AUSTRALIA-NEW ZEALAND COLLISION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3398, 30 April 1919, Page 21

AUSTRALIA-NEW ZEALAND COLLISION.

Details of the collision which occurred early in 1916 between the battle-cruisers Australia and New Zealand were given this week by Chief Stoker Reg. Stephens, who was a member of the crew, and who has just come out to Australia to take up work as Y.M.C.A. representative among the Australian naval men. A big section of_ the fleet was out in tho North Sea, travelling at high speed. Suddenly a very thick fog came down, and some sort of confusion seems to have arisen. How the' battle-cruisers _ Australia and New Zealand came to be going f in nearly opposite directions, or who was 'to blame for the mishap, are things never made clear; but the fact remains that at about 4- p.m. a terrific collision occurred between the two dominion cruisers, the two huge vessels, travelling at great speed, meeting almost bow on. The Australia seems to have suffered most. Her bow was stove in, and the whole armour plate to abaft the bridge was shifted. The hole in her side was 40ft long. Of course, all on the Australia, at any rate, was confusion for a moment, and this was added to by a further accident. As the New Zealand turned away, trying to get cleaj. her propeller struck the side of the~ Australia, and ripped a great hole in .her bottom. The water rushed in, but the bulkheads held, and this did not develop into a disaster. In accordance with the strictest Admiralty instructions, all the other warships immediately left the wounded Australia, (It had been found that ships congregated round a crippled unit presented an admirable target for submarines.) Investigations were made. Chief Stoker Stephens himself examined the hole made in the warship's bottom, and picked out bits of the New Zealand's splintered propeller, which were later in great demand as souvenirs. Then the Australia set off at a reduced speed for Newcastle. If the weather had boon rough, or if she had encountered a submarine, that assuredly would have been the end of her. As it was, during: all that night she slipped quietly through calm seas, and soon after daybreak reached Newcastle. She was repaired with marvellous speed, and three weeks later was out again in tho North Sea—but a few hours late for the Jutland battle.