Secret and Confidential
THE PROTECTION OF
MERCHANT SHIPS
AGAINST MOORED MINES
VICKERS LIMITED, London, 1917
Printed in 1917, The Protection of Merchant Ships Against Moored Mines is a very rare handbook covering the use of the Vickers 'Otter' Paravane anti-mine apparatus as installed in Merchant Navy ships during WW1. It was intended 'For the use of Captains of vessels fitted with the Otter installation'. Marked 'Secret and Confidential', this handbook was produced in limited numbers, with each copy individually numbered: this is copy no. 1467. The title page states that 'In the event of probable capture by the Enemy, this book must be thrown overboard'. To make sure the book would not be retrieved, the rear board is lead-lined, making it certain to sink.
Mines were used extensively during WW1 to defend coastlines, shipping, ports and naval bases. Technically, mining was limited by treaty to areas within three miles of an enemy’s coastline, so as not to endanger neutral ships. However, both sides quickly came to ignore this agreement, and the North Sea became a place of immense danger. This also impacted neutral countries such as Norway and Sweden, which depended heavily on the North Sea for commerce, as the British North Sea coast and areas around ports in the Low Countries were particularly heavily mined. Paravanes were seen as a vital new weapon in the battle to secure both military and civilian shipping.
The handbook includes a detailed description of the Otter Paravane system and how it should be used by Merchant ships. It is illustrated with a series of 11 folding diagrams of the Otter, its parts and accessories, and the way it should be deployed.
Vickers 'Otter' Paravane: Paravanes were developed between 1914-1916 by Royal Navy officers Lieutenant Burney and Commander Usborne as a direct result of the need to destroy oceanic mines. The paravane would be strung out and streamed alongside a towing ship, normally from the bow. The wings of the paravane would tend to force the body away from the towing ship, placing a lateral tension on the towing wire. If the tow cable snagged the cable anchoring a mine then the anchoring cable would be cut, allowing the mine to float to the surface where it could be destroyed by gunfire. If the anchor cable would not part, the mine and the paravane would be brought together and the mine would explode harmlessly against the paravane. The cable could then be retrieved and a replacement paravane fitted. Burney also developed explosive paravanes as an anti-submarine weapon. These contained 80 pounds of TNT towed by an armoured electric cable. The warhead was fired automatically as soon as the submarine touched the paravane or towing cable, or by hand from the ship's bridge. It could be quickly deployed into the water, could be towed up to 25 knots, and recovery if unsuccessful was reasonably simple.
The British Admiralty established a Paravane Department at Portsmouth Dockyard, with a staff of over 300, including 71 officers. This organization was resonsible for the design and installation of the special fittings required in connection with paravanes, the manufacture, inspection and testing of paravanes, and the training of personnel in their use. The first large-scale manufacturing contract for the Otter Paravane was awarded to Vickers Limited at the end of January 1917, when they received an order from the Admiralty for the supply of 4,000 Otters. By early 1918 the paravane project was having a significnt impact - with the Admiralty claiming that one battleship, five cruisers, and twenty merchant ships had cut German mines with their paravanes. In addition to saving these ships, the cutting of these mines had led to the discovery of mine fields hitherto unknown. As a result, the Admiralty had ordered all British naval vessels, and all British merchant ships of 12 feet draft to be equipped with this device as soon as possible.
Sir Charles Dennistoun Burney (1888-1968): started his naval training in 1903, and joinied the battleship Exmouth as a midshipman in early 1905. Burney joined the destroyer Afridi in 1909, and soon afterwards the Crusader, which was used for experimental work by the anti-submarine committee. Burney became very interested in the anti-submarine warfare and was quick to see the potential of the aeroplane as a means of spotting submarines, sparking off an interest in aeronautics. When WW1 broke out, Burney was given command of the destroyer Velox, but soon afterwards joined the Portsmouth torpedo school, where he was primarily responsible for the development of the explosive paravane, a small underwater aeroplane used to destroy submarines and mines. By 1916 he had taken out 11 patents relating to paravanes and associated equipment, and large scale production of paravanes was begun in 1917 by Vickers Ltd. Burney was rewarded for his work in the 1917 birthday honours by his appointment as CMG, an honour rarely given to a lieutenant. After the war Burney continued his association with Vickers Ltd, working on airships and numeorus other inventions and technological innovations.
Condition:
In very good condition. The boards are in very good condition, with minor signs of wear and use, and some marks. The binding and hinges are good and secure. The text and fold-out illustrations are in very good condition. Signed indistinctly on the endpapers by 'L. J. [Blanche?]'.
Published: 1917
Green boards with gilt titling, with lead-lined rear board
Illustrated with fold-out plates
Dimensions: 135mm x 215mm
Pages: 20 (plus 11 folding plates)
