Navy faces red

Press, 2 April 1979, Page 4

Navy faces red

PA Auckland Some faces were red at the > Devonport Naval base on Friday when a 2666-ton Russian ■ trawler arrived unexpectedly at the Devonport dry dock. The Calliope dry dock is tn the middle of the naval base. The Navy has not had io contend with a ship from the Soviet Union or any other Communist bloc country in, the dock before. When the 1 big factory-trawler Paudzha i arrived unannounced it I caused the wires to run hpt j between Auckland and Wellington, It is believed that the agent; for the trawler asked for use of the dock in the normal i manner after the ship arrived in port a few davs ago with a damaged propeller, |

The Auckland Harbour Board, which owns the. dock, ■ fitted her into the docking schedule and arranged tugs land a pilot. The first the Navy knew about it was when symebodv spotted the hammer-ami sickle ensign fluttering from the stern as the ship «»> manoeuvered up to the do.k entrance. . The Paudzha did not ap- : I pear on the Navy copy of the idocking schedule, so she was I stopped and berthed at the i training jetty just off the .Irv dock until somebody in Wellington could give some .guidance. The Paudzha's agent. Sped, i ding, Ltd, said there was . little chance of the trawler's , going anywhere else because | of the state of the propeller.