H.M.S. AUCKLAND

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 2, 2 July 1938, Page 11

H.M.S. AUCKLAND

SERVICE IN DOMINION

The time when Auckland will see the first ship of the Royal Navy named after the city has been brought considerably closer by the launching a 1 Dumbarton, Scotland, this week, oJ H.M.S. Auckland, states the "New Zealand Herald" of today. Originally caleld the Heron, the ship had the name of Auckland assigned to her by the Lordg Commissioners of the Admiralty as the result of a suggestion by the Mayor of Auckland, Sir Ernesi Davis, through the Minister of Defence (the Hon. F. Jones). It is likely thai the vessel will be sent to Auckland to relieve the Admiralty surveying ship Endeavour.,

The Endeavour will not complete the survey which she has started of the New Zealand coastline. This task is estimated, to take about twenty years and at present the Endeavour is not due to stay here for much longer than two years.

The Auckland is regarded with considerable interest by naval authorities. Although it is now definite that she is being fitted as a survey ship, she was planned as a sister-ship, under the 1936 naval estimates, to the escort vessel Egret, and she is still officially described as an escort ship, convoy class. In place of the Egret's eight four-inch guns, however, the Auckland will carry only one small threepounder gun aft, just as the Endeavour does. The Auckland can be readily transformed into a warship if the need arises.

The dimensions of the Auckland are as follows, comparative figures of the escort vessels Wellington and Leith being given in parentheses:—Displacement, 1190 tons (990 tons); length, 282 ft (266 ft); draught, Bft 6in (7ft Gin); horse-power, 3300 (2000); speed, 18 knots (16). The cost of building the Auckland, which should be delivered by Denny and Brothers, Limited, in November, will be about £159,366, against more than £160,000 for ships of the Wellington class.