A VAST ARMADA

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 46, 22 August 1925, Page 8

A VAST ARMADA

AMERICAN FLEET GROWS

OVER FORTY SHIPS IN PORT

Following are the names and chief officers of our latest visiting warships: FROM LYTTELTON. U.S.S. Omaha, Flagship, Destroyer Squadron, Battle Fleet. —Rear-Admiral F. H. Schofield, U.S.N., Commanding Destroyer Squadrons, Battle Fleet. Admiral's Staff.—Commander W. Brown, Commander A. D. M'Lean, Lieut. Com. T. J. Keleher, Lieut.-Com. Wills, Lieut. Com. H. E. Collins. Ship's officers (U.S.S. Omaha).—Captain F. J. Home, commanding; Com. E. B. Woodworth, Lieut.-Com. H. T. Smith, Lieut.-Com. C. H. Wright, Lieut.Com. J. W. Gates, Lieut.-Com.. J. C. W. Agnew. Destroyer' No. 314, U.S.S. Yarborough.—Com. G. S. Bryan, Lieut.-Com. E. G. Hakansson. Destroyer No. 316, U.S.S. Sloat.— Com. G. M. Ravenscroft. Destroyer No. 332, U.S.S. Farenholt. —Com. C. C. Baughman. Destroyer No. 331, U.S.S. MacDonough.—Com. R. A. Koch, Lieut.-Com. M. S. Brown. Destroyer No. 335, U.S.S. Melvin.— Lieut.-Com. A. G. Dibrell. Destroyer No. 333, U.S.S. Sumner.— Lieut.-Com. R. W. Wuest. Destroyer No. 322, U.S.S. Mervine. Com. T. A. Kittinger, Com. J. H. Brooks. Destroyer No. 324, U.S.S. Robert Smith.—Com. J. W. Lewis. Destroyer No. 325, U.S.S. Mullany.— Lieut.-Com. W. W. Waddell. Destroyer No. 336, U.S.S. Litchfield. —Com. C. Arnold, Lieut.-Com. A. D. Bernhard. Destroyer No. 319, U.S.S. Kidder.— Com. W. B. Woodson, Lieut.-Com'. H. J. Ray. Destroyer No. 317, U.S.S. Wood.— Com. R. S. Edwards. Destroyer No. 318, U.S.S. Shirk.— Com. W. H. Lassing. FROM DUNEDIN. U.S.A. Melville.—Rear-Admiral Geo. R. Marvell, commander of the fleet base force; Captain A. T. Howe, chief of staff; Lieutenant-Commander H. T, Patrick, flag secretary; Lieutenant J. H. Keefe, flag lieutenant; Lieutenant A. T. Noble, communication officer; Lieutenant D. M. Robinson (S.C.), supply officer; Captain Jesse B. Gay, Lieu-. tenant-Commander William C. Fans. Destroyer No. 341, U.S.S. Decatur.— Captain K. H. Dodd, Lieut.-Commander J. B. Oldendorf. Destroyer No. 262, U.S.S. M'Dermut. —Commander C. S. M'Whirter. Destroyer No. 275, U.S.S. Sinclair.— Commander H. J. .Abbott. Destroyer No. 277, U.S.S. Moody.— Comander H. T. Kays. Destroyer No. 298, U.S.S. Percival.— Commander Leo 1\ Welch: Destroyer No. 299, U.S.S. J. F. Bur-nes.—Lieut.-Commander H. B. Page. Destroyer No. 301, U.S.S. Somerg.—-• Lieut.-Commander E. L. Gunther. Destroyer No. 302, U.S.S. Stoddart. —-Commander R. S. Holmes (Division Commander), Commander J. H. Ingram. Destroyer No. 304, U.S.S. Farquahar. —Lieut.-Commander F. T. Berry. Destroyer No. 305, U.S.S. Thompson. —Commander J. E. Connor. Destroyer No. 306, U.S.S. Kennedy. —Lieut.-Commander T. N. Alford. Destroyer No. 307, U.S.S. Paul Hamilton.—Commander W. R. Munroe. Mine Squadron, U.S.S. Ludlow.— Flagship Commander G. V. Stewart. U.S.S. Burns.—Lieut.-Commander D. I. ITcdrick. ,

DESTROYERS ARRIVE FROM SOUTH

Wellington is honoured to-day by having inside its spacious harbour the greatest gathering of warships ever seen in any port in the Southern Hemisphere. The fleet of battleships, light cruisers, and auxiliary vessels which has been with us now for nearly a fortnight was augmented this morning by the arrival of the two squadrons of destroyers from Dunedin and Lyttelton and their flagships and auxiliaries, and there are now over forty vessels of the American Navy in the waters of Wellington Harbour. This exceeds in numbers the detachments which respectively visited Sydney and Melbourne.

The squadrons from the South made an early and unostentatious entry into port before seven o'clock this morning, following a quarter of an hour ■ later or so astern of the Lyttelton ferry boat Maori, and were at anchor or berthed over a widespread area of the harbour before most people were out of bed. Those who did wake up early enough were fortunate to witness a most impressive spectacle. ( The morning was misty and grey with a threat of rain from the north, and ih'wai only in passing acioss a clear area of morning sky on the eastern horizon that the Bwarm of small warcraft could be seen clearly silhouetted out to sea. There was little smoke and no haste as they drew into column to pass the narrows at the Heads. They came in with the sort of ease and familiarity one likes to see with welcome guests who have already made themselves at home elsewhere on our shore—just a sort of friendly call to say good-bye. . ,

The light-cruiser U.S.S. Omaha, .flagship of the Destroyer Squadron of the Battle Fleet, led the Southern detachment ' in, the mothership of the destroyers of the Dunedin section, U.S.S. Melville, proceeding on her own. In the section which joined the squadron from Lyttelton there were 13 destroyers with the Omaha. There were" 12 destroyers and two mine-layers with the Melville from Dunedin. ,

a suitable silver pedestal. It is striking and beautiful, and will. without doubt become one of the most prized possessions of the tribe, just as the model of a Maori war canoe, presented to Admiral Coontz by the AraWas, is given an honoured place among the souvenirs of the present cruise.