THE SQUADRON

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 191, 8 May 1924, Page 8

THE SQUADRON

GOOD-BYE TO WELLINGTON H.M.S. HOOD TO LEAVE BERTH AT 6.45 A.M, SHIPS WILL PASS THROUGH HEADS AT 8 A.M. This morning Wellington will see the last of the special service battleships Hood and Repulse, whose visit to Wellington will long be remembered as an outstanding event in our maritime history. Vice-Admiral Sir Frederick Field has ordered the departure of the vessels for the north at 6.45 a.m. today. The Hood, in charge «f the harbourmaster (Capt. Dawson) will move out of her berth at the Pipitea Wharf, and will be followed at once bv the Repulse, and the H.M.A.S. Adelaide, and in that order the vessels will leave port. Captain Dawson anticipates that the warships will pass' through tho Heads at about 8 a.m.

Anticipating the departure of tho battleships, H.M.S. Chatham, whose commission in New Zealand has finished, left Wellington early yesterday morning for Auckland, where she will join the rest of the squadron on May 10. He early departure was in order that she may enter Auckland in the train of the larger vessels, who will travel at a high rate of speed. The Chatham, after leaving Auckland, will proceed to Colombo, in order to replace H.M.S. Southampton, as flagship of the East Indies station. On the Southampton’s return to the East from England a year hence, the Chatham will proceed to England. The flag of Commodore Alister Beal, Chief Naval Officer of the New Zealand station, will be transferred to the light cruiser Dunedin next week. Some 70 ratings of H.M.S. Chatham will proceed to England by the Ruahine on May 13. A SEARCHLIGHT DISPLAY One of the most brilliant searchlight displays ever seen in Wellington was given by the Hood and Repulse last evening. The conditions were ideal, and the complex play of the blinding streaks of vivid light, on the harbour, the hills, aryl the city, was dazzling in its strength and beautv. The display was witnessed by many thousands of people.

' CHANGES ON COASTAL TRIP. It has been arranged that at about 10 p.m. to-night the Squadron, in response to requests of the residents, will give a display of searchlights off Cape Tumagain. Owing to tide requirements, the Squadron must arrive in Auckland Harbour earlier than was anticipated on the morning of May 10, and in order not to disappoint the people of Gisborne, who anticipated that the Squadron would anchor in the roadstead. the Admiral has agreed to detach HALS. Repulse from the Squadron, after leaving Wellington, and for that cruiser to proceed direct from Wellington to Gisborne, where ' she will arrive at 8 a.m. on the morning of Mav 9. and will leave again at 3 p.m., joining up with the fleet about 4 p.m. 10 miles off Gisborne. The Squadron will pass between the Great Barrier and Cape Colville at 7 a.m. on the morning of May 10. The Admiral will be pleased to receive the citizens of Napier on board H.M.S. Hood while the Fleet is there, provided that the weather conditions are favourable.

In order to meet the requests of residents, Admiral Sir Frederick Field has agreed to turn searchlights on on Friday night when steaming north, as follows:—Tokomaru Bay and Waipiro Bay at 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Tupawa and Point Awanui, between 7 and 8 p.m.; Te Araroa and Hicks Bay, between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. In each case the display will last about a quarter of an hour. His Excellency the GovernorGeneral has suggested that the children in each district should be on hand at the various points at the beginning of the times mentioned. BIG SHIPS NOT GOING SOUTH SOME DISSATISFACTION EXPRESSED By Telegraph—Press A ssoctation. Christchurch, May 7. Three cruisers of the Special Service Squadron have visited but the really big cruisers, Hood and Repulse, have not come south of Wellington. As a result there is some dissatisfaction. The matter was discussed at a meeting of the Lyttelton Harbour Board to-day. Dr. Thacker asked the engineer whether it was really impossible to berth the Hood and Repulse in Lyttelton harbour. He had been told by people with expert knowledge that those ships could be accommodated quite easily in Lyttelton.

The engineer (Mr. C. R. J. Williams) : Had the authorities been willing to have the vessels come to Lyttelton, we would have been able to accommodate them.

Dr. Thacker: It was a question of saving by the Admiralty. Mr. Williams: It is a matter of regret that tho Hood did not come. She could have been accommodated easily. Mr. H. T. Armstrong, M.P., said that it had been stated that the larger ships could not be accommodated. He asked whether any ships which had visited- New Zealand at any time could not have been accommodated at Lyttelton. Mr. Williams: Not yet. There are shins in the world which, we could not take, but they are not likely to come to New Zealand There is no ship in the British Navy which could not have been brought into Lyttelton. ■ Dr. Thacker asked what depth of water was drawn by tho Hood and Repulse. Mr. M. J. Miller said that tho Hood drew 33 feet of water. Die fact that the big battleships had not visited Lyttelton had nothing to do with accommodation. Die itinerary of- tho whole trip was settled before the ships left London, and the squadron bad been distributed so that tho ships should visit each port in the country that could accommodate them. Die question of accommodation of the larger ships did not apparently come into the minds of those arranging the tour. Mr. F. ITorrell said that he had been told that there was not a different distribution of the ships . because it would have meant, dividing the command. Rear-Admiral 'ihe Hon. Sir Hubert Brand was in command of the cruisers, and ViceAdmiral Sir Frederick Field was commander of the battleships. There was nothing in the theory that the Hood and Repulse had not come because of depth of water, as IT.M.S. Renown, a sister ship, had experienced no difficulty.

The Sunday School Union, through its organiser. Mr. W. E. Howe, yesterday distributed 3000 magazines to back-country children who were in Wellington visiting the warships.