For more than three months, H.M.S. Highburton plowed endlessly back and forth over a measured mile in choppy waters between the southern coast of England and the Isle of Wight. It was a monotonous mission for the crew of the coastal mine sweeper, but it may well prove momentous for the commercial fleets and navies of the world. During those test runs, the British Admiralty said last week, a versatile chemical helped the little ship to cut its normal fuel consumption by 15% and to reach speeds higher than it had ever before attained.
As it nosed through the water,...
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