MIMIC BATTLE AT AKAROA.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume LIII, Issue 5531, 24 September 1929, Page 2

MIMIC BATTLE AT AKAROA.

NEXT YEAR'S' MANOE'UViIES

In March of next year the hills around the peaceful little resort of Akaroa will resound with- the boom of guns, and it will not be an uncommon sight to see khaki-clad figures struggling over the hills, and, mayibe, an airplane or two circling and swooping overhead. No, the people of Akaroa are not going- to stage a. battle with the settlers of 'Pigeon Bay or Port Levy or anything like that, but this plane will merely be the scene of the next New Zealand . naval, military and air manoeuvres. This will be the first time that combined manoeuvres have been carried out in the South Island, and it will probably be the biggest yet held in the Dominion. In- the past the manoeuvres have' been staged near Auckland. The announcement that the exercises would /be carried out next year has been made by Commodore Geoffrey Blake, C.8., D.5.0., R.N., Officer Commanding the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy. H.iM.S. Diomede will not be able to take- part, as she will' leave New Zealand next week for England to refit, and will not arrive back again until, October of next year. However, -H.MJS. Dunedin, with the other ships of the New Zealand will take part in the exercises. Commodore Bla'ke said that it was not certain yet 1 whether the air arm of the Dominion, would participate, but it was quite likely that it would. When the Hobsonville air base was fully established manoeuvres would most likely be carried out at Auckland by fighting aircraft and cruisers in conjunction. The combined manoeuvres' last year were carried out near Auckland, a Bristol fighter from the Wigram Airdrome, piloted! by Major L. M. Isi.-tt, iM.;C., participated. The first cruise of H.M.S. Dunedin under her new command will start on, October 2. She will visit Akaroa, Lyttelton, and' Dunedin.