SUMMER CRUISES OF WARSHIPS

Southland Times, Issue 23394, 29 December 1937, Page 8

SUMMER CRUISES OF WARSHIPS

Escort Vessel Leith To Visit Bluff ACHILLES AND LEANDER TO GO TO AUSTRALIA (United Press Association) AUCKLAND, December 28. As soon as the Christmas leave being enjoyed by ratings of the warships of the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy is finished, preparations will be started at the Devonport naval base for further cruises by the flagship Achilles, the Leander and the escort vessels Leith and Wellington. The cruisers shortly will leave on a courtesy visit to Australian ports. One of the escort vessels is going to southern ports of New Zealand and the other is to sail for Fiji. At present all the ships of the division are in port, having come to Auckland for Christmas, but very shortly the base will again be comparatively deserted, with only the training and depot ship Philomel in port. In addition to the two cruisers and the two escort vessels, the mine sweeper Wakakura and the Admiralty survey ship Endeavour are occupying berths at the base, but next week three of the ships will be leaving. The Endeavour, commanded by Captain Wygtt, will probably leave on Tuesday to continue her marine survey work in the Firth of Thames, after coming over to the city side of the harbour at the end of this week for coaling. On Tuesday the Wellington, commanded by Commander G. N. Loriston-Clarke, will leave for Suva and on Thursday, January 6, the Leith will leave on a cruise to the South Island, which will keep her away from Auckland until April. She wifi pay visits to Picton, Timaru, Oamaru, Dunedin, Bluff, Stewart Island, the West Coast sounds, Westport, Nelson, Wellington, Lyttelton and Akaroa. The Australian visit of the two cruisers will not begin until January 20. They will leave in company, but will separate on the way across the Tasman, the Achilles going to Sydney and the Leander to Melbourne. After these visits both will go to Jervis Bay and then the Achilles will visit Melbourne and the Leander will go to Hobart before they return to New Zealand, making short cruises to the south and then returning to Auckland on April 28.