WARSHIP RETURNS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22202, 31 August 1935, Page 15

WARSHIP RETURNS

DUNEDIN IN DOCK PACIFIC- ISLANDS CRUISE CALLS AT FOURTEEN ISLANDS EARLY VISITS TO THE SOUTH With tlio return to Auckland early yesterday morning of H.AI.S. Dunedin, flagship of Commodore the Hon. K. R. Drummond, after her annua! cruise of islands of the Pacific, the two cruisers of the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy aro now at Devonport, H.M.S. Diomede having returned a week ago from a similar cruise. The Dunedin was docked yesterday morning for cleaning and painting and she will remain in dock until Friday.

The Dunedin was fortunate in experiencing fine weather during most of her voyage, some of the roughest being encountered for about 12 hours before the warship reached Auckland. Heavy beam seas ruined the immaculate appearance sho had borne when she left Nukualofa, Tonga, and many rust stains will have to be removed before the Dunedin is herself again. The only stormy weather met with apart from this was on the voyage from Now Zealand to Norfolk Island. Fourteen Islands Visited

The Dunedin visited 14 islands in the South Pacific and a call was made at Honolulu, this being the first visit to the Hawaiian Islands by a New Zealand cruiser since 1028. The ship's company was given a great reception and everything possible was dono to make the visit a pleasant one. As was the case with the Diomede's cruise, the visits of the Dunedin to the islands, many of them isolated for long periods, were greatly appreciated. Particularly glad were the white people on Fanning Island, about 20 New Zealanders and Australians emploj-ed at the cable station. A dinner was given them on the quarterdeck of the warship.

The warship's visit to the French Island of Bora Bora was a memorable one. The island consists mostly of a high mountain, attached to which there is a native legend that its summit, because of its concave shape, is the origin of the moon. Knowing of this legend, the ship's company was impressed when a crescent moon was observed to rise from behind the mountain in the early morning after the warship's arrival. There was an anxious time when an ordnance artificer who had set out to climb the mountain failed to return at nightfall. A fire was seen on the mountain side, and men from the warship, believing it might have heen lighted bv their shipmate, investigated, only to find that it was part of a native celebration. Natives Join in Search Early next morning parties of natives joined in the search and the artificer was found to have been marooned on a steep face of the mountain, unable to proceed either up or down. When daylight came he made the descent and had almost reached the open when discovered. When she comes out of dock the Dunedin, in company with the Diomede, will leave Auckland on September 16 for the Hauraki Gulf, where the two cruisers will be engaged in a fortnight's gunnery and torpedo exercises. After this the warships will leave on visits to southern ports, the itineraries being as follows :-sH.M.S. Dunedin—Leaves Auckland October 9 for Bluff, October 12-17; Dunedin, October 18-28; Akaroa, October 29 to November 4; Lyttelton, November 4-14; Wellington, November 1525; Picton, November 25-28; return to Auckland, November 30. H.M.S. Diomede.—Leaves Auckland Octobe 2 for Napier, October .'5-10; Queen Charlotte Sound, October 11-15; Wellington, October 15-28; Akaroa, October 29 to November 4; Lyttelton, November 4-15; Timaru, November 1621; Dunedin, November 21-27; return to Auckland, November 30. The two Imperial sloops, H.M.S. Leith. commanded by Captain Oliver Bevir. and H.M.S. Wellington, commanded hv Commander J. B. E. Hall, which are still cruising in the Islands, will return to Auckland on September 21.