SUBMARINE CHASING OFF WELLINGTON

Dominion, Volume 38, Issue 268, 10 August 1945, Page 6

SUBMARINE CHASING OFF WELLINGTON

R.N.Z.N. And British Craft SOME YOUTHS GET FIRST TASTE OF SEA

Young men of the Royal New Zealand Navy who, if the war lasts long enough, may fight the Japanese, have been engaged in anti-submarine exercises oft Wellington in co-operation with a 700-ton British submarine, the first to visit New Zealand. United States and' Netherlands submarines have been here before and similar exercises were conducted between them and the R.N.Z.N. Some of the young men engaged in the latest exercises had not been to sea before. Cook Strait gave them a none too hospitable reception. The heavy swell and troughs carried the minesweeper-anti-submar-ine ships liigliout of the water and down again with a wallop that tested others who had been to sea for years. They were tough souls who retained breakfasts; those who went below for stew and cabbage, the fejv. The submarine, when surfaced, was tossed up to a considerable angle at its bow with the stern out of view at 300 yards off. Most times only the conning tower, projecting 15 feet above the artificial top of the main cigar-shaped structure, was bisible, and not all of it at that. Sole comfort aboard the minesweepers was that it must have been worse in the narrow-hulled submarine. But once submerged, the underwater craft was the comparative acme of comfort ; the surface swells and other disturbances to an even keel were left above. Pork chops were enjoyed fathoms deep, while those on the searching anti-sumbarine ships were tossed about, specially when broadside on. The exercises covered several full days, of eight hours, starting off with the submarine “very friendly” aud when submerged trailing above the surface a fishshaped float to assist in gauging the success of the attack. Succeeding days saw the tests for the anti-submarine craft progressively stiffened. Detection was by ASDlC—anti-submarine equipment, the details of which are stil Isecret. This was the device which largely contributed to the defeat of the U-boats in the Atlantic. The exercises showed the great difficulty of locating a submarine in other than the most calm water by mere visual aids, or naked sight. Even with the periscope showing, it is almost impossible in a moderate swell to pick it up without some scientific aid to location.

The ships which took part in the exercises were all New Zealand-built; one in Wellington and the others at Port Chalmers. All officers and men were New Zealanders. The British submarine was commanded by an Australian, with a British complement. The conditions under which the exercises were conducted served to illustrate ■the difficulties under which R.N.Z.N. minesweepers have worked during the war. Looking from the leading ship back along those in line astern, the latter could be seen even in the moderate conditions plunging up and down in spectacular fashion which would have done credit to some imaginatively staged motion picture epic of life at sea. Bows would come up clean out of the water and dip down again, while astern seas would sweep over the gunwales. The ships, particularly when broadside on or at slow speed, would lean almost over, swaying from one side to another. Many aboard, new and old hands alike, found cause to remember the words of the song, “if there’s anything inside a man, the sea will bring it out.”