THE TROOPSHIPS

Grey River Argus, 16 January 1940, Page 9

THE TROOPSHIPS

MODERN TRANSPORTS. IMPROVED ACCOMMODATION. An announcement was made oy the Minister of Education and Heann (Mr. P; Fraser) that some of me finest ships afloat are available lor the transport of troops, and his statement that the War Ollice and Admiralty have recognised that transport used 25. years ago was not up io modern requ rements is an inaication of the consideration being given to the men.

The First Echelon, Mr. Fraser said, was conveyed and protected by about 124,500 tons of shipping, tne transports being representative or Britain’s leading shipping lines. In many r'espects conditions for the men of me Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force are. d fferent from those ruling when their predecessors went overseas during the Great War. The fereat advance made in accommoaation, facilities and speed will be a major factor in the change. Another point of some consequence is that today’s troops, a completely mecnanised unit; will not have tne trials ot caring horses which the First Expeaitionary Force took away «>r stiffer the restrictions on snace caused by theiii mounts.

METHODS IN FORMER DAYS. Problems of transport at sea over long distances and on a big scale have been experienced ever s nee )he days of the Crusading armies, but more modern difficulties did not make their appearance until last century. The Indian Mutiny, in 1857, follow, ng theb Crimean campaign, proved a great strain on the transport service and attention was drawn to the necessity of putting it on a proper foot.ng. The navy then constructed and operated five specially-designed troopships for the Indian Government and maintained the service with them for nearly 30 years. >n the meantime, ' merchantmen were frequently used and in time most oi the navy’s’ troopships were replaced by passenger ships under charter.

THE BOER WAR The comfort of these vessels, oi the P. and O. and British India companies—which are supplying ships lor the New. Zealand First Echelon —wa-s infinitely better than that of the naval vessels, the cost to the Government was far' less, and the companies found the service paid well. Alter 1896 merchant shipping firms were entrusted entirely with the work and with the Boer War the Admiralty Transport Department drew on ths whole merchant service to transport the biggest * British force to have left tl.e country.

Regular 5 troops ' were moved to South Africa from India by the ships of the companies, which normally ran there, anil volunteers from New Zea - land and Australia . were carried ’j.v the large vessels used ordinarily in

the immigrant trade. In addition, scores of cattle ships carried remounts from tlie United States and Argentina, and almost every type oi ship was used for the carriage of ammunition and stores. CONTRACT METHOD. Between the Boer War and tlie outbreak of war in 1914, the contract method of carrying troops answered perfectly, but the Great War became the greatest test in history of trunport services. At the outbreak- 250 ships were requisitioned, and in 16 days an expeditionary force of 210.GUJ officers and men, 62,000 horses and 100,000 tons of stores and munitions reached the Continent. As the war continued nearly every type of ship in the merchant serv.ee was used as a transport of some sort, and when the Americans began to cross the Atlantic in their thousanas, a new peak in transportation was reached. During the war the- Transport Department provided for 23,70 J, UOO ind.vidual passages, exclusive ot work done for the A lies. NEW TYPE OF SHIP. Since the war a number of suitable liners have been chartered year year for trooping. Such ships as tne Bibby Line’s Somersetshire, and tne Brit.sh India Line’s Neuralia, are so completely fitted for trooping that they do not, as a rule, return to their Ordinary commercial service during the off season.

A new type of ship, designed to army specifications, to pmv de for the transport of a complete battalion and a few details, has bu?n recently evolved. The first ship to be built was the British India Line’s’ moto? ship Dilwara, of 11,050 tons, constructed in 1935. The Dilwara hn ■ comfortable accommodation for officers, non-commissioned officers and men, and in addition room is provid ■ ed for a number of soldiers’ wivci and children. Everything is so assigned that there is the maximum ol comfort in every respect.