ECHO OF JUTLAND.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 March 1921, Page 9

ECHO OF JUTLAND.

WHY THREE BATTLESHIPS BLEW UP. “It is not generally known that at the Battle of Jutland three of the largest British warships sank through their own magazines exploding and not through enemy gun fire. This significant paragraph hears a letter received by Blair, Reed, and Co., Wellington, from their Yorkshire principals —a large engineering firm. The letter proceeds: “Of course the Germans claim that these boats were sunk through their gun fire, but it is known definitely by the British Admiralty that this was not the cause. Unfortunately, the large guns on these ships were not provided with a suitable safety device to prevent the flashing back of the guns when fired, and this flashing back was the cause of the explosion of the magazine which destroyed the ships.” The letter proceeds to show how the warships that were blown up by themselves were fitted with an apparatus for bringing up the charges from the magazines. As this was serving the guns the charges were ignited while ascending to the guns, and there was a chain of fire from one charge, to the other until it reached the magazine, causing it to blow up. After the Ba.ile of Jutland the trouble wasM’ectified, and the firm in question was entrusted by the Admiralty to manufacture a revolving scuttle which would prevent backfire reaching the magazine. The work was done in a desperate hurry, and 600 revolving scuttles were completed within 16 weeks. It was a great effort to the firm and all its hands, but it was achieved and earned the special thanks of the Admiralty, which desired that its gratitude should be expressed to all employees engaged on the work.