NAVAL VISIT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22620, 7 January 1937, Page 8

NAVAL VISIT

AUSTRALIAN VESSELS ARRIVAL IN APRIL CRUISERS AND DESTROYERS ASSEMBLY ON WAITEMATA [by TELKGRArn —rnr,ss association] DUNEDIN, Wednesday The Minister of Defence, the Hon. I F. Jones, announces that a squad-1 ron of the Royal Australian Navy, consisting of three cruisers H.M.A. Ships Canberra (flying the flag of Rear-Admiral Richard H. O. Lane Poole, C.8., 0.8. E., command- ; ing H.M. Australian Squadron), j Australia and Sydney—and four des- j troyers, 11.M.A. Ships Stuart, Ven- J delta, Watcrhen arid Swan, will be | cruising in New Zealand waters in April and will pay informal visits j to Dominion ports in accordance j with the following programme : ! Wellington.—The whole squadron, April 1 to !5. I Lyttelton.—-H.M.A. Ships Canberra and ! Sydney, April 6 to 12. Port Chalmers. —H.M.A.S. Australia, : April 0 to 12. Dunedin.-—H.M. A. Ships Stuart and Vendetta, April !• to 14. Napier.—H.M.A.S. Swan, April 6 to j 12. Bay of Islands or Whangarci.—H.M.A. Ships Canberra, Sydney and Australia, April 15 and 16. Gisborne.—H.M.A.S. Swan, April 12 to 10. Nelson.—H.M.A.S. Watcrhen, April 5 j to 8. Timaru. —H.M.A.S. Watcrhen, April !> j to 14. Picton. —H.M.A. Ships Stuart and Ven- j detta, April 5 to 8 Auckland. —The whole squadron, April 17 to !!1. MANY SHIPS IN PORT j SCENE OF NAVAL STRENGTH PREVIOUS VISITS RECALLED It is expected that during the visit of the Australian naval squadron to Auck- j land the ships of the New Zealand naval station will also be in port. By that time H.M.S. Dunedin will have departed from New Zealand waters, but there will remain the new flagship, Achilles, the sloops Leith and Wellington. and the minesweeper Wakakura. With the 11 warships of Australia and New Zealand in port at the one time, | the upper reaches of the Waitemata j Harbour should present a scene of great | naval strength—one unexcelled since j the visit of the American fleet from ! August 11 to 2v>, 1920. Moreover, the \ presence of many hundreds of naval \ ratings will add to the gaiety of the : community during this period, when j citizens will happily renew acquaint- j ances made during previous visits of j the Australian ships. Five vessels of the Australian squad- ; ron last visited Auckland from March 13 to 20, lOn that occasion naval j manoeuvres were carried out in the i Hauraki Gulf.