SPEEDY WARSHIP

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 959, 30 April 1930, Page 9

SPEEDY WARSHIP

NEW DESTROYER WILL EXCEED 40 M.P.H.

LATEST WAR EQUIPMENT United P.A.—By Telegraph—Copyright Reed. 10.10 a.m. LONDON, Tues. The "Daily Telegraph’s** naval correspondent. describing the Acheron, the latest destroyer to be added to the Navy, says: The speed is nominally 40 miles an hour, but it is likely the Acheron will establish a record for warship speed. "She is a greyhound of the sea. carrying 130 officers and men. and four 4.Tin. guns, in addition to eight torpedo tubes mounted on quadruple carriages. Thus she can discharge the heaviest salvo of torpedoes of any destroyer in the world. Near the Acheron are two similar destroyers for Canada, the Saguenay and the Skeena, which have stronger framework than the Acheron owing to their liability to cruise in ice-infested waters. The Canadian destroy „ are costing £670,000. The destroyer Acheron is a vessel of 1.330 tons. It was launched at Southampton on March IS last. This is the first destroyer to be fitted with machinery designed to make use of highpressure steam, and her speed is estimated at 35 knots. A few weeks ago Italv launched n battleship which established a speed of over 41 knots, or the equivalent of more than 48 miles an hour.

CRUISER FOR AUSTRALIA SHROPSHIRE COMING OUT Reed. 9.5 a.m. LONDON, Tuesday. The Australian and New Zealand Press Association understands that the British Admiralty has selected the cruiser Shropshire to go to Australia in the autumn in exchange for the Australian cruiser Canberra, which is to join the British Fleet in the Mediterranean. The Shropshire is one of Great Britain's latest 10,000-ton cruisers and carries eight S-inch guns.