Manawatu Herald THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1918. LAUNCH OF H.M.S. EAGLE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1885, 3 October 1918, Page 2

Manawatu Herald THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1918. LAUNCH OF H.M.S. EAGLE.

EVER since the beginning' ol the war the Admiralty has made it a strict rule not to disclose any inlormation about naval sliipbuilding, but recently an exception was made in view of the specially interesting circumstances attending the launch ol a new warship. On this occasion Mrs Page, wile ol the American Ambassador, “named,” at Messrs Armstrong, Whitworth's yard, on the Tyne, H.M.S. Eagle, which is described as “one of the largest ships in the British Navy.” -Mrs Page had been invited to act as oiticial sponsor' for the Eagle by the First Lord ol the Admiralty, with the express approval ol the King. As the great vessel glided smoothly down the ways the white ensign and the Stars and (Stripes liew side by side from jackslali's at her bow. There have been several Eagles in the Royal Navy, one of them having been the objective of what is believed to have been the lirsl submarine attack on record. In 1770 she was lying at anchor near Xew York, when an American seaman proposed to go out in a submarine boat and atlix a “torpedo” to her hull. The attempt failed, however, as the infernal machine exploded prematurely when some distance from the target.