PORT DEFENCES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 31, 7 February 1939, Page 11

PORT DEFENCES.

TESTS TO BE MADE. EXERCISES f AT WEEK-END. EuaczarT of bvxprise. Naval, air and land forces 'will cooperate on Saturday and Sunday next to test the efficacy of the defences of the port of Auckland. The operations will commence at noon on Saturday and will continue for 24 hours, during which period guna and lights will be manned continuously. The exercises will give the garrison useful practice In manning the defences and in co-operation with the Navy and Air Force. An important innovation will be the testing of the examination service, this being a precaution necessary in wartime to establish the bona fides

of craft entering the harbour. H.M.S. Wellington will play many part* during the exercises. She will he a friendly neutral, allied or hostile vessel, in accordance with a prearranged confidential plan. The Auckland Harbour Board has made available the launch Waltemata for use a« the examination vessel. In addition to naval rating* there will be Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve trainees for duty for examination service and at the port war signal station. The Air Porce will 'be represented 'by a flight of 'planes operating from the Hobsonville Air

Base. On land will he the 13th Heavy Battery and a cadre of regular® of the New Zealand Artillery for coastal defence, under the fcontrol of the Auckland Fire Command. As the success of the operations depend* on the element of surprise, the sequence of events and their nature cannot be disclosed. Manning, accommodation and movement problems will be aet as exercises for artillery officer* participating. During the exerciser emulated attacks by a hostile warship and by an armed merchantman will be made by the Wellington, under assumed disguise. The vessel will operate a searchlight while she ia engaging the shore batteries. The arrangements made for air co-operation involve the locating and engaging of targets on call from the fire commander of the fixed defences.