VISIT BY H.M.S. TELEMACHTS

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27988, 7 June 1956, Page 6

VISIT BY H.M.S. TELEMACHTS

EXERCISES WITH N.Z. FORCES

SCIENTIFIC WORK ALSO TO BE DONE

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON. June 6.

H.M.S. Telemachus will v sit N"*w Zealand waters early this month to ex-; ercise with units of the Royal New| Zealand Navy and the Royal New Zea- i land Air Force in anti-submarine op-! orations. During these exercises the: submarine will visit Wellington. Auck- i land, and Fiji. The Telemachus is one of the three T-cl?ss submarines based! at Sydney to provide anti-submarine training in Australia and New Zealand. Visits are periodically made to New Zealand to provide live targets for ships and maritime aircraft. While on nassage from Australia ■ end in New Zealand the Telemachus will tak° gravity measurements under water. These measurements assess the strength of the earth’s pulL which varies throughout the world because the earth is not a perfect sphere. The measurements are used to find the true shape of the earth. The eauinment in the Telemachus has been lent by the United States, and an American and ■ an Australian scientist will be on board the submarine. A member of the Geophysics Division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research will join these scientists when the submarine arrives in New Zealand. Gravity measurements will be taken across the extensive Tonea-Kermadec trench, which runs from Samoa, past Tonga east of the Kermadecs. down the east coast of the North Island, to about Cook Strait. Some of the largest structural features of the earth are situated around the perimeter of the Pacific. Intense ocean depths and volcanic activity are associated with these geological features. New Zealand is on this perimeter structure, and gravity surveys will help to give a better understanding of the nature and Significance of the structure of the earth's crust in this area.