NAVAL STRATEGY IN PACIFIC

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22339, 1 March 1938, Page 4

NAVAL STRATEGY IN PACIFIC

LESSONS FROM RECENT MANOEUVRES

H.M.S. LEANDER RETURNS TO AUCKLAND

[THE PRESS Special Service ' AUCKLAND. February 28. With the officers and men deeply impressed by Australian hospitality and by the Royal Hobart regatta and ioint manoeuvres with the Australian Squadron, H.M.S. Leander returned to Auckland to-night, after an absence of five weeks. Her stay in the harbour, however, is to be very brief, since she is due to leave again on Wednesday on a cruise to southern ports, which will keep her occupied until next month. A x , , Possibly the most interesting part of the Australian visit was provided by the manoeuvres. They were considered of particular naval importance, and the results will be contained in reports which will be given the closest attention by the Admiralty and Dominions’ naval authorities. Although the manoeuvres mainly concerned Australian problems, some of which are known to have been elevated to the status of probabilities if the country were involved in Pacific hostilities, they also had considerable New Zealand application. The main purpose of the manoeuvres, in which the Leander took part as one of the raiding squadron, was to discover how far commercial shipping on a particular route could be protected. It is also thought probable that the number of defending ships available for the purpose will also be considered. The manoeuvres were the first time that such a large force could be used for such mock warfare on the Australian coast. Ten warship and aircraft units were used. The defending merchantmen were the Canberra, the Australia, the Sydney, and the Stuart, and the raiders were the Achilles, the Leander. the Vendetta, and the Waterhen. Everything was planned as it would be projected in war, and the merchant ships gave wholehearted assistance to make the manoeuvres realistic. It was found that although interstate and overseas shipping was open to successful attack, a large proportion of a raiding fleet of the anticipated size could be destroyed. Against this, however, it was discovered that visual signalling by coastal trading vessels was not good enough, and it was suggested that this would probably apply to New Zealand or any country where peace had reigned for any length of time. Another result was that aircraft operating within a comparatively limited radius could sink an armed merchant cruiser.