NAVAL ENCOUNTER

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18580, 14 December 1934, Page 5

NAVAL ENCOUNTER

EXERCISES OFF COAST PRINCE TO PARTICIPATE (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, this day. The Auckland Herald correspondent aboard H.M.S, Diomede sends the following radio message:— When the cruiser Australia approaches the Nmv Zealand coast today, with the Royal visitor, Prince Henry, aboard, an opportunity will be taken to carry out exercises against two of the escorting cruisers before meeting them. This will be the first naval encounter of its type in which His Royal Highness has become personally associated since the beginning of his present tour. The plan consists of a search and night encounter between the Australia, as the raiding vessel, and the Dunedin and Diomede as coastal defenders. The battle will commence at dawn at a point 77 miles south-west of Cape Maria Van Diemen, and may last for 24 hours, if the searching vessels are unsuccessful. The Dunedin and Diomede are cruising along the east coast in a northerly direction at a quiet pace, and, after rounding North Cape, will be in position at dawn. Although carried through strictly according to the normal procedure of a battle At sea, the engagement will be terminated without the firing of a single shot, the launching of a torpedo, or the infliction of casualties. . It will thus serve tho double purpose of providing A wartime exercise for the three warships and keeping within the bounds of economy for the sake of the taxpayer. Instead of torpedoes, Verey lights are to be used at the .moment of firing, and gunfire will be represented by a searchlight or star shell. A story woven round the exercises concerns an action by An enemy raider in the sinking of tho imaginary “S.S. Blowhard,” 250 miles off the coast of New Zealand. A distress signal is received by the Dunedin and Diomcdo at 4 a.in. It is suspected that the enemy will make ,a raid later in Cook Strait, and tile commanding officer decides to make an immediate search during daylight. In the event of tho Australia being located before dark, it is probable that she will be shadowed and then attacked at night. T)ie umpire of the short engagement is Rear-Admiral Burges Watson. Tho Australia, Dunedin, and Diomede will bo joined by the Leith and Laburnum at dawn on Saturday near Wellington.