DEVELOPING N.Z. NAVY

Southland Times, Issue 24001, 16 December 1939, Page 8

DEVELOPING N.Z. NAVY

MORE SHIPS UNDER CONSTRUCTION REVIEW BY MINISTER OF DEFENCE ARMING OF MERCHANT CRUISERS (United Press Association) WELLINGTON, December 15. An outline of New Zealand’s war effort from a naval point of view was given by the Minister of Defence (the Hon. F. Jones) in a broadcast tonight. Mr .Jones said the ships of the New Zealand Squadron were manned by about 60 per cent of New Zealand ratings and about 40 per cent of ratings lent from the Royal Navy. One contribution which New Zealand was making to the sea-going side of naval defence was the provision of an armed merchant cruiser, and the Monowai, well known as a ship of the Union Steam Ship Company, was now at the naval base being armed and fitted out. After stating that there was much information which must continue to be kept secret, Mr Jones said in August last there were on the New Zealand station the two cruisers, Leander and Achilles, of the New Zealand naval forces, two escort vessels, the Leith and the Wellington, and the survey ship Endeavour,

belonging to the Imperial Navy. During the latter days of August the Achilles, at the request of the Government of the United Kingdom, was dispatched for service first in the Eastern Pacific and later in the south Atlantic with the result which all knew, that she had taken part in the first cruiser engagement of the war. IMPERIAL SHIPS’ PART The Imperial ships the Leith, the Wellington and the Endeavour, were also sent at the request of the Admiralty to serve on other stations, leaving the Leander, the flagship of the New Zealand squadron, to operate in the waters surrounding New Zealand. Shortly before the outbreak of war the Leander left Auckland to convey the first reinforcements to the Pacific Island garrisons and since her return from that duty she had been employed in patrolling and searching for raiders or their bases around the coasts of the Dominion. In addition to the ships mentioned New Zealand also possessed one trawler, the Wakakura, which was normally used principally for training members of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. This little ship was fitted as a minesweeper, but of course one minesweeper was quite inadequate by herself, so the New Zealand Government had taken up three of the trawlers which fish from Auckland, the James Cogrove, the Humphrey and the Thomas Currell. They had been reconditioned and fitted up as mine-sweepers and were now in commission. After a period of training they had taken up their duty of searching the approaches to our ports for mines which might have been laid or might be laid by the enemy. Other trawlers were also being fitted to act as mine-sweepers should the need arise. SPECIAL TRAINING VESSELS • “A further and most valuable reinforcement to New Zealand’s naval forces is under way in the shape of three small training vessels not unlike the trawlers, which are being specially built in Scotland and will be armed with four-inch guns and smaller weapons and equipped for mine-sweep-ing and anti-submarine work,” said Mr Jones. “These three ships, which will be called the Moa, the Kiwi and the Tui, will, it is hoped, be ready for service in about 18 months and will prove a most valuable, efficient and up-to-date unit.” The Minister said that in this early stage of the development of the naval forces were of course few New Zealandborn officers serving in the ships, but as time went on the proportion of New Zealand to Imperial officers and men would steadily increase. In the meantime the complements of sea-going ships had been brought up to war strength by the mobilization of officers and men of the New Zealand Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. Officers and men of these reserve forces fere also serving in the mine-sweepers alongside the personnel who had volunteered from the mercantile marine. There would be in the New Zealand Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve a considerable number of officers and men who would not be needed for the manning of New Zealand’s own ships and the Government had recently informed the Government of the United Kingdom that they would be placed at the disposal of the Admiralty for service in the Royal Navy whenever they might be required. The training of officers and men who had not yet been mobilized for actual service was being continued to the greatest possible extent. ARMING OF MERCHANT SHIPS “Another very important item in the naval defence of the Empire and the protection of merchant shipping is the arming of merchant ships so that they can act in their own defence when attacked by the enemy on the high seas,” said Mr Jones. “The naval base at Auckland has, to date, equipped no fewer than 20 ships with guns of four inch or higher calibre, and each of these ships has sailed from Anuckland with guns and a crew, the nucleus of which is formed by three of the young men of the New Zealand Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. These ships are now continuing to trade in distant parts of the world. WORK CONTINUING STEADILY “This work of arming merchant ships and manning their guns is continuing steadily. It will be remembered that the Doric Star was recently attacked

by an enemy raider. This was one of the ships provided with gun and a gun crew in New Zealand, so this means that these three men were the first members of the New Zealand naval forces to be in action with teh enemy. “All this work of fitting out and equipping the ships has thrown a tremendous strain upon the workmen employed at the base at Devonport and at the naval armament depot at Kouri Point. The work has proceeded smoothly and without a hitch.