Floating idea of a water ‘think tank’
I READ with interest the letter from Chris Bennett in Friday’s Cape Times and I am reminded of a similar idea that was conceived by Churchill’s “Think Tank” during World War II.
Churchill called together eminent people from all walks of life to think of any hare-brained ideas that might help the war effort. One such member, if I recall correctly, was Dr Barnes Wallis of ‘bouncing bomb’ fame.
Another idea to counter the impact of the U-boats on the North Atlantic convoys was the provision of a series of shallow-draught rafts tied together to form a floating island which would then be moved across the Atlantic by tugs.
The rafts would carry all sorts of essential supplies for the Allies’ war effort but were too shallow for torpedoes. If hit by a bomb, that unit could be separated, if needed, from the rest of the flotilla.
The flotillas were assembled on the American east coast and then towed en masse to get the benefit of the Gulf Stream as it travelled north-east across the Atlantic. If the tugs were hit, the flotilla would still continue to move northeast. Many such flotillas could have crossed the Atlantic at any one time.
This concept was never put into practice as the U-boat menace became less severe as the war progressed.
Chris Bennett’s idea needs support and more investigation but I would add another element to his concept.
If the estuaries of the rivers flowing eastward into the Indian Ocean were ‘harvested’, the Agulhas current would assist the homeward-bound loaded pods to minimise transport costs, whereas the western side of Africa has the north-flowing Benguela current impeding transport of the loaded pods.
Let us hope that this correspondence stimulates the creation of another ‘think tank’ to help the Western Cape or national government overcome this present crisis, by developing ideas, and to be seen to be pro-active in getting feasible and economic solutions. John S Whybrow Swellendam