Danger To Yachts From Shoot Denied

Press, Volume C, Issue 29657, 30 October 1961, Page 14

Danger To Yachts From Shoot Denied

(New Zealand Pres* Association)

NEW PLYMOUTH, Oct 29. Stringent safety precautions were taken aboard the frigate Taranaki today to ensure no small craft were in danger during a mortar firing practice in the harbour. . , Naval officials denied any yachts were in danger during the practice firing on yesterday afternoon, although they did admit the shells landed “a little close." This was because yachtsmen sailed out into the firing area just before the order to fire was given, it was said. The yachts were moving out at the time and were in no danger whatsoever. They said yachtsmen were clearod from the firing area on Saturday by a naval launch and warned that a shoot was about to take place. Several yachts left the area but later sailed into the danger zone, it was alleged.

After newspaper reports yesterday of the shells landing dangerously close to yachtsmen on the harbour, the commodore of the New Plymouth Yacht Club (Mr R. Holt) called on the captain of the Taranaki, Commander N. D. Anderson, to apologise for the misleading statements. He said statements in the newspapers had not been gleaned from club officials, but from its members. He said the club had no official comment to make on the incident

Today Mr Holt viewed the firing procedure from the bridge of Taranaki and noted safety precautions taken before and after the firing of the shells. Just as the order to fire was to be given two yachts sailed serenely through the danger zone and the shoot was delayed until they cleared the area. Six shells then screamed into the air in a perfect trajectory and landed in the water 1000 yards away within feet of each other. A report on Saturday said an angry spokesman for the New Plymouth Yacht Club charged the Taranaki with firing practice mortar shells well outside the given target area and endangering yachtsmen sailing on the New Plymouth Harbour. The yacht club spokesman described the shoot as “pretty lousy” and complained: “They were darn lucky noone was killed.” He claimed that the target area which yachtsmen were warned to keep clear of was well away from where the shells landed. “We had our rescue launch on the eastern end of the area and they had their boat on the seaward side. They were both keeping yachts away,” the spokesman said But, the yatchsman said, instead of firing in the target area, the Taranaki landed its shells among the yachts.