MONSTER TARGET.

Shannon News, 6 January 1928, Page 3

MONSTER TARGET.

FOR NAVAL PRACTICE. FIRST TO BE . BUILT IN NEW ZEALAND. AUCKLAND, January 3. The first, naval battle practice target built in New Zealand has nearly be<sn completed in the yards of an Auckland firm of boat-builders. It is a mighty structure, 164 ft. in length and 30ft high above the water line, and with its steel prow it bears sjome resembhfncie, in appearance at- 1 - least, to the old Norse war galley. Upon the steel keel, technically known as a “fin,” is built a superstructure of solid timber, logs or Oregon pine,, laterally and crossways, alternately, ■ making a mighty wooden structure containing about 100,000 square feet of woodi ■ \ The “fin” is made hollow in order to allow the entry of water, thus affording ballast to the target, and to, prevent rolling. At intervals of three feet, along the super structure, are ■ poles of pine thirty feet in height, crossed at regular intervals by timber battens. It is these which constitute the actual target, a hit being easily observable through naval binoculars ir?: at a range of at least ten miles, and , probably twice that distance when vis? ibility is good. The weight of the target is considerably over 200 tons. It follows in all / its essentials the latest design for battle practice targets in the British Navy, and is identical with those recently constructed for service with the Home fleet. It is to be launched within the _ next three months and will be moored near the naval dock, being taken out into the Hauraki Gjulf when practice is . ordered. ' : s