FLEET STARTS ON WORLD TOUR.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume L, Issue 16321, 3 January 1924, Page 4

FLEET STARTS ON WORLD TOUR.

FOGS HIDE'MONSTERS. LONDON, Nov. 27.—The special service squadron under Vice Admiral Sir Frederick Field, left Davenport to-day on the most important, cruise of its kind ever undertaken. Tho port of Plymouth was heavily surrounded in fog when the squadron led by thd battleship Ilood, steamed out of the port. Final preparations were concluded at high pressure on Monday and members of the ship's companies said their farewells. As an example of the magnitude of tho work involved in the preparation of the tour, it is noted that the voyage to Cape Town requires 150,000 pounds of bread, the same amount- -of potatoes, ,„,CCO pounds of moat, 4000 tons of fresh water and other supplies on the same scale. A large crowd had assembled but they wore prevented by the fog from seeing the departure of the fleet. Tho squadron is to visit all the Dominions, India, South America and the United States. Not for forty years has a- British warship squadron cruised around the world. The Australian Commonwealth and Dominion of New Zealand were not constituted, nor was the Union of South Africa, wlieu the last voyage was made. A large part of it was made under sail. The present cruise will be. Hid first made by a, British squadron entirely under steam. The whole squadron should bel in Canadian waters on midsummer day, where the longest, individual stays of twelve days at Esquimalt' and Vancouver will be made. A month later,, the anniversary of Britain’s entry into- lit war will find them all at sea, tho battle cruisers between Jamaica arid Halifax, and the light cruisers between Callao and Val ; paraiso. - ,