COASTAL AIR PATROLS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23358, 29 May 1939, Page 8

COASTAL AIR PATROLS

Considerable interest attaches to the announcement by the Australian Minister of Defence, Mr. G. A. Street, that an order has been placed in Britain for flying-boats to undertake long-range reconnaissance off the Australian coast. Of equal interest is the siting of one of the flying-boat bases as far to the north as Port Moresby, New Guinea. The New Zealand Government's plans may not be so far matured, but are taking into consideration the part that might be played by islands lying to the north of the Dominion. In his statement on defence last week, the Prime Minister said New Zealand's responsibilities toward the Empire extended beyond her own shores far into the Pacific and the chiefs of the naval, military and air staffs had last year visited islands to the north to study their strategic effect on the country's defences. It docs not necessarily follow that the Dominion intends to follow the Commonwealth's example by providing flying-boats for marine patrols. This duty has been allotted in New Zealand to the Territorial Air Force, which will shortly have at its disposal moro than 100 aircraft of the . single-engined biplane type. By t exploiting the possibilities, of the islands spread northward of North Cape, the range of this force and its usefulness in reconnaissance might bo widely extended. Attention was drawn the other day to the system of aerodromes now constructed or being constructed to the north of Auckland, a system which could be used to connect island air stations with the bases at Hobsonville and Whenuapai. Obviously such an organisation would call for land machines, which the Dominion is acquiring in increasing numbers. The problem of securing flying-boats might not be easily solved at short notice and the protection of their harbourage at isolated points to the north would certainly be difficult with limited means..