NAVAL ACTIVITY

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 28 June 1934, Page 5

NAVAL ACTIVITY

EXTENSION IN NEW ZEALAND. CHARTER OF MINE SWEEPER. TRAINING FOR VOLUNTEERS. •a, Tc>s:rapn—F— --i Asa. .-i AUCKLAND, June 27.. An extension of naval activities in New Zealand is to take place shortly with the chartering of the small steamer Duchess bv the New Zealand division ol - the Royal Navy for use in Timesweeping trials and training during the winter. The steamer will probab'y be taken over by the navy next week and will operate unde;- charter until the end of September. In summer she will revert to her normal occupation as a pleasure steamer. Mine-sweeping work has not figured largely in the training given to New Zealand naval ratings, chiefly because only one vessel, the Admiralty trawler Wakakura. is really fitted for the work, while mine-sweepers normallv work in pairs.

The Duchess in her new guise as a naval mine-sweeper, will co-operate in mine-sweeping trials with the Wakakura. cruising probably as far south as Wellington, and will provide training for members of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, as well as men from ••mixers. This aspect is particularly 'mporcant, as mine-sweeping is one of the chief duties of the reserve.

The Duchess is said to be well suited tor her new task. Only minor alterations will have to be carried out and sue will be brought to the naval base next Monday from her moorings to have new winches fitted. She will be manned by a naval crew of sixteen- - ratings drawn from the various ships of the division and commanded by Lieutenant Buckley. of H.M.S. Dunedin, who has been retained at the naval, base lor this purpose while the Dunedin’ is on lier annual island cruise. . ... The Duchess is a steel steamer of 306 tons gross. She was built in 1896 and was specially designed for the Wellington harbour aervice. During the 32 vears she was at Wellington she made thousands of trips across the harbour and carried hundreds of" thousands of passengers. -