LOSS OF BLANCHE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 December 1939, Page 6

LOSS OF BLANCHE

ONE OF THE BEAGLE CLASS. BRITISH DESTROYERS. The destroyer Blanche, which was sunk last month, according to an Admiralty announcement, is one of the Beagle class, which was built in various yards in 1931. The fact that the ship had been lost was previously announced, but her name was not given. The Blanche was built by Hawthorne Leslies and Co and her class was 323 ft long. 32',ft beam, and draws B‘ft. The Beagles are twin-screw ships of 1360 tons displacement. All British distroyers built between 1930 and 1937 it may be mentioned, are of about the same size. The smallest of them is 1350 tons, the largest 1375. With the introduction of the Javelin and Kelly classes the tonnage was stepped up to 1690 tons, and its armament from four guns to six. The Blanche had four 4.7 in guns, two 2pounders, and a machine-gun. The speed of the ship was 35 knots and she had two quadruple 21 in torpedo tubes. The Jersey is a more powerful ship. She was built by J. S. White and is one of the 1690-tonncrs of the Javelin class mentioned above. Her horsepower. which is 40.000. exceeded that of the Blanche by 6000. tier speed is, given at 36 knots. The comple-1 men! of the Blanche was 140. that of the Jersey is 175. at war strength.