FEATURES OF SHIP

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22517, 7 September 1936, Page 10

FEATURES OF SHIP

STREAM-LINED FUNNEL

CATAPAULT FOR SEAPLANE DETAILS OF THE OFFICERS Although they have been on warships which from time to tirno have visited New Zealand ports, some of the features 011 the new cruiser Achilles have not been seen before on ships attached to the New Zealand station. The disposition of her armaments, too, is superior to that of the other ships of the division and is regarded as ideal by naval experts. The huge single stream-lined funnel, the cordite-expansion seaplane catapault, which until the cruiser was commissioned by Captain I. 6. Glennie, had to throw off two Osprey seaplanes, now replaced by one Walrus amphibian, and the totally-enclosed gun turrets are features which will attract immediate attention. The high control tops, mounted on complete swivels, are also remarkable. In keeping with the efficiency shown above decks is the care which has been lavished on the arrangements below. For the first time, for instance, the cooking is being done with oil fuel, while the baliery is all-elec-tric. There are two engine rooms. Another feature is the loud-speaking equipment which has been installed in every section of tho ship, so that orders are heard everywhere. The cruiser's armaments include eight Gin. guns, four 4in. high angle antiaircraft guns, four three-pounders, four anti-aircraft multiple machine guns, new to New Zealand, and 14 other guns, as well as eight 21in torpedo tubes. Tho officers of tho Achilles on arrival were:—Captain I. G. Glennie; Commander S. H. Paton; LieutantCommanders F. B. Lloyd, 11. M. Robertson and 1). L. Johnston; Lieutenants 11. F. Jennings, T. P. Coode, A. J. Dent. K. W. Michell, J. E. Smallwood, K. H. J. L. Phibbs; Engineer-Commander E. A. Drummond; Engineer-Lieuten-ants H. A. Martin, M. N. de C. Brown, H. J. S. Banks; Captain (Royal Marines) J. F. M. Moulton; SurgeonCommander T. G wynne- Jones; Pay-master-Commander E. S. Burton; Sur-geon-Lieutenant A. C. Home; Pay-master-Lieutenant A. Woodifield; SubLieutenant G. H. H. Culmo-Seymour;-Paymaster Sub-Lieutenant H. R. Butchersj Schoolmaster W. K. Furmuston; Gunners D. A. Holdsworth, E. E. Richards. G. R, Davis-Goff; War-rant-Engineers J. Teague and A. J. Harvey; Warrant-Electrician W. H. Skinner; Warrant-Shipwright R. C. Pearce.

Of these Captain Glennie, LieutenantCommander Lloyd, and Sub-Lieutenant Culme-Seymour will be transferring to the Dunedin. Lieutenants Coode and Michell and Gunner Davis-Goff were on the Dioinede. Surgeon-Lieutenant Home is a New Zealander, who received his training in England. Lieutenant Phibbs is to command the mine-sweeper Wakakura.

SERVICE ABROAD EXPERIENCES OF MEN ADEN AND GIBRALTAR Although the international situation was extremely critical for .a great part of the time the New Zealand ratings who returned in the Achilles yesterday were away, they merely experienced service conditions without the grim actuality of war. The men are fully conscious that hostilities might have broken out at any moment, but now that they are back they are inclined to regard their voyage as a pleasant round-the-world cruise.

The men left Auckland by the Diomede on October 20 and went direct to Aden. This port presented a warlike appearance for two cruisers, a flotilla of destroyers, some submarines and several sloops were stationed there. Certain British vessels kept a strict watch on tho entrance to the Red Sea so that they knew at any time how many Italian warships were there. Many Italian merchant ships wore seen at Aden, carrying war materials for Italian Somaliland, and bedecked with huge pictures of Mussolini. v *

Tho men of the Diomede found Aden very dull, for there was little to do with their leisure. They made many friendships with men on other vessels, however, and before they left for Portsmouth, they presented a silver kiwi to the ratings of H.M.S. Emerald, of tho East Indian station. Actually the first Italian"*warship tho Diomede sighted was after its departure from Aden. The ships did not approach each other. The men learned later thajt conditions at Gibraltar were much more exciting than they had been at Aden. Men had been sleeping by their guns at night, and at one time as many as 64 Italian submarines had been detected within a short radius of the fortress. A month was spent at Portsmouth where the men transferred into the Achilles. Dufing this time they were allowed 14 days' leave and most took the opportunity to visit London and other important cities. Then they went to Gibraltar, where they were stationed for 11 weeks.

Although they were again employed at naval exercises, the men found their stay at Gibraltar much more pleasant than at Aden, for there were plenty of sports and entertainment ashore. It was on July 17, only one (lay before the Spanish rebellion broke out, that they left Gibraltar for New Zealand by way of Panama. The men were particularly pissed to bo clear of the Mediterranean. The voyage across the Atlantic and Pacific was uneventful.