NEW NAVAL SLOOPS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21342, 17 November 1932, Page 12

NEW NAVAL SLOOPS

SERVICE IN "DOMINION

REPLACING OLD VESSELS

VERONICA AND LABURNUM

By the oriel of 1935, two new sloops of Iho Royal Navy will ho stationed with (lie Now Zealand Division, replacing the Veronica, which lias been attached to the station since 1920, and the Laburnum, which arrived aL Auckland two years later. The sloops at present on tho station aro hold to lie almost obsolete and new vessels aro being built in England to replace all wartime sloops now in commission. A Press Association cablegram received from London yesterday stated that Mr. ITector Bywater, naval correspondent of the Daily Telegraph, urged tho scrapping of (lie Arabis class of sloops, built during tho Great War, of which 12 were still in frill commission, including the Veronica and Laburnum. Tho retention of the sloops, he said, involved risk to valuable lives, as had been proved by the sinking of tho Valerian in 1926 with tho loss of 85 lives.

ft was announced some time ago that tho two sloops on the New Zealand station, both, of them coalburners, built for special patrol work during the war, were to bn replaced by two of the modern oil-burning sloops, similar to the Rochester, Weston-super-Mare and Dundee, which have been launched in England recently. It is now anounced that the Veronica is to be replaced in 1934 and the Laburnum in 1935. The new sloops aro not specified, but it is thought probable that they may be included among the four at present being built in England undor the 1931 programme. Future of Old Sloops

It is not likely that either the Veronica or the Laburnum will return to England before the arrival of their respective relief ships. They may return to England and pay off there or they may be sold direct to Eastern buyers for breaking-up purposes.

The new sloops will be slightly smallor than those at present in commission, having a tonnago of from 1040 to 1105, compared with the standard tonnage of 1165 of sloops of the type to which tho Veronica and Laburnum belong. However, they are twin-screwed ships, designed for burning oil fuel, and possessing a speed of 16 to 16.5 knots. The Veronica and Laburnum are single-screwed ships and, although they were originally designed to steam at 16.5 knots, their speed now is considerably less.

The Veronica and Laburnum, with 70 similar ships, wero all built under the emergency war programme and proved their value in all classes of patrol, minesweeping and convoy work. The Veronica has had a particularly eventful life. During tho war, when she was stationed in the Mediterranean, she struck a mine and had hor entire after part blown away. Water-tight doors were closed and temporary repairs effected, enabling the sloop to reach an Italian port, where she was made fit for service again. Work in Napier Earthquake

The Veronica will always bo reiriem bored in New Zealand for the part she played during the Napier earthquake. She was alongside the wharf in the inner harbour when the earthquake occurred and the bed of the sea roso beneath her, striking tho bottom of the ship and grounding her for a period. She was commanded at tho time by Commander H. L. Morgan, C.M.G., D.5.0., and under him officers and ratings from the sloop did magnificent work in the hours immediately following the disaster. Owing to the alteration in levels of the harbour bed, it was at ono time considered doubtful whether the Veronica would bo able to leave Port Ahuriri without special dredging. However, sho was coaxed out to sea through some skilful seamanship on the part of Commander Morgan and Captain H. White-Parsons, harbourmaster at Napier, and made a safe return to Auckland.

The two sloops have made many friends in th© islands of the Pacific, where they make annual cruises, frequently visiting islands off the beaten track, where European traders hardly see another white man from one year's end to another. These "showing tho flag" cruises arc always held to be most valuable. The replacement of the sloops will not involve tho New Zealand Government in any additional expense. The Veronica and Laburnum arc both Imperial ships and are only attached to the New Zealand Division on loan from the British Admiralty.'