STRUCTURE OF N.Z. NAVY

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26869, 23 October 1952, Page 11

STRUCTURE OF N.Z. NAVY

Commander Enright Suggests Change MERITS OF AIRCRAFT CARRIERS (New Zealand -Press Association) DUNEDIN, October 22. The structure at the Royal New Zealand Navy should be changed, either by scrapping the cruisers Bellona and ■Black Prince, or by placing them both in reserve, said Commander D. P. J. Enright, M.V.0., D.S.C. and bar, R.N. (retired), *n Dunedin today. In the event of a war, when the shores of the Dominion might be threatened, operational efficiency from an aircraft carrier, sueh as the light fleet carrier H:M S- Glory, would be greater than from a cruiser, he said. It was only common sense that aircraft from a carrier would be able to cover a greater territory than the cruisers. In another war, the greatest headache to New Zealand would come from submarines, Commander Enright said. To combat that menace, an aircraft carrier with escort ships, minesweepers, and other scientific aids, would be best. There was no doubt that the naval authorities knew what they would like to have, but the problem was that the people who held the nation's pursestrings might not be Navy-minded, and might think otherwise, said Commander Enright. The Navy Estimates were lower than the Army Estimates, yet in the event of an attack on New Zealand, it wotfld be the Navy that would first meet the enemy. Instead of spending more money on the Army, Commander Enright said, he thought the Government should spend more money on naval recruiting and on ships. The present cruisers should be used as guard or depot ships, one in the North Island and one in the South, Commander Enright said. Skeleton crews could be maintained on them. The senior naval officer afloat should be stationed in the South Island rather than in the North. The country should know that it had a New Zealand Navy, not just a North Island Navy. Commander Enright joined the Royal Navy in 1894, and served throughout both World Wars.