NEW CONVOY SLOOP.
LEITH REACHES AUCKLAND. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, Nov. 13. Tho newest ship in the British Navj’, H.M.S. Leith, which has replaced the Veronica on the New Zealand station, arrived at Auckland from England at midday. Her voyage, which occupied three calendar months to a day, was uneventful. The Leith, which is classed as a convoy sloop, was built at Devonport dockyard, England, and was launched on September 9, 1933. Her completion occupied nine months, and she was commissioned in July. After paying a visit to the Scottish port after which she was named, she sailed for Auck-. land on. August 13. The voyage to New Zealand was made at an average speed of only 10 knots, although the ship is capable of logging up to 16.6 knots. Calls were made at Gibraltar, Malta, Port. Said, Aden, Colombo, Singapore, Dutch East Indies ports, Thursday Island, and Brisbane. By teaching Auckland this morning, the Leith, which is now berthed at the training jettv at Devonport, arrived one day ahead of her original schedule. Although the Leith left England on the 13th day of the month, and arrived on the 13th of another month, the voyage was anything but unlucky. Generally fine -weather was experienced, spray being taken on deck only on two occasions during the entire trip, and at all ports called at by the vessel her officers and company were royally received on arrival.
At Port Said the new sloop fired a salute in honour of the flag of the country, and at Colombo she was in company for several days with H.M.S. Sussex, on which the Duke of Gloucester travelled to Australia.
Shortlj' after leaving Brisbane, where tiie Leith spent six highly enjoyable days, the sloop rammed _ a whale. Two daj’s before reaching Auckland the vessel struck another whale, the impact being sufficient to awaken some of her company sleeping in the after part of the vessel. On the second occasion the whale, which apparently was not seriously injured, was seen to blow.. As the Leith came into harbour this morning she passed the Royal Mail liner Niagara outward from Auckland to Vancouver, and courtesies were exchanged. The vessel lias three mascots, a Eox Terrier dog, which rejoices in the name of Bonzo, and two cats. The ship’s complement totals 104. including Captain O. Bevir and the following six officers: Lieutenant C. H. C. Singleton, Lieutenant C. A. C. Montgomery (navigating officer), Surgeon-Lieuten-ant C. D. D. de Labilliere, Sub-Lieu-tenant N. Scott Elliot, Gunner B. H. Brett and Warrant Engineer C. G. Kerswill. None >of the officers has been on the New Zealand station before, but a number of the men have been here on other Imperial ships, and several of them had wives aiid children to greet them on arrival.
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Bibliographic details
Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 198, 14 November 1934, Page 3
Word Count
463NEW CONVOY SLOOP. Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 198, 14 November 1934, Page 3
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