U.S. DESTROYERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 47, 25 February 1937, Page 11

U.S. DESTROYERS.

VISIT TO AUCKLAND. ARRIVING TO-MORROW. BERTHING AT NAVAL BASIL According to information received by the Auckland Harbour Board, the two visiting American destroyers, the U.S.S. Preston and Smith, will berth at the Devonport Naval Base at 11 a.m. tomorrow morning. They will be remaining there at least until March 2, but it is anticipated that the stay will be extended possibly another three flays, for to that extent they are at present behind schedule. The visit is a purely informal one, and until the destroyers arrive it cannot be stated whether the ships will be opened to inspection by the public. Certain formal calls will be made, and the arrangements, for the entertainment of the visitors is in the hands of the Navy League. Final arrangements for these will not, however, be made until the arrival of the vessels. Little information regarding the ships is available, and there is at present some doubt as to their claes. James' "Naval Vessels of the World" records that two ships, the Preston and the' .Smith, were among the American) "Smith" class of torpedo-boat destroyer launched in June, 1915. In that event, they would be a very old type of' vessel, and it was thought that possibly they had been reconimissioned. as other Powers had reconimissioned vessels! in order to bring up the strength of their navies. To this, class belonged the Preston, as modelled by Mr. Keith Wilton, and illustrated in* the 'Star" on Tuesday. If they were, these vessels would be about 1500 tons, carrying rive three-inch guns, three torpedo tubes and 83 men each. Modern Destroyers. A correspondent, "Observer," writes, however, that the U.S.S. Preston and U.S.S. Smith that.will visit Auckland belong to the new "Mahan" class of destroyer, built in 1930. These have two funnels, a displacement of 1500 tons, 42,000 horse power, a speed of 37 knots, and an armament of five fiveinch funs, four anti-aircraft guns and! eight torpedo tubes. These would carry' about 150 men each. This seem* much more likely, as it is known that the ships are on what is called a "shakedown" cruise—a practice adopted in the U.S. Navy after a ship is launched in order to test out the vessel* fullv