ALL IN PORT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 224, 21 September 1932, Page 9

ALL IN PORT.

DOMINION WARSHIPS.

CRUISERS RETURN FROM GULF

SPECTACULAR NIGHT FIRING.

With the return of the cruisers Diomede and Dunedin and the sloop Veronica from the Hauraki Gulf yesterday afternoon all the units of the New Zealand Division of the Koyal Navy, with the exception of the tanker Nueula, aro in port to-day. The trawler Wakakura came into harbour on Friday last and the sloop Laburnum from the Islands on Monday. The standard of gunnery on the cruisers during their practices in the gulf was described by a senior officer this morning as exceptionally good. It was also.stated that the manoeuvres had been excellently carried out. Boisterous weather on the first four days made the shooting' more difficult than would have been the case had the seas been calm, but it was considered that this fact added to the value of the practices. Details of the work carried out by the divers when the battle practice target broke away from the Dunedin and the towing hawser fouled the bottom of the cruiser on Tuesday afternoon of last week and of the practices carried out up till Friday were published on Saturday. The cruisers spent the week-end in Mansion House Bay, Kawau, during which time Commodore F. Burgee Watson officially inspected the Dunedin. On Monday the warships carried out a fullcalibre shoot when racing through the water, at 25 knots, and also did a fullpower speed trial. In the evening a spectacular shoot was carried out, the battle. practice target being towed by H.M.s. Veronica, which had left port for that purpose earlier in the day. Star shells and searchlights lit up the sea for miles around and the flight of the shells was shown by means of tracers. As the shells converged on the target the tracers gave the effect of a huge spray of light. A concentration shoot, controlled by wireless from the flagship, was carried out yesterday morning. Broadsides were fired simultaneously by the cruisers and tall columns of water were thrown up in the vicinity of the targets Torpedoes were also fired during the practice, the high standard of efficiency being maintained in this branch of the exercises.

The first unit of the squadron to leave port will be the trawler Wakakura, which is to sail for the gulf on Saturday with another section from the Auckland division of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. She will return on Friday of next week. The Diomede, Commodore Burgee, Watson, and the Dunedin, Captain M. J. C. de Meric, are to sail for the South on October 3. The Laburnum and the Veronica are to undergo overhaul before going into the gulf for exercises. The trawler Nucula left Los Angeles on September 1 with a cargo of oil fuel for consumption by the cruisers. She is expected to arrive at an early date.