BRITAIN'S MOSQUITO FLEET

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXX, Issue 13670, 18 June 1942, Page 6

BRITAIN'S MOSQUITO FLEET

ADDS STING TO WAR POWER Hardy And Expanding Section Of Navy Enthusiasm And Energy The Keynotes The scene is a small seaside town. The time is officially morning, but it is still dark, for the sun. obvilous to the official statements of men, has not yet risen. The beginners in the drama, however .are up and about already and the clopping of rubber soles on macadam as a flurry of runners dashes down a street is evidence that the action has already begun.

For it is a drama —the fitting of young men for a specialised hardy and expanding section of Britain’s Navy. The players who were discovered running through the darkened morning streets are naval officers, starting another day of an intensive course of training that will shortly take them to command in battle swift little torpedo . boats, patrol boats, anti-submarine boats, hornets and mosquitoes of the llleet. The role of the small boat in modern war, largely undetermined at the outbreak of this struggle, is now becoming more clearly defined. The maraudings of the E-boats, the tentative attacks upon British Mediterranean naval bases by Italian torpedo boats, the continuous sallies of their British counterparts into French waters, the use of well-arm-ed motor launches in coastal convoys —all these things, and more, help to tell the* same story.

Closely Guarded Secrets

For Britain in particular, now that the might of Germany is encamped so close around the narrow moat, development of the “Mosquito Fleet” has assumed unforeseen importance. A number of this growing fleet’s boats and much of its work are still closely guarded secrets. But it is no secret that expansion has led to the equipment of yet another specialised British naval academy, now working at full pressure, training officers and men for new and exacting tasks. Fitness and youth, as well as seamanship, are prime requisites for these men, and enthusiasm and energy are the keynotes of the young naval college. Which explains why officers are found every morning, during more than half the year considerably before the proverbial crack of dawn, hastening off uphill to do exercises in the open air and then to run further uphill and eventually down again to bath, dress, and breakfast. And then to begin the serious work of the day. Enthusiasm and energy being the keynotes of this establishment, there is one man who is invariably up before the others. He is the Captain. The personality of the officer commanding the training base is impressed firmly upon it. A former commander of small offensive craft, his several 'long rows of variegated medal-ribbon testify to initiative and resource in action. Any graduate of his “academy” will testify to his personal initiative in the matter of very early morning exercises.

Trained in Every Task

Classroom lectures are cut clown to a minimum here, although there is much factual knowledge to be learned. Since there is rarely room for specialised officers on small boats, one and all must be competent to attend to the handling of the ship, its navigation, gunnery, signalling, and even, to some extent, engineering and electrical work. Every rating in the crew should be able, if necessary, to do the other fellow’s job.

The real day begins each morning when, with all that bustle and throbbing and vociferous ordering that ever attend the departure of a ship, a varied squadron of small craft slip their moorings or let go their warps and springs and proceed busily down the bay. It is a fine sight, this morning manoeuvre. One .by one the boats set out until there is not a motionless vessel in sight and the bay literally hums with activity. The biggest launches plough serenely on toward their appointed water classrooms, seemingly indifferent to the swirling and cavorting of the small, swifter boats, these appearing scarcely able to resist making as fine an impression as possible in the morning review with the spurting white of their bow-waves. Dummy Attacks Made All day they are out “at sea.” Here a motor launch is being spun in and out through an obstacle course of floating buoys by a young

officer-under-training: over tier - other tyre is manoeuvring to Pa “man”— buoy-who has supply fallen overboard; further division of boats turns sudd** one. speeds ahead, turns again, ■ ' tic fleet manoeuvres by a? Roaring up comes a torpedo boat, carries out a attack, sweeps swiftly aff wink as boats talk to from across the bay, > n far enough away sonie “ ing officers hope to he out jt . ; , view, there is sorae bU *- ce i 5 ing in progress as P r jrl - ed in the seemingly smartly “coming aloni• . And so. after the d»> work, the boats return disembark their officers , once again there is ruffle the waters of * ... But even that is no , r , day. In the dog-watch hour tricks bet ' ve „L ed evening that were variety out of the ■ i; there are voluntary [fl c , -■ tend. Some men S the boats for >' et nl t 0 perience. others lea C friend from foe m . Qface c--ishup their signaHi examination thafri *l**^ The week end There are gamesit the football Pitchy J courts, walks to ttro 3 to be made. oae Yes. known to go boa ea tiou variety in the suffice for actl ca il that early morniS up the b jl aud the rendezvous the Captain.