CRUISER’S RECORD SPEED.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1377, 23 March 1915, Page 4

CRUISER’S RECORD SPEED.

HOW THE KENT DID HER BEST. LONDON. Feb. 2. Tim Kent onlv caught (ho Nurnberg. in the Falkland Islands battle, by virtue of the loyal co-operation of the engineers uepartment. which enabled the warship to break all her previous records. An engineeroHicor on hoard writes: —“Wo got to tho entrance in quick time, to find ourselves within moderate range of the nearest Gei - nmn cruisers, the Gneisenau and the Nurnberg, and they nipped away for all they were worth. We chased after them, working up to our fullest speed ns easily and as quickly as wo could. Fortunately, everybody had been well trained, and all fell into their special groove like one man. The entire star! was doing its best, and, my word, it was a best.

“Wo pushed her along, more, more, more. The revolution of the engines at. tho first time of starting were more than the revolutions the dockyard could knock out of her, and she was worked up gently, bit by bit, easing down occasionally when things looked as if they wore not going quite right, or when they threatened to do so. An anxious moment was reached when wo got on every ounce of steam that the engine could ta'ke. We were Just then going some sixteen revolutions a minute faster than tho Admiralty full-power, and also tho designed power of 22,000 h.p., sonic 5000 h.p. more than we ought to have done. “In times of peace wo should have been court-marl hilled for this, but we came out on top. We caught the ruddy GcrmllUN and sank her. Wc were doing from 21 to 3 knots faster than tho old Kent had ever done before. Wo wore doing over 25 knots ‘full S])ccd’, tlie highest ever attained before being 22£ knots. The captain nearly fell on tho cnginoer-conimandor’s neck and kissed him when he ‘blow up’ after the action to see him and to advise as to the best speed to go back to harbour. He nearly shouted at him for some time. ‘My dear fellow, my dear engineer-commander ! You won the action, yon did it. splendid ! Yon won the action ! Without your speed we should have lost everything.' “The commander remarked Hint tho thanks, if any, were duo to the stall. who had worked wonderfully well and without exception. Nothing could have boon better.”