AUSTRALASIAN SQUADRON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13096, 8 February 1906, Page 6

AUSTRALASIAN SQUADRON.

TO ARRIVE AT WELLINGTON . . TO-DAY. H-M.s. Powerful, the new flagship of the Australasian squadron, with Admiral Fawkes on board, is due at Wellington from Hobart to-day. The flagship will be accompanied by the warships Cambrian. Psyche, Pegasus, and Challenger. After a short stay at Wellington the squadron conies on to Auckland. The following are some interesting particulars regarding the flagship and other vessels of the squadron : — THE FLAGSHIP. The Powerful is a first-class protected cruiser of 14,200 tons displacement, the largest- warship ever appointed to the Australasian station, and was built at a cost of £741.870. She has four funnels and two masts, and is described as a majestic and formidable-looking vessel. The new flagship was launched at Barrow in the year 1655, but was not completed for three years later. The Powerful is 500 ft long, 71 ft beam, and has a draught of 29ft. Her engines are capable of indicating 15.000 h.p., and her speed is officially given as 22.1 knots. The Powerful, though of 2200 tons more displacement than H.M.s. Euryalus, which vessel she succeeds, only has armour covering her deck varying in thickness from 3in to 6in. and armour protecting her gun positions of 6in. The main armament of the twe cruisers is the same —viz.. two 9.2 guns ; and while the secondary and the lighter armament of the Powerful is 16 6in guns, 14 12-pounders, eight 3-pounders, nine Maxims, and two 12-pounder boat guns, that of the Euryalus consists of 12 6in guns, 14 12-pounders, three 3-poundero, and eight Maxims. The Euryalus has two torpedo tubes, and the Powerful four. The Powerful has a crew of 840 men, which is 85 more than the Euryalus. THE ADMIRAL. The new Admiral (Sir Wilmot Hawkesforth Fawkes) has once previously commanded a naval squadron. He is 58 years of age, and joined the navy in 1860. He attained the rank of commander In 1880, and from 1884 to 1886 he commanded the Royal yacht Osborne. He was promoted captain in 1886, and commanded successively the cruisers Raleigh, Mercury, and Terrible, and the battleship C'anopus. From 1891 to 1892 he was Naval Adviser to the Irispector-General of Fortifications. From 1899 to 1901 Captain Fawkes was A.D.C. to Queen Victoria, and for two terms he was private secretary to the First Lord of the Admiralty. He was promoted rearadmiral at the beginning of January, 1901, and a year later hoisted his flag as rearadmiral commanding the cruiser squadron. In 1903 he was created Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order. Sir Wilmot Fawkes was promoted vice-admiral in March of last year. OFFICERS OF THE POWERFUL.

The flag-captain is Captain Lionel Halsev, a stranger to New Zealand. Mr. Grenville A. Miller, the new Admiral's secretary, was on the Ophir during the Royal tour. Flag-Lieutenant Alfred E. Evans, A.D.C., to Vice-Admiral Fawkes, is a first-class cricketer, and is a very popular officer. Engineer-Lieutenant Cobham C. A. Stuart, R.N". Other officers of the flagship are: — Commanders, Walter M. Ellerton and Charles S. Wills; lieutenants, Cyril Peel, James H. Thorn. Henry D. Bridges Dudley, B. N. Nor til-Clinton. F. S. Danhy, Hugh B. Robinson; engineer-command-er, John B. Butcher; engineer-lieuten-ant, Edward JR. Amor; lieutenant (Royal .Marines), Kenneth E. Lawrence; fleet surgeon, Henry F. Iliewicz; surgeons, Henry C. Adams and Charles R. Worfcliington, B.A. ; fleet paymaster, George Grant; assistant-paymaster, William J. C. Johnston; chaplain and naval instructor. Rev. Francis W. R. Metcalf, M.A. ; major (Royal Marines), Edmund G. Evelegh. Midshipmen: Lancelot A. Montgomery, Hugh S. Bowlby, Alexander D. Boyle, Walter J. B. Barton, Rainald H. Burne, Cecil E. Tooth, Colin S. . Thomson, Herbert F. Clark, Wilfred Parke, Cuthbert H. Heath, Basil L. Johnson, Torkel Lundholm, Charlie F. Bush, Arthur W. Blaker, and Edmund A. Hill.

Chief carpenter, Samuel Wills; gunner, Geo. Booth; boatswains, Harry Phillips, John H. Morgan, George McGrath, and George H. Barker; signalling boatswain, Ernest G. Phillips; arti-ficer-engineer, John T. Taylor; and clerk, Richard J. Cosway. THE CAMBRIAN. The Cambrian is a third-class cruiser, with a displacement of 4360 tons. The Cambria* was built at Pembroke in 1889, has a. length of 320 ft, beam of" 49ft 6in, and draught of 19ft. Her engines are by Hawthorn, and are capable of driving the vessel at the rate of 19.5 knots per hour. The engines are of 9000 horse-power. The Cambrian carries two 6in guns, eight 4.7 guns, eight six-pounders, one three-pounder, and four machine guns. She is also fitted with four torpedo-tubes. The Cambrian is 1500 I tons smaller than the Challenger, and was built at a cost of £284,883. Captain E. F. A. Gaunt, C.M.G.,. son of the late Judge Gaunt, late of Victoria, who was on the Tauranga during the last Samoan war, is in command, and the other officers are: — Lieutenants (G.) Otto H. Stahlkneckt, (N.) F. B. Favcll, F. B. Coppin, and H. S. Bavin, engineer-litutcnant, G. H. Hirtzel; chaplain, the Rev. W. H. Chappell, M.A. ; staff-surgeon, W. It. Center, M.8.; paymaster, R. A. Jinkin; surgeon, James McCutcheou, M.8., 8.A.; sub-lieutenant, C. J. L. Noakes; assistant-paymaster, W. R. Roe; gunners, G. Fitzgerald and (T.) R. F. B. Cooper; twain, T. Daunt; carpenter, E. F. Head; artificer-engineer, W. R. Coleman. THE OTHER SHIPS. The Pegasus. Challenger, and Psyche, are all of similar type to the Prometheus, which was recently in Auckland, being third-class cruisers.