THE PARAVANE INVENTOR.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1964, 12 April 1919, Page 4

THE PARAVANE INVENTOR.

HOW SHIRS AVERE SAVED FROM MINES.

The paravane saved us approximately £40,000,000 worth of war ships, besides merchant tonnage to an unknown, though enormous, amount.

Like many other great conceptions, the paravane seems a quite simple thing. Hawsers with kites at the end of them are put into the water —on ouch side of a ship. .As the ship moves along the pul] on the kites lightens the hawsers, which stand out in a straight: line on cither beam and sweep up any mines that may he met with. On one occasion last year a flotilla of light cruisers found themselves in a minefield, and by using (he paravane they were able to cut their way safely through it. The German submarines were continuously laying minefields which could not he detected until vessels were in them. But with paravanes out there was no danger. The mines were cut away and destroyed, and often it was not until this begun to happen that the men in the ships knew they were in a mined area.

Different types of this invention were developed. One kind was used with much success against U-boats, There was also a special one that could be easily handled Jilted to merchant vessels.

The paravane was invented by Lieutenant Dennis Barney, R.N., son of Admiral Sir Cecil Burney, Commander-in-Chief at Rosyth. Lieutenant Burney comes of an old naval family. He is a very young officer who looks the clever man lie is, and like many other naval officers, has a distinct' bent for science and mechanics. He conceived the idea of a paravane while running a destroyer to and fro across Channel on escort dutv.

Having got the plan, lie worked it out by means of drawings and models, and persisted in this until dually the Admiralty agreed to give this thing a trial. Results were so good that a special department was established for it, and paravanes manufactured bv the thousand.

Under official regulations a naval ofticer who invents anything must offer it to Hie Admiralty, who, if (hey accept the device, may give him whatever reward (hey please. Lieutenant Burney was made acting commander and awarded the C.M.G.