MR. GIBSON BOWLESI beg to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty whether it is the fact that three out of the four turret guns on H.M.S. Colossus were recently found to be unserviceable; that in order to replace them the whole reserve of guns at Malta, not only for the 1408 Colossus, but also for the Edinburgh and the Collingwood, had to be shipped on the Colossus, and that one gun of this reserve was found, when cleaned, to be more unserviceable than the gun it had replaced, and was consequently condemned as unfit for service; and whether any, and, if so, what, measures are now or will in future be taken to secure that guns in reserve are in serviceable condition?
SIR U. KAY-SHUTTLEWORTHThree out of the four guns on Her Majesty's ship Colossus were recently reported to be unserviceable. It was previously known by the number of rounds fired that they were becoming worn, and these three guns were replaced from the reserve at Malta. One of the reserve guns, which had fired no rounds since leaving Woolwich, has been reported on as unserviceable, but whether this is the fact has yet to be decided by the experts at homo. A new gun will be shipped next week for the reserve at Malta. All necessary measures have been, and will in future be, taken to secure that guns in the reserve are in a serviceable condition. There is no reason to doubt the efficiency of the remaining three guns.