DOMINION FLAGSHIP

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 22, 26 January 1921, Page 5

DOMINION FLAGSHIP

ARRIVES IN AUCKLAND. FORMAL RECEPTION. VESSEL WITH HISTORIC NAME. Out of the shifting mists shot with sunshine that lay over the Hauraki Gulf a long, narrow craft with high bows and painted battleship-grey appeared shortly before 1 p.m. to-day, sped down the Cheltenham Channel and rounded the North Head smartly. A moment or two later and she anchored at the ShrerlefTß wharf, Devonport. It was His Majesty's light cruiser Chatham, flagship of the New Zealand squadron, newly from Home to take over the naval defence of these coasts. The arrival of the Chatham was almost unnoticed. She came to anchor not far from H.M.j. Veronica, which has just returned from the South Pacific. Later in the afternoon the commodore, Captain Alan G. flotham, C.M.G., in full uniform, came ashore in the Harbour Board launch Ronaki, and was formally welcomed by Commander Williams, naval adviser to the New Zealand Govercrneni, representing the naval authorities, and by Mr. H. D. Heather, chairman of the Auckland Harbour Board, with Mr. n. B. Burnett, secretary, who met them at the steps of the Admiralt3' Landing. Captain Hotham was accompanied by two officers of the sliip, and after Commander Williams and Mr. Heath<?r had exchanged greetings, formal introductions took place. The party entered waiting motor cars and were driven to Government House, where they were received by the Governor-Gen-eral, Viscount .Tellicoe. and by the Rt. Hon. W. F. Maspey, on behalf of the Government. ONE OF THE "CITY" CLASS. As she lay in the stream the Chatham was an object of gTeat interest to the waterfront. She was built in 1011 at a cost of £334,000. and is one of the "'City 7 ' cla-s of vrssels whose construction was pretermitted by the Admiralty some years ago in the execution of a mistaken policy. The necessity of these ships was so powerfully demonstrated by Lord Chas. Beresford that the Admiralty tacitly admitted their error, find began once more to build the ships which are the "eyes of the fleet," the frigates of modern days, whose business it is to move in a far-flung screen in front of the battle fleet, because without them the battle fleet cannot move at night for fear of torpedo attack.

The Chatham's sister ships are the Southampton and the Dublin, both of which vessels were built in 1912. She is somewhat similar, although of slightly lesser tonnage, to the Australian vessels .Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Adelaide. The Chatham has an overall length of 457 ft, a beam of 4!) 5-Cft, and v displacement of 5400 tons. She is litted with Yarrow boilers and Parsons turbines, and has a designed horse-pcjf.ver of 22,000. She is driven by oil fuel, and can attain a speed of 24.75 knots. Her armament consists of eight Oin guns, four :5-pounders, four machine guns. including one landing, and two 21in torpedo tubes, submerged. complement, including officers and men, totals 31)1.

Prior to her departure from London a party of New Zealanders were entertaincd'by Commodore Hotham and the officers of the ship which then lay in the Thames. An inspection wa.s made of the vessel and good wishes interchanged for her period of duty in New Zealand waters. THE OFFICERS ON BOARD. The officer* who came out in her are: —Commodore Alan G. Hotham, C.M.CJ., R.X.: Commander (X.) S. K. Thomas: Commander (.'. B. Prickett; Lieut.-Com. A. \V. S. Agar. V.C., D.5.0.; Lieut. D. (J. H. Bush; Acting-Lieutenant L. R. Romer; Engineer-Commander W. H. Outfin: Engineer-Lieutenant C. Marchant ; Surgeon-Commander R. L. Jones, 8.A.: Paymaster-*'ommander J. Siddnlls: Paymaster-Lieutenant A. Pigott; Mr. V. S. Simmonds, gunner; Mr. H. J. Taylor, gunner (T.) : Mr. S. H. Veale, boatswain; Mr. J. E. Wright, commissioned shipwright; Mr. M. S. Sladden, warrant engineer; Mr. J. C. Wood, warrant mechanician.

The Chatham's Commander served under Lord Jellicoe in the Battle of Jutland. Prior to taking over the command of the flagship he was Director of the Trade Division of the Naval Staff at the Admiralty. He is a gunnery specialist, and as commander served in the Queen when it was Mediterranean flagship and in the original Dreadnought when that child of Lord Fisher's brain was flagship of the Home Fleet under Admiral May's pennant.

A year after he was promoted captain (June 30, 1!H3) and he was appointed to command the Aurora, a sister ship of the Arethusa and the first British oil-fired cruiser. From the Aurora he was transferred to another light cruiser, the Comus, and took part in the sinking of the German raider' Greif in the North Sea on February 20, 1918. Three months later he was present at the battle of Jutland, where hi« ship was stationed three miles ahead of the Bottle Fleet- under Lord Jellieoe.

In December, 1916. he went to the. Admiralty as Assistant-Director of Naval Equipment, and in October, 1917, was appointed head of the Trade Division. His father. Admiral of the Fleet Sir Charlas Hotham, who was a Lord of the Admiralty in 1888-S9. is still living.

As Dirp.-tor of the Trade Division, Captain Hotham is succeeded by Cnptain C. J. C, Little, C.8.. who joined the Division as Assistant-Director last year, when he relinquished command of the light cruiser Cleopatra.

THE FIRST CHATHAM. The new flagship is the bearer of a venerable name in the British naval records. The first Chatham was launched in 1691 aa a 50-gun ship, the nanv.- being bestowed simply in honour of the town, as is the case with the present one—the Xew Zealand flagship— and not. as was done under the Commonwealth with many place names, in commemoration of an incident of the civil wars. The ship was commissioned by Captain John Leader, and in the first year of her service took part in the most celebrated light in which any ship of the name shared (this was written before the Oreat War). This was the Battle of Barfleiir.

In 175S a new Chatham of 50-piins and 1,058 tons, was launched at Portsmouth. Tn 1758 she saw important service, 'being one of Rodney's squadron in the Channel and at the bombardment of Havre in the summer: she was one of the pjiips which took the French frigate Arethu-e, and in the autumn she was attached to Hawke's fleet. Following this the Chatham went to the East Indies station, where she did good, if not showy work.