H.M.A.S. PERTH

Greymouth Evening Star, 7 May 1940, Page 2

H.M.A.S. PERTH

gay SCENES OF WELCOME. SYDNEY, April 3. Sydney last Sunday, like Auckland recently, had an opportunity of welcoming home one of its wai ships which, has been on overseas service. H.M.A.S. Perth, had no glorious battle record to bring home as H.M.S. Achilles did, but months of diligent and dangerous watchfulness, with its details still secret, enabled the men of the Perth to be rightly acclaimed as war heroes. The Perth was formerly H.M.b. Amphion, and was bought by Australia from Britain last year. Its crew left Australia nearly 12 months ago to man her, and the Perth, on her way to Australia, was detailed to represent the Commonwealth at the New York World Fair celebrations. The vessel was in Jamaica when war broke out. Since then it has steamed 52,262 miles without being docked. It had been at sea for 177 days out of the 211 of war when it arrived here. It will be refitted while at Sydney.

Captain H. B. Farncomb, commander of the Perth, said that the cruiser’s time at sea was “one of the longest” of all the ships of the British and Australian navies. “Wo have been on patrol duty on a war station, guarding British shipping for the past six months,” he added. “And that’s all there is to say.”

Officers and men told a story of months of solid and.' obviously arduous duty, unrelieved by the dramatic highlights of captures and battles. “We did not fire a shot in anger,” said one of the men, most wistfully. The Perth went out on her patrol duties from Jamaica. Sometimes it was a specific task—seeking a particular enemy ship, or convoying merchantmen. At" other times—probably more often —it was patrolling an allotted area, ready for any work that might turn up. HURRICANE ENCOUNTERED. Two experieices stand out in the mind's of those on board —listening to an American broadcast description, “round by round,” of the Graf Spec battle, and fighting through a hurricane, which lasted all one night and damaged, the ship considerably. A wave swept away the five depth charges carried, on deck astern, ready for immediate use. As the. cruiser steamed on, the charges exploded astern, adding to the turmoil of the wind-lashed seas. The port seaboat of the crujser was lifted by a wave, and crashed down at an angie against the boom on which it had been resting, smashing in its side. For nearly 24 hours solid waves swirled' over the decks, and even the cabins, set high up under the bridge, were invaded by Water.

Sydney greeted the Perth in an atmosphere of carnival on a perfect Autumn day. The cruiser was due to enter the harbour at 10 a.m., but long before that hour large crowds gathered at points of vantage, and opposite the head’s, bowing and dipping in the long swell, a great fleet of yachts, speed-boats and launches waited. The Perth seemed to rush towards the headfe, a great bow wave formed along the hull, thie White Ensign blowing straight back from the yard. At about 20 knots the long cruiser passed through the heads. The speedboats and launches turned, and, roaring and leaping alongside of her, triumphantly escorted the cruiser into Sydney Harbour for the first time. With her boats hung ready for instant lowering, her long six-inch guns staring fore and aft from their turrets, the Perth contrasted grimly with the gaily-decorated pleasure craft with thjeir flag-waving occupants. From headlands and' beaches, and from the harbour craft, thousands waved and' cheered as the Perth steamed up harbour to her berth at Garden Island. On the wharf a crowd stood waiting—the families of thje men who had left Sydney nearly a year ago. In a few minutes the gangway was down, and the first batch of men ran ashore for happy reunions with their relatives.