THE FIRST SUBMARINE AND TANK

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 278, 25 May 1917, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE FIRST SUBMARINE AND TANK

DAVID NAPIER'S SUGGESTIONS

" Indestructible!'' One aJmost laughs at tho idea in these days cf scientific warlare. Vet that was the word used by David Napier when ho placed his proposal lor a submerged gunboat before the Admiralty ever half-a-century ago. The boat, he said, "would destrov anything that could be destroyed by cannon halls, while it was itself indestructible."

Many people thought Napier mad on account of las strange idea?, but then a former generation had ridiculed that ether Clyde inventor, Henry Bell, fcr his ideas of steam propulsion against wind and tide. Nor were the people alone. Tlse Lord of the Admiralty rejected Bell's steamboat, an they '"wero of opinion that the plan proposed would be of no value 'ii promoting trans-marine navigation.'' In those days the archives of the Admiralty were the graveyard of many ingen'ous inventions, and somewhere thoro lies the record of Napier's proposed indestructible gunboat and his armoured car.

!t was in (he days following the Crimean that Xapier turned his attention to this ship. Tho difficulty" in taking Sebastopol and Cronstadt by our forces was his incentive. He communicated his proposals to the Duke of Argyle, who placed them before the Lords; of tho Admiralty. A REJECTED IDEA. Of course, motors and petrol were unheard of in those days, and the small vessel, of 100 feet in length and 20 feet in breadth was to bo driven by a steam engine of 20 horse-power and to have a speed of seven miles an hour! The principal feature of the ship was the curved deck, which was the only part of the vessel to bo above water-level. In explaining tho reasons of the curvature, Napier said it would give "tho vessel greater buoyancy, elevating the aperture, or port of the gun. in tho bow, out of the water, give more headroom for the men ins do, and make it more difficult for any person to stand on the deck or shoot to damage it.'' The deck was to lie from 18 to 24 inches thick —one-inch iron plates on the inside, and the snace between the plates to be of solid woodwork. Napier proposed utilising the bo'ler furnace fan as a means of ventilating tho different departments of the ship, and when the port.' were shut, air was to be admitted through rubber tubes standing ono foot above the dock. These tul>os -'would fall down when the so a passed over the deck without admitting water." The armament of this strange craft was to be composed of one or more breeth-loadillg guns made of malleable iron. These were to bo fitted at port holes in the how. The port was to open and shut from tiie inside by means of n strong water-tight valve, also to bo made of malleable iron. The gun was apparently of a new design, for Napier claimed that it c-ouhl "lead at the breech with perfect safety, and would fire two shots for one of any gun 'n ' the Navy—balls of one hundredweight if required." ARMOURED CAR SUGGESTED. It is in connection with this new gun that Naper made what is believed- te be the first suggestion of an armoured car for warfare. Tiio steam car, as a means of public conveyance, always had a peculiar fasr-ination for David Napier. Vears before ho had experimented with it, :\ml actually ran a. steam carnage from Kihnun, on the Holy Loch, to the head of Loch Eck, in connection With his passenger steamer which sailed duly from tho Broomielaw. In those days siipbuildors. were also shopowners, and Napier had a small steamer on Loth Eck. In fact Napier was the originator of what is known to tourists as "The Famous Lech Eck Tour." His steam carriage ran for two seasons, and was the first vehicle of tins description to • vrrv passengers for biro on the commen roads. Now he suggested the application of the steam ear to warfare. The proposal was made at the same time as he placed the particulars of his indestructible boat before the Armiraltv Hs idea was that a gun might be mounted on wheels and enclosed m a strong bullet-proof case narrow at iron. and wide enough behind to shelter six soldiers to fire the gun and move it into whatever position they desired. In ■ few s'mple words Napier aaled or one of large class could have steam to move it. Tho iron case to bo perforated with holes for muskets, sc that nc one daro approach it." These inventions, little known ot .n om . davs. are only two from a man whoso life was steeped in new ideas, let thev are remarkable and interesting Mi view of the strange weapons cf war that are used on land and sea to-day. Hound about the Glydes'dc one, hears whispers of strange ••mystery shy sweeping out of the murky "W^Vj seme of them, resembling *W*'*™ indestructible gunboat. And official re- ! portn in our newspapers make us famlI 'ar with the achievements of the arI moored cars, to say nothing of the I -'Tanks." Yet the idea ot thiso was 1,, |„re the Admiralty over 50 years *go. l).; v id Napier and hs cousin Robert Napier both Dumbarton ™*^£ i „„,,, f or .team navigation in,the da>s i its infancy than any other two n.en.