THE SENIOR SERVICE

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 141, 12 December 1923, Page 9

THE SENIOR SERVICE

PREPARATIONS FOR THE EMPIRE TOUR

CAPTAIN A. G. HOTHAM, C.B

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) LONDON, Ist November. The King received in audience at Buckingham Palace yesterday Captain Alan G. Hotham on relinquishing his appointment as Commander of the New Zealand Station, and his appointment as first naval member of the' New Zealand Naval Board. His Majesty invested him with the Companionship of the Order of the Bath. Captain, Hotham was present in St. Paul's Cathedral when the American Navy League paid a tribute to the greatness of Lord Nelson by placing a wreath on the admiral's tomb in the crypt of the cathedral.

The Admiralty announced yesterday that Captain Frederick A. Sommerville, D.S.C., R.N., has been lent to the New iOealand for duty as Chief Staff Officer, to Commodore AlisterP. Beal, C.M.Gr., and as second naval member of the Royal New Zealand Naval Board. The former appointment dates from 27th December, and the latter from , time of joining. Captain Sommerville will sail by the Corinthic on 29th December.The New Zealand friends of Captain John E. T. Harper, R.N., will be interested to hear that he has;been appointed a naval aide-de-camp to the King as from October, in the vacancy caused by the promotion to flag rank of captain (commodore, second-class) of Alexander V. Campbell. Captain' Harper is an old boy of Christ's. Captain K. E. L. Creighton, M.V.0., who during the war was navigator of the battle-cruiser H.M.S. New Zealand and Master of the Fleet on the staff of Lord Beatty in H.M.S. Queen Elizabeth, has been appointed temporarily to command the battleship H.M.S. Benbow. . ■ ■. . : „-., -.--.-, THE WORLD TOUR. ; '' The work of preparing the battlecmisers Hood and Repulse, and the light CTuisers Dragon, . Danae, Dimedin. Dauntless, and Delhi is-going forward briskly. Three of the light-cruisers have_ now put into Chatham Dockyard to give leave to their crews'," to repair, and replenish stores. The first watches have begun 14 days': leave. " The battlecruisers, with the Delhi and Dauntless, are making their preparations at Plymouth. At Chatham Dockyard a largo number of workmen are" engaged on-the three light-cruisers Dragon, Danaefand Dunedin, which are: being thoroughly tuned up for their long trip. Among other things being done is the fitting of awnings on each of the vessels for their journey through the^ tropics! According to the latest, authentic information, H.M.S. Dunedin will not take part in the tour, but will be handed over to the New Zealand Government to replace H.M.S. Chatham.: arid will go out alone: Although of smaller tonnage than the Chatham, which she is to relieve, the Dunedin is much more efficient and up-to-date. Launched in 1918, and completed a year later, she is of 4650 tons, with an armament of six 6in guns, two 3in anti-aircraft guns, and twelve torpedo-tubes. The Chatham was launched and finished in 1912, and is of 5400 tons, armed with eight 6in guns, one 3in anti-aircraft gun, and only v twa 'torpedo-tubes.. Both vessels have 3in side armour amidships sind lighter protection elsewhere. In enginepower and speed, however, the Dunedin excels. As compared with the 25,000 h.p.. of the Chatham, she is designed for 40,000 h.p., with geared turbines, and the corresponding nominal speed U | 29 knots, as compared with 25£. During the tour Rear-Admiral Sir Frederick Field will be in command of the battle-cruiser squadron and RearAdmiral Sir Hubert Frand of the lightcruiser squadron. The cruise, both in scope and in the size of the squadron, is the biggest thing of the kind in naval annals. Headed by the great battle-cruisers H.M.S. Hood and Repulse, the ships will be worthy representatives of the British cruiser force. SHOWING THE FLAG. The "Times" comments: 'The thought of such a voyage must stir the pride arid fire the imagination—if he has any—of every man with the sailor blood of Britain in his veins. Apart from the valuable training and experience which it will give to officers and men, its mission is to show the flag in far-off parts of the Empire, where, in these days of relentless economy, it ig now too rarely seen. The King's ships, and the proud flag which they fly, will serve to recall to. the minds of all of British descent . who see them the strength and oneness for which the Royal | Navy stands to-day, as it has through all the glorious ages of the Empire's past. Without its ships and its officers and men, not one of the Dependencies of the Crown which the cruiser squadrons are to visit would have been added to the brotherhood of Dominions and colonies that make the Empire. Without them, as they were then and will be while the Empire lasts, the commerce which is its life-blood could never have been built up and could not now continue to circulate. The. '.Hood and the Repulse are noble witnesses, together with their lighter consorts,-of the unrivalled skill of Britain's shipbuilders. The one disquieting effect of their departure is the weakness which it shows in the cruiser strength of the Navy. Not only because of the employment which it will give, but 'because it will to some extent repair this deficiency. The decision to resume the work of cruiser construction is a most welcome announcement. The • country has agreed to a certain limitation of-'.its naval armament. - But below that limit, because of all that the navy means; it ' cannot, and dares not, fall." .JJiT

The 'Naval and Military ~ Record" holds that against the -cost of- the cruise, which will doubtless be very considerable, "must be set this "enthusiasm for sea-power that will be aroused in'the Dominions by the eight of these splendid ships.- They will serve not only to show the provision - that Great Britain is still making.: for..the defence of the Empire as-a whole, but v-wwl^ reminder'Of the burden which that defence imposes on the-Brit-ish taxpayer. If the visit of:an Ameri- ? ,Sso c' S(luadron t° Australian porft m l«08 gave, as is now admitted, a strong impetus to the' movement--for founding an Australian fleet unit Vb! adequate power, how much more likely is the arrival of these British ships to excite public interest in the problem of naval defence?"