DEFENCE TOPICS

Evening Star, Issue 22033, 20 May 1935, Page 2

DEFENCE TOPICS

FROM QUARTERDECK TO PARADE GROUND [By Sam Bbownb.] THE GAZETTE The 1 New Zealand Gazette,’ No, 36, published on May 9, contains the following announcements: — THE OTAGO REGIMENT. Ernest Daly Price, to be second lieutenant, and is posted to the 2nd (Cadet) Battalipn,. Dated September I, 1934. Second lieutenant J. B. Andrews, from the Canterbury Regiment, to be second lieutenant, with seniority, from October 16, 1934, and is posted to the Ist Battalion. NAVAL RESERVES STEADY PROGRESS MAINTAINED Divisional parades were carried out as usual on Wednesday and Thursday last. The attendances have been consistently good, and steady . progress is being maintained. Both divisions will parade again on Wednesday at 7.30 p.m. Visual signal ratings on Thursday at 7.30, and voluntary instruction will be given ratings unable to attend on Wednesday* A practice signal exercise “ B ” will be carried out to-night, and all wireless telegraphy and visual signal ratings are requested to attend. SMALL BORE RIFLE SHOOTING The range at headquarters will bo available for general and team shooting to-night, at 7.30. R.N.V.R. DANCE A dance will be held at divisional headquarters on May 25. This will be up to its usual high standard. A good evening can be looked forward to by all those attending. Good music and supper will be provided. ARTILLERY 12TH BATTERY The 12in Howitzer Battery held its parade on Wednesday evening, when there was a large attendance of all ranks. The percentages are increasing each drill night, and shows that a keen interest is being taken in the method of instruction. Several new recruits were attested, and it is to be hoped that intending recruits will join up

in the next week or two so as to participate in the new syllabus in June. When the battery went to divisions the battery staff were given instruction in standing gun drill and parts of the piece while the gunners were instructed in harnessing and parts of the harness. The drivers continued their instruction in semaphore signalling, . and the recruits were given instruction in coming into action and the method of using the dial sight. . . , A smoke social will be held to-mor-row evening in honour of Major Rhodes, who has retired from the command of the battery. After the battery was dismissed the basketball team had a practice in preparation for the tournament. THE DTAGO REGIMENT RETURN OF RIFLES On the parade of the Otago Regiment to be held to-morrow evening rifles will be returned to store for the, armourer’s inspection. Slings, oilbottles, and pull-throughs will not be returned. Rifles will be dry cleaned and will be inspected before being passed in. ■ NAVAL DEPARTMENT GOVERNMENT'S ATTITUDE CRITICISED The attitude of the New Zealand Government, and of the British Empire towards naval development, was the subject of criticism by members of the General Committee of the (Canterbury branch of the Navy League recently. The discussion arose when the desirability of the branch being represented at the annual conference of the New Zealand Navy League was before the meeting. “We don’t think New Zealand is doing enough, nor that the British Empire is doing enough,” said the secretary, Mr C. J. Treleaven, in emphasising that he thought the conference had most important business to discuss. Another member said that the resolutions passed at the conference were important, as being the considered opinion of the New Zealand branches of the league, and , the decisions reached at the conference would act as a spur to the Government. The resolutions were forwarded to the Prime Minister and the Minister for Defence. Mr Treleaven said that some of the previous resolutions passed at conferences had not been given effect to,* but the league kept battling on, trying to get them adopted. GERMAN VIEW OF WAR SENERAL CHEWS OPINION “I am no prophet,” said General Goering, Herr Hitler’s lieutenant, when asked if he thought war in Europe likely, “ but no one can deny that there is an enormous abundance of possible causes .of war. I hope that enough people are still alive who remember the last one, and realise that wherever a i now war started it would spread every--1 where until European civilisation perished in a universal blood bath. The nations of Europe have a mission. They are destined to bo rulers of the more primitive races of the world. They will lose that position if they fight among themselves. If all European statesmen were real leaders, like those of Germany, instead of being dominated by democratic parties and parliamentary cliques, then world peace would be safe, as they would realise that war could benefit no one, I say emphatically that European solidarity must be sought elsewhere than at the League of Nations, which has never changed its character as a League of the victors against the vanquished and an alliance to keep the spoils of conquest. I would like all statesmen in Europe to he. old front soldiers.” MOTORISED WARSHIPS CHANGE IN THE GERMAN NAVY Germany’s fighting fleet is to he completely motorised. Reliable information from Berlin indicates that this important decision has been reached as the result of experience with ships already in service such as the gunnery cruiser, Bremse, the three “ K ” class cruisers, and the Liepzig, which, have either mam or auxiliary Diesel drive. . Internal-combustion engines of high speed, specially designed for naval purposes have been developed to a high state of perfection, thanks to financial support from the German Admiralty. Germany’s four pocket battleships. m>d t is practically «ri»in that tor future warships of all types, melulling fast cruisers and. destroyers, will be propelled on the same system.

A CLEAN SWEEP. Other navies have experimented with oil motors on a smaller scale.. H.M.B. Adventure, the British cruiser-mine-layer, has Diesel-electric drive for cruising purposes, and H.M.S. Medway, the big submarine depot ship, is a motor vessel. France nas built a number of large gunboats, Japan a minelayer, and Finland two. small battleships, all of which have internal combustion engines. But it has remained for Germany to banish steam in toto from her navy of the future. In the course of 1932 she completed three new men-of-war—the 6,000 ton cruiser, Leipzig, with a Diesel auxiliary cruising plant of 12,000 b.h.p., and the fishery protection cruisers Elbe and Weser, each driven by oil motors. She has now under construction the 10,000ton battleships (Panzerschiffe) Duetschland, Ersatz Lothringen, and Ersatz Braunschweig; five patrol craft, S 2 to S 6; and four mine sweepers and boom vessels, R 2,6, 7, and 8, all of which are motor driven. According to German naval experts, the advantages of the system as compared with steam machinery are:— Greater radius of action, a marked saving in space, reduced operating costs, and smaller engine-room personnel. Germany undoubtly leads the world in the application of the internal combustion system to warships. But side by side with technical development the German navy attaches great importance to training in sail, which is regarded as the only true school of seamanship. The sailing shin Niobe, which capsized last summer with heavy loss of life, and was raised shortly afterwards, is to be scranped. In her place a new and much larger sail training 1 vessel is to be built for the navy. ;