WINTER CRUISE IN PACIFIC

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22431, 18 June 1938, Page 4

WINTER CRUISE IN PACIFIC

H.M.S. ACHILLES LEAVES AUCKLAND ONLY ONE SEA-GOING VESSEL LEFT AT NAVAL BASE [THE PRESS special Service,] AUCKLAND, June 17. On her winter cruise to the Pacific Islands, the flagship of the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy, H.M.S. Achilles, left the Devonport Naval Base this afternoon for Tonga, In command was Commodore Glennie, who is making his last visit to the islands before he relinquishes 'command of the sea-going squadron early next year, after the cruiser has gone to England for her periodic recommissioning. . , , ' ■ The Achilles is the third of the ships of the squadron to leave for the islands this winter. The two escort vessels, Wellington and Leith, left recently from Sydney, where they had been docked during a visit of about five weeks for the installation of certain additional equipment. Now the only sea-going warship left at Devonport is the Leander. which will leave on July 6 for a winter cruise to the islands. The special duty of the Leander will be to take the Governor-General (Lord Galway) for his first visit to Western Samoa, Niue, Rarotonga, and other islands of the Cook group since he has been Governor-General of New Zealand. The last such visit to the islands administered by fee New Zealand Government was by Lord Bledisloe in 1933. Although these winter cruises by the ships- of the New Zealand station have been a commonplace for many years, this year’s combined visits by the four ships will cover a particularly comprehensive field. Almost every island group of importance* under the British flag will be visited, and courtesy calls .will also be paid to American and French islands and ports. In addition to performing the valuable function of “flying the flag’ ih Imperial outposts which nave little contact with the rest of the world, the visits are also regarded as important in that they give the many Royal Navy officers who pass through the New Zealand station an intimate knowledge of possible zones of operations in the Pacific. Ihe Achilles will be the first ship to return to Auckland, being due back on August 1, her last port of call being Suva. She will make a short visit to southern ports before leaving for England, probably late this year. The next to return to Auckland will be the Leander, which is due on August 19. On July 22 the Leander has a rendezvous at Fakaofu to embark the Acting-Administrator for Western Samoa (Mr A. C. Turnbull), who is to be taken back to Apia. The two escort vessels, which are on the last few days of their itinerary in Sydney, will not return to Auckland until September, the Wellington at present being due on September 9, and the Leith the next day.