WARSHIPS SAIL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 283, 29 November 1937, Page 9

WARSHIPS SAIL.

FOR HAURAKI GULF. COMBINED EXERCISES. PHILOMEL DOCKS TO-MORROW The cruisers Achilles and Leander and the Imperial escort vessels Leith and Wellington left the Devonport naval base thirs morning fur the Hauraki Gulf to engage in combined exercise.;. First the l.eilli. which, with the Wellington, had I.ecu moored iilongsidt; the flagship Achillea, dipped her ]ine< i( „d swung out into tlii" rdrcam in a graceful sweep and put out for the gulf. She waft follow e<l immcdi-.itely by the Wellington. 11;»J r :iii hour after the departure of the escort vessels the cruisers sailed. Parties of seamen hoys from the training and depot rdiip Philomel took up stations on the Calliope wharf to slip their .-(eel mooring hawsers from the boll,nils. After the order "Let go everything." the Achilles, which was berthed at the eastern end of the wharf, hacked astern into the stream, and stood by when opposite llobsoll Ray. Similar procedure was followed by the Leander. wSich. however, after describing a wide circle into the harbour, -teamed astern until abeam the base. when she got under way for the gulf. At the same time the Achilles steamed a head. Lining the quarter-decks of 'both cruisers woe the t-hips' hands and guards, while bluejackets stood at their stations. presenting an impressive spectacle.

As the Achilles anil Leander departed, the small minesweeper W'akakura. with the '"Pattern VI." target made fast on her port si<lp. sailed down the harbour. She had been berthed alongside the Philomel, and on her sailing the Auckland Harbour Board tugs. William (_'. Dnldy ami Te Awahina. which had been standing by throughout the operations, steamed round to the training ship.

The Philomel's lines, were cast off. flu* gangways freed, ami slowly the old ship whs manoeuvred to flip Calliope wliarf by tin* tugs, imp athwart the hawscpipe In-low her quarter deck, and flip other alongside, her port bow. At plpvpii o'clock to-morrow morning thp Philomel will enter tlip C'alliopp dock, probably for the last time. Whpn the shore barracks are completed the Philoiiipl will lip done away with. She has not been docked for four years. Battle Practice Target. Tomorrow If.M.S. Wellington will return from thp gulf anil go to the man-o'-war anchorage where she will lake in tow the large battle practice target, later returning to the other ships. Tin* Wakakura will brinjr in the "Patlern VI." turret on Wednesday anil the l.eith will bring back the battle practice target on Thursday. While tin* Philomel "s away from Tier customary berth on the east side of the training i'i<*r, the Harbour Hoard dredge Hapai will work at deepening thp berth near the shoreward enil. The Philomel will be rcturneil to her jetty on Friday, when the V.'akaknra. will go to her usual place alongside hpr.

The cruiser Leander will he the first to complete her part of the exerciser, ami irt due at the liase again on December i. The escort, vessels should return finally mi December 7, and the Achilles, flagship of the. New Zealand station, will be bic-t on December 8. Both the Keith and Wellington may come back within the coming two or three davs to await instructions to proceed again to nea.

The exercises, whidi are in the nature of nunnery, torpedo ami anti-aircraft work, are carried out about three time* a year. The Achilles and Leamler will take' part in similar exercises with units of the Australian Naval Squadron off Jervis Bay in February, and again with the escort vessels on the New Zealand station in April.