WAR EFFORT OF PORT

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24711, 31 October 1945, Page 9

WAR EFFORT OF PORT

——♦- LYTTELTON'S TRADE RETURNS DAIRY PRODUCE AND MEAT EXPORTS Although the port of Lyttelton nanaled fewer overseas ships than in pre-war years,, and was used infrequently by large naval vessels on war service, it made a notable contribution to the Allied war effort. Trade figures which could not be published during the war years show that thousands of tons of frozen meat, butter, cheese, and wool were sent overseas between 1940 and 1944. Exports of frozen meat totalled 159,781 tons, and 77,641 tons of wool were shipped overseas. Butter exports totalled 5807 tons, and cheese exports 8377 tons. The chief imports other than petrol, aviation spirit, and kerosene, were artificial fertilisers, the tonnage being 157,394. Oil fuel imports totalled 402,281 tons, and 18,635 tons of barley were imported.

Before the war the average number of ocean-going ships calling at Lyttelton was 16 a month. This figure fell to eight a month during the war years. Cargoes handled declined from the, 1939 figure of 749,307 tons to 726.952 tons in 1944. United States vessels predominated among shipping using some New Zealand ports during the war, but most of the overseas ships that visited Lyttelton flew the British flag. Several other of the United Nations, however, were represented. Publication of the movements of warships was forbidden during the war. and no mention could be made at the time of the visits to Lyttelton of H.M.N.Z.S. Leander and Achilles. The Leander called in November, 1939, and the Achilles made two visits, one in November, 1940, and the other in December, 1942. Although the war hadnot ended, the ban was relaxed for the visit of H.M.N.Z.S. Gambia, in January. 1945. There was a similar ban on the movements of transports and hospital ships. Several large transports, some of them peace-time luxury liners, took troops from Lyttelton between 1940 and 1945. Among them were the Andes and the Orcades, of 25,689 tons and 23,456 tons respectively, and the Polish I liner Sobieski, of 11,030 tons. Another i British transport was the Dunera, of 11,162 tons, which, with the Sobieski, took the Burnham-trained men of the Ist Echelon to the Middle East. The first transport to return direct to Lyttelton was the Highland Princess, of 14,133 tons, in May of this year. Three hospital ships visited Lyttelton during the war years. The New Zealand ship Maunganui made several 'calls, and the others were the Dutch vessel Oranje, and the Vasna, of 4820 tons, which in peace time belonged to the British India Steam Navigation Company's fleet. Minesweepers of the Royal New Zealand Navy operated from Lyttelton during the war, their base being H.M.N.Z.S. Tasman, arid the graving dock and its facilities were in constant use. Cargo vessels, minesweepers, and the inter-island steamer express Wa-' hine were all overhauled there.