DIOMEDE SAILS TO-DAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21116, 25 February 1932, Page 10

DIOMEDE SAILS TO-DAY.

CRUISE TO AUSTRALIA. REAR-ADMIRAL'S DEPARTURE LAST OFFICIAL VISIT HERE. COMMAND CHANGE IN APRIL. To represent the New Zealand Government at. the official opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, H.M.S. Diomede will leave Auckland for Sydney, via northern ports, to-day. Before the cruiser returns to Auckland Rear-Admiral Geoffrey Blake, D.5.0., who will leave with the Diomede to-day, will have relinquished command of tlie New Zealand Division of the Royal Navv, the change taking place at Wellington in April. The Diomede will sail at 9.30 o'clock this morning for Russell, where she will arrive this evening. On March 5 she will proceed to Whangaroa, arriving there the. same day. Five days will he. spent- at Whangaroa and on March 10 the cruiser will leave for Sydney, where she is scheduled to arrive on March 14. The visit to Sydney will occupy eight days and on March 22 (he Diomede will leave, on her return trip to New Zealand. In the Dominion she will carry out the following itinerary:—Arrive Nelson March 25, sail March 31; arrive Ficton April 1, sail April 9; arrive Wellington April 9. Over three w(?eks will he spent at Wellington, during which time the warship's crew will undergo their annual musketry course at Trentham. After the exercises the warship will leave. Wellington on May 2 and return to Auckland on May 4. During the. Diomede's stay at Wellington Read-Admiral Blake will relinquish his position after completing over two and a ha 1 f years as commodore in command of the Now Zealand Division of the Royal Navy. The command will he taken over by Captain Fischer Burgess-Watson, D.5.0., who will arrive, at Wellington from London by the liner Rangitata on April 14. Read-Admiral Blake has been commodore in New Zealand since early in September, 1929, when he took over command of H.M.S. Dunedin at Wellington from Commodore G. 1. C. P. Swabey, the Diomede at. that time being in England refitting. Since then the Dunedin has gone, to England for the same purpose. In March, 1931. Commodore Blake, as he then was, was promoted to the rank of lear-admiral. Rear-Admiral Blake will leave NewZealand for England, via Vancouver, and will sail bv the Royal Mail liner Aorangi, which will leave Auckland on May 3.