was one way to solve the unemployment problem- was foolish, for underlying the suggestion was the idea that perhaps they would come in useful some day. Take away the assumption, and it was foolish to huikl a ship which most certainly would not be wanted •''when finished. Armament firms throughout the country, said Mr Hiehens, had been hard hit, and few people understood what an extraordinarily difficult task they had had since the war. Their means of livelihood had been taken away, and they had been obliged to find new activities in a period of diffieultv. Before the war, Cnmmell, Laird’s shipyard at Birkenhead was

primarily a warship yard; to-day Admiralty orders were as far apart as the stars, and yet the yard was fuller than at any previous time. Instead of howling for more Government work because of unemployment, they had secured mercantile orders,, and hoped this year to complete a record number of launchings.