Printed papers on the political situation and military policy in Egypt [‎14v] (28/176)

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APPENDIX V.
APPROXIMATE AMOUNTS SHIPS WOULD REQUIRE LIGHTENING FROM DEEP LOAD TO
Enable them to Pass Through the Suez Canal.
—
Mean
Deep
Load
Draught.
1923,
Permitted
Draught,
32 feet.
1924,
Permitted
Draught,
33 feet.
1925,
Permitted
Draught
(estimated),
33^ feet.
1929,
Permitted
Draught
(estimated),
35 feet.
( 1 .)
( 2 .)
(3.: (4.)
(5.) ( 6 .)
(7.) ( 8 .)
(9.) (10.)
Lightening required to pass through Canal on draughts shown in
column 2 .
Feet.
Feet.
Tons.
Feet.
Tons.
Fejt.
Tons.
Feet.
Tons.
New ships* .. .. • ..
344
• •
. .
# •
• #
. #
Nil
Nil
Royal Oak (bulged)*
31
Nil
Nil
Nil
Nil
Nil
Nil
Nil
Nil
Ramillies, Resolution, Royal Sovereign,
32£
I
600
Nil
Nil
Nil
Nil
Nil
Nil
Revenge
Queen Elizabeth class
344
n
A 2
3,000
2
1,800
1
1,200
Nil
Nil
Iron Duke class
33j
1.700
600
Nil
Nil
Nil
Nil
King George V class
32
Nil
Nil
Nil
Nil
Nil
Nil
. .
Hood
32i
3lf
32|
4
750
Nil
Nil
Nil
Nil
Nil
Nil
Repulse ..
Nil
Nil
Nil
Nil
Nil
Nil
Nil
Nil
Tiger
1
2
600
Nil
Nil
Nil
Nil
Nil
Nil
* Estimated.
Notes —(i.) In 1921 “Malaya” passed through the Canal, drawing 1 foot more than the greatest draught
officially allowed.
(ii.) Draughts are shown to nearest £ foot.
(iii.) It is assumed that ships will have adjusted their longitudinal trim before reaching the Canal.
(iv.) Figures for “Tiger” are for authorised maximum fuel only.
(v.) The draught given in column 2 is the maximum that any particular ship of the class is likely to
attain.
£
4
4
APPENDIX VI.
Mining of Steamship “ Teiresias ” at the Southern end of the Little Bitter
Lake on June 30, 1915.
The “ Teiresias,” a Blue Funnel Steamer bound for Japan, struck a mine at the
southern curve of the Little Bitter Lake in the Suez Canal at 5 a.m. on the 30th
June, 1915. By the action of the current she drifted broadside on, and completely
blocked the Canal. Fortunately she righted herself during the course of the day
under the action of the changing current. If it had not been for this piece of good
luck, the situation would have been extremely grave.
2. It is practically certain that the mine had been brought from the desert. South
of the southern curve of the Little Bitter Lake there is a stretch of sand standing
out on the Asiatic coast towards the Canal and allowing easy access thereto. The
point is therefore a dangerous one, a fact to which one or two previous incidents
had called attention. As a result of an attempt on part of the Suez Canal Company’s
apparatus, a guard of a few men had been installed there. Unfortunately, this guard
had been withdrawn before the accident, owing to pressure of other duties. There
were a few patrols out during the night with armed bearer, but they were very
few and there was plenty of time for a minelayer to do his work without being
disturbed by them. After the accident the tracks of about a dozen men and one camel
were discovered. v
3. The mine that the “Teiresias'’ struck was laid in a section of the Canal
where the bottom is rocky, and where dredging is almost impossible.
4. It was subsequently ascertained that the information which led to the mine
being laid in this particular spot was given by a retired Canal pilot of German
extraction who had settled in Jerusalem.