DOMINION’S PART IN NAVAL DEFENCE

Evening Star, Issue 23451, 16 December 1939, Page 10

DOMINION’S PART IN NAVAL DEFENCE

TRAWLERS COMMANDEERED FDR MINE SWEEPING TWENTY MERCHANT SHIPS ARMED [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, December 15. An outline of New Zealand’s war effort from the naval point of view was given by the Minister of Defence (Mr Jones) in a broadcast to-night. Mr Jones said the ships of the New Zealand Squadron were manned by about 60 per cent, of New Zealand ratings and about 40 per cent, of ratings lent from the Royal Navy. One'contribution which New Zealand was making to the seagoing side of the naval defence was the provision of an armed merchant cruiser, and the Monowai, well known as a ship of the Union Company’, was now at the naval base being armed and fitted out.

After stating that there was much information which must continue to be kept secret, Mr Jones said that in August last there were on the New Zealand station the two cruisers H.M.S. Leander and H.M.S. Achilles of tlie New Zealand naval forces, two escort vessels H.M.S. Leith and H.M.S. Wellington, and the survey ship H.M.S. Endeavour, belonging to the Imperial Navy. During the latter days of August, the Achilles at tho_ request of the Government of the United Kingdom, was despatched for service first in the Eastern Pacific and later in the South Atlantic, with the result as all knew, that she had taken part in the first cruiser engagement of the war. The Imperial ships , Leith, Wellington, and Endeavour were also sent at the request of the Admiralty to serve on other stations, leaving the Leander, the flagship of the New Zealand Squadron, to operate in the waters surrounding . New Zealand. Shortly before the outbreak of war the Leander left Auckland to convey the first reinforcements to Pacific island garrisons, and since her return from that duty she had been employed patrolling and searching for raiders or their bases around the coasts of the Dominion. In addition to the ships mentioned. New Zealand also possessed one trawler, the H.M.S. Wakakura, which was normally used principally for training the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. This little ship was fitted as a minesweeper; but, of course, one minesweeper was quite inadequate by herself, so the New Zealand Government had taken up three of the trawlers which fish from Auckland—the James Cosgrove, the Humphrey, and the Thomas Currell. They had been reconditioned and fitted up as minesweepers, and were now in commission. After a period of training, they had taken up their duty of searching the approaches to our ports for mines which might have been laid or might be laid by the enemy. Other trawlers were also being fitted to act as minesweepers should the need arise.

“ A further and most valuable reinforcement to New Zealand’? naval forces is under way in the shape of three small training vessels, not unlike trawlers, which are being, specially built in Scotland, and will bo armed with a four-inch gun and smaller weapons, and equipped for minesweeping and anti-submarine work,” said Mr Jones. “ These three ships, which will be called the Moa, the Kiwi, and the Tui, will, it is hoped, be ready for service in about 18 months, and will prove a most valuable, efficient, and up-to-date unit,” The Minister said that, in this early stage of development of our naval forces, there were, of course, few New Zealand-born officers serving in oui ships, but, as time went on, the proportion of New Zealand to Imperial officers and ■ men would, steadily increase. In the meantime the complements of sea-going ships had been brought u|) to war strength by the mobilisation of officers and men of the New Zealand Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. Officers and men of these reserve forces were also serving in the minesweepers alongside the personnel who had volunteered from the mercantile marine. There would be in the New Zealand Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve a considerable number of officers and men who would not be needed for the manning of our own ships, and the Government had recently informed the Government in the United Kingdom that they would be placed at the disposal of the Admiralty for service in the Royal Navy wherever they might be required. The training of officers and men who had not yet been mobilised for actual service was being continued to the greatest possible extent.

“ Another very important item in the naval defence of the Empire and the protection of merchant shipping is the arming of merchant ships so that they can act in their own defence when attacked by the enemy on the high seas,” said Mr Jones. “ The Naval Base at Auckland has up to date equipped no fewer than 20 ships with guns of four-inch or higher calibre, and each of these ships has sailed from Auckland with a guns’ crew, the nucleus of which is formed by three of the young men of the New Zealand Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. These ships are now continuing to trade in distant parts of the world. This work of arming merchant ships and manning their guns is continuing steadily. “ It will be remembered that the Doric Star was recently attacked by an enemy raider, and her fate is not yet known. This was one of the ships provided with a gun and guns’ crew in New Zealand, so this means that these three men were the first members of the New Zealand Naval Forces to be in action with the enemy. All this work of fitting out and equipping ships has thrown a tremendous strain upon the workmen employed at the base at Devonport and at the Njtml Armament Depot at Kouri Point, but the work has proceeded smoothly and without a hitch.”