NAVAL NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 190, 12 August 1922, Page 12

NAVAL NOTES.

■ ■ ———c ITEMS OF DOMINION AND GENERAL INTEREST. (By Telegraph.—Special to "Star."J LONDON, June 20. In a Fleet Order it is notified that a junior lieutenant is required for serviA with the New Zealand Navy until Ocitober, 1923. Applications should be Imade to the Secretary of the Admiralty, through the usual service channels, as .soon as possible. The position of officers lent from the Royal Navy for service in- the New Zealand Navy, the j order states, is in all respects equivalent to that of officers who serve continuously in the Royal Navy, with whom they will ibe considered equally for promotions and appointments. One of the many bitter lessons learned iat Jutland—lessons learned at the cost 'of hundreds of gallant officers and brave | men, plus much treasure —was that tlie ; gun shield is of no earthly use in protecting crews -when heavy shell fire is being sustained. A few rounds disposed of the shit Ids, the' guns, and the crews. This was notably the case with the ' Southampton—now carrying the flag on ' the East Indies Station—and the Dublin, which is on the African Station. The 'shields were not only no protection but 'a' positive danger, as their flying fragments added to the death, or wounds dealing metal. 'The foregoing lesson has now been erabodied—partially anyway—in the "D" class of light cruiser—the Diomede, already on the China Station, and the Dispatch, going thither. In these two ; cruisers the forward and aft guns are t mounted—not behind useless shields—in closed-in turrets, thus* giving more protection to the crews in action, and also minimising the : effects ' of- gun fire "blast" from the guns mounted above the bow and stern chasers. This means that eventually the shield-protected gun will disappear, and all heavy guns—, that is from 4.7 in up—will be enclosed intbtrets. Of course, this will add to the- weight of the ship, and' possibly lead to a small reduction In the number of guns. On the other hand, the guns win Be very much more effective, and the casualties amongst their crews mini-'' inised. The United States Navy has already > made a start in reduction by bringing ' down the number of destroyers in com- ■ mission to 105, manned by ' reduced j crews mustering 10,506 men. Under this, new arrangement the following is the allocation of destroyer flotillas:—Atlan- i tic Fleet—Two flotilla leaders and six . divisions of six 'boats each. Pacific - Fleet—Two flotilla- leaders and six divisions of six boats each. Asiatic Station—One flotilla leader and three divi- ' sions of-six boats each. European Sta- , tion—One division of eight boats. To i accomplish the above changes one flotilla leader and twelve boats, accompanied by f a tender, will be sent via the Suez Canal < to the China Station; twelve boats now ' there being relieved and returning home. ' The eight boats now in European waters will be relieved by eight ..other boats,, ' and tho3e going home will "join the At- , lantic Fleet. All the relief boats are j of the latest tHirty-five knot class.