CRUISER RETURNS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22819, 28 August 1937, Page 14

CRUISER RETURNS

FLAGSHIP ACHILLES visiT TO THE ISLANDS ONLY ONE SHIP SIGHTED INCIDENTS ON THE VOYAGE After an absence of more than two and a-half months, the flagship of the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy, H.M.S. Achilles, berthed yesterday morning at the Devonport Naval Base, having completed her first winter cruise to the Pacific Islands. She arrived in Waitemata Harbour overnight, having taken advantage of calm seas to come in earlier than was expected., Low fuel supplies also made it advisable to return to port as quickly as possible, in case a delay should mean encountering bad weather. "The Pacific is the most astonishing of oceans," said one of the officers, whose remarks were supported by all those who had not made such a cruise before. "The only ship we saw at sea on the whole of the cruise was the Monterey, a few days out of Auckland. Otherwise we did not sight so much as smoke on the horizon. We saw a trading schooner, but it was wrecked when we saw it." Natives Evacuated The schooner was the Burns Philp (South Sea) Company's Makoa, which was wrecked at Hull Island, in the* Phoenix Group, in June. Officers on Aahilles found that the island is now well populated, the Burns, Philp Company having erected buildings there and established a trading post. From the island the cruiser evacuated three native carpenters who had been working on the buildings. They were taken back to Suva.

Another temporary passenger on the warship' was a native magistrate, who was taken to the infrequentely visited Fakaofo Island, in the Tokelau Group. An unexpected visit was also paid to Nassau Island to land stores for the residents, who had been reduced to living on a fish and cocoanut diet. To Christmas Island the Achilles took a civilian wireless operator to relieve one who was sent there on official work some months ago. Lost Woman Flier

When the American flier, Mrs. Amelia Earhart Putinan, was lost while flying across the Pacific it was reported that the Achilles had picked up one of her messages. It was stated yesterday that a message on her wave-length was .heard, but the cruiser was over 1000 miles away from where it was thought she had been forced down, fuel supplies were low, and the message gave no indication of the location. Some of the officers thought Mrs. Putman had used her radio telephony set instead of her ordinary set, with the result that bearings could not be taken from the messages. At Honolulu, where the American aircraft-carrier Lexington, which was used in the search for Mrs. Putman, was seen for a few hours, the officers and men of the New Zealand flagship had hospitality lavished upon them. A band played on the wharf, Hawaiian girls decorated the ship's complement with leis, and innumerable invitations were showered upon them by the residents, the Government and the military officials. A parade of 18,000 men and mechanical equipment from the Schofield Barracks was held while the Achilles was in port, and the Commodore, Rear-Admiral the Hon. E. It. Drummond, Captain I. G. Glennie,.and the officers were invited to watch it. Mo Sickness on Board

Apart from several slight cases of coral poisoning, no sickness was experienced on the cruise. At Suva one of the ratings had a leg broken in a football match, but apart from him the whole ship's complement came back as fit as they left. Three rating were sent on from Suva to Australia to take a special training course at Flinders Naval Station.

The Achilles will remain in port until November 3. In a few weeks she will go into Calliope Dock for her biennial refit, and on November 3 she will leave on a short cruise to the south. ' Her programme will be:—Lyttelton, November 5 to 15; Akaroa, November 15 to 17; Wellington, November 18 to 25; Auckland, Noveriiber 27. On November 29 she will leave for Hauraki Gulf for gunnery practice and will return again on December 8.