Through the kindness of Mr. G. Bena, chairman of the Italian Chamber of Commerce, a number of friends were enabled to be pre sent when one of the Italian motor submarine chasers was taken out for a trial spin in the Huangpu on Saturday morning.
With the exception that these craft do not carry torpedoes and depth bombs, though the appliances for handling them are still in position, these submarine chasers are in exactly the same condition as they were when on active service. They were sent out East to act scouts and relief ships in connexion with the Rome-Tokio flight, a precautionary measure which was eve" tually found to be unnecessary owing to the readiness of the Japanese Government to perform the same work with torpedo boats. The ultimate fate of these boats is not yet certain, but the trip on Saturday morning proved that they were among the most. interesting craft in Shanghai at the present time.
Setting out from the Rowing Club ramp and having to waste considerable time threading its way through the crowded traffic around the junction of the Soochow Creek and the Huangpu, the vessel with quite 20 people on board made the trip to Woosung in a little over half an hour, against the current. Coming back with the tide she did the same journey in less than half an hour, with the result that the return journey was completed wita-in a hour of setting forth, the boat in some stretches doing about 39 knots.
Everyone Howps on.
The impression of great speed was not to be found in the duplicate motors, developing 250 LIP. which remained icy cold to the touch despite the extreme rate at which they were working, nor in the in tense vibration under foot as the craft leapt through water. It was rather to be seen in the huge bow wave which in the half-hearted at tempts at sunshine gleamed like cascades of pearls, and in the pit of turmoil behind the stern where the waters rushed in to fill the hiatus made by the rapid passage of the vessel and the swirl of her screws.
Everyone on board had to holi on to something and the rapidity with which ocean-going ships were overtaken and passed, together with the speed with which the banks of the river went behind were the real evidences of th> manner in which the boat was eating up the miles to Woostmg and back. It was, indeed a most inter. esting experience and one which gave impressive reasons for the success of these craft against the Hun submarine.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.