CRUISER SQUADRON

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11659, 25 October 1923, Page 2

CRUISER SQUADRON

TO VISIT NEW ZEALAND CALLING AT THSREB MAIN POETS OF DOMINION. H.M.S. HOOD INCLUDED. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received Otcabcr 34. 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, October 28. The “Daily Express?’ correspondent at Plymouth says that in addition to the Dunedin, the cruisers Delhi, Danae, Dauntless, and Dragon, under the command of Rear-Admiral Sir Hubert Brand, will make the Empire tour. Christmas will he spent at Capetown. Thence the squadron goes to Colombo, Singapore, Fremantle, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Hobart, Wellington, Lyttelton, Auckland, and Fiji. PARTICULARS OF SQUADRON. The Minister for Defence has received information from England giving particulars of the world tour to be made by the First Light Cruiser Squadron, commencing in November of this year, and visiting New Zealand in May, 1924. The ships of the First Light Cruiser Squadron are:—Delhi, Dunedin, Danae, Dauntless, and Dragon, all vessels of the “D” class, and differing only in small details. Their tonnage is 4650 Jons displacement, length 472 feet, beam 46 feet, and they carry six ( 6-inch guns, all on the centre line. Their designed' speed is 29 knots, and they burn oil fuel only. The squadron is commanded by Rear-Admiral the Hon. Sir Hubert G. Brand, K.0.M.G., K.C.V.O. C. 8., who flies his flag in fI.M.S. Delni (Captain J. M. Pipon, M.V.0., 0.8. E.). Tho other ships are commanded as follow: Danae, Captain G. K. CJhetwode, C. 8., C. ; Dauntless, Captain C. W. Round-Turner; Dragon, Captain B. W. M. Fairburn, 0.8. E.; Dunedin, Captain the Hon. A. R, M. Ramsay, D. H-M.S. Chatham, ie to turn over to H.M.S. Dunedin at Auckland in May, 1925, when the latter will be renamed New Zealand, and become the flagship of the Commodore commanding the New Zealand Division of' the Royal Navy. Many of the New Zealand ratings will return to England in H.M.S. Chatham to undergo counsea of instruction in the various naval establishments. The complement of H.M.S. New Zealand will probably" be slightly less than that of H.M.S. Chatham. A cable message last week indicated that the first light Cruiser Squadron would accompany H.M.S. Hood and H.M.S. Repulse on their Empire cruise. Captain the Hon. A. R. M. Ramsay, who is in command of H.M.S. Dunedin, married H.R.H. Princess Patricia, second daughter of the. Duke of Connaught (uncle of the King), in 1919. Captain Ramsay is a son of the 13th Earl of Dalhousie.