ENTERTAINED ON HOOD.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 115, 16 May 1924, Page 7

ENTERTAINED ON HOOD.

MASTERS ASD OFFICERS. WELCOMED BY ADMIRAL. A party of forty masters and officers of the Merchant Service Guild, from the ships in port, was entertained on board H.M.s. Hood between 8.30 and 10 a.m. to-day. Included in the party were Mr. S. Reid, manager of the Portland Cement Company, and Captain J. McKenzie, of Messrs. Smith and Co. Commander G. Vivian, of the Hood, who was in charge of the party, showed the guests over the navigation departments of the battleship, after which they met Admiral Field, and were welcomed to the admiral's quarters as representatives of the mercantile marine. Tn his remarks thf admiral dwelt upon the co-operation existing between I the men of the Navy and the mercantile I marine, stating that this was a vital I factor in the late war. He emphasised I the importance of the remarkable i advances that had been made in navii fration in recent years, two of the most i valuable of which were on the Hood. ! namely, the -wireless direction finder i and the gyroscopic compass. These were anions the latest contrivances for safe navigation. The admiral also spoke of the Leader cable, by which means a vessel could enter any port in a dense fog and navigrate the channel in safety up to the berthape. without employing any observations whatever. A valuable addition to the navigation. equipment of a ship at sea' was pointed out by Admiral; Field, by which the explosion i of a small bomb could cause sound to penetrate to the bottom oi the ocean > and rebound* enabling the navigator to I ascertain the position of his ship, within | a manrin of twelve mile? of error. On behalf of the party, which was headed by Captain F- Savasre. vice- , president of the Guild, in the absence of the president {Captain T. Henderson)., Captain M. Cliffe thanked the Admiral I for his courtesy, and -was ably supported by appreciative remarks from Captain J. Smith. Before leaving the ship the party, including Commander G. Vivian, was ' photographed on the Admiral's deck. i