FIRST VISIT TO DUNEDIN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27039, 25 March 1949, Page 4

FIRST VISIT TO DUNEDIN

FRIGATES ARRIVE

MODERN WARSHIPS HAWEA AND KANIERE OPEN TO PUBLIC AT WEEK-END HMNZS Hawea and HMNZS Kamere, two frigates of the New Zealand Squadron, arrived at Dunedin from Wellington yesterday morning and berthed at Victoria wnarf. They are the first of their class to visit this port. The frigates are two of the four which came to the Dominion early this year from Britain. Last week they were engaged, with other units of the squadron, in exercises off the Banks Peninsula coast. Regarded as anti-submarine ships, the frigates are fast and powerful for their size, and their utility purpose is concealed behind sleek greyhound lines. Both were built in 1944 at Manchester, Hawea as Loch Eck and Kaniere as Loch Achray. The most heavily armed of the various types of anti-submarine vessels, they possess all the latest submarine detection devices. Their main armament consists of one four-inch gun. They have a top speed of more than 20 knots, but they cruise at about 11 or 12 knots. Formal calls were made by the commanders of the two frigates, Lieu-tenant-commander B. E. Turner, RNZN (of Kaniere), and Lieutenantcommander A. C. B. Blomfield, RN, D.S.C. and two bars, on the Otago Harbour Board and the Mayor, Sir Donald Cameron, soon after the arrival of the vessels. These calls were returned later in the afternoon. The frigates will be open to the public on Saturday and Sunday from 1.30 p.m. to 5 p.m. About 75 men of each vessel’s complement of about 120 will be given leave every day that the ships are in port. Sporting events and observation tours are being arranged for them. Hawea will leave for Bluff on Tuesday and Kaniere for Greymouth on Monday.