NEW ZEALAND NAVY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23203, 29 May 1937, Page 7

NEW ZEALAND NAVY

THE DEVONPORT BASE EXTENSIVE ALTERATIONS A COMPLETE TRANSFORMATION (Special to Daily times > AUCKLAND, May 28. An immense volume of work continues to be done at the Devortport naval base to extend and improve the accommodation for the warships attached to the New Zealand division of the ttoyal NfiVy and tb facilitate the organisation of the shore routine of the base. Much additional work remains to be done, but it is expected that in a year's time an almost complete transformation will have been effected. Plans for modernising the naval base have been pursued for several years, and have been actively advanced by Rear-admiral the Hon. E, ft, Dfummond ever since he sue* ceeded Rear-admiral Burges-Watson, who Was commodore in command of the station when the work was started;

Much of the credit for putting the plans into operation fests with the last two naval officers in charge of the base —Commander Brooke and Commander Tinley--whose first year of service in New Zealahd was completed last month. During Commander Tinley's term an old Woodeti trainihg jetty has been replaced by a larger reinforced concrete A start has been made with an extension of the Calliope wharf across into Stanley Bay* part of the hillside at the back of the base has been excavated, and several changes have been made in the disposition of Workshops or in the erection of new facilities. Excavation work is still proceeding, and portion of Stanley Bay is to be .reclaimed in order to provide additional much-needed space. The approaching arrival at Auckland of the Leander, sister ship of the Achilles, for service on the station, has made enlargements to Calliope wharf urgently necessary. The Work Was put ih hartd some time ago, and is proceeding Very satisfactorily in spite of the Wet weathen A new jetty has been built at a different angle from that taken by the old wooden structure in Order to assist With the docking Of the Achilles and the Leander, since the size of these ships does not allow much spare room. Other work to be dohe at thd base includes the installation of repair equipmehi For the first time ih almost three years the framing and depot ship Philomel Wiil be moved from her present berth at the old training jetty at the Devonport naval base on June 12 and towed to Calliope wharf, the' reason is that, the jetty is to be demolished since the recent completion of the new wharf running out at right angles from the Calliope Dock has made it unnecessary, and the Opportunity is being taken of the departure of the Achilles on June 12 for her first winter cruise to the Pacific Islands to take the Philomel to another berth so that the demolition of the old jetty may proceed. The Philomel is now over 37 years Old* She was completed in 1890. The first ten years of her service Was done On the Cape of Good Hope and West African stations, and then for six years she was in English waters, After that she was sent to the Mediterranean and later she went to the East Indies station. There she saw service in assisting to suppress gun-running and slavery in the Persian Gulf, one Of the most difficult and exciting tasks undertaken by the British Navy in peaCe time* In 1913 the Philomel was commissioned for the New Zealand station and she has been in these waters ever since, being one of the veterans of the whole of the British Navy and having the longest record of service. in New Zealand waters of any ship which has eVer been attached to the station.