THE STRUGGLE AT SEA

Southland Times, Issue 25666, 8 May 1945, Page 11

THE STRUGGLE AT SEA

Ships And Men Of The Navy

The performance of the Royal New Zealand Navy over the long and perilous years since September 1939 is, in its essentials, the story of all naval warfare. It is a record mainly of long, | monotonous sea-goings and patrols, of unending hard work and unceasing day-to-day operations, all of which have had but one ultimate objective — to maintain command of the sea —not only across the wide oceans of the world, but in the narrow seas and coastal waters. And command of the sea today depends upon a combination of tire Royal Navy, the Merchant Navy and the Air Forces, together with bases from which to operate. This struggle at sea, as history has taught us, and as Mr Churchill has never ceased to remind us, has been the foundation of all the efforts of the United Nations. If we had lost command of the sea upon which our vary existence depends, then all else would have been denied us. The ships and the men of the Royal New Zealand Navy have played a worthy and worldwide part in the struggle at sea. New Zealand seamen in their own ships, as well as in ships of all types of the Royal Navy, have served on the narrow seas and wide oceans in every part of the world. A good number have acquitted themselves well in the Fleet Air Arm. When on September 3, 1939, she received the signal to begin hostilities against Germany, H.M.N.Z.S. Achilles was already far out in the Pacific proceeding to take up her allotted war duties as a unit of the South American Division, America and West Indies Station. The only Allied warship in the eastern Pacific she patrolled the west coast of South America for six weeks, protecting Allied trade and searching for enemy ships between Panama and Cape Hom, a long stretch of about 4100-miles. In the last week of October (Achilles proceeded through the Strait of Magellan to the Atlantic, where she spent another six uneventful weeks patrolling the long coastline of Brazil. RIVER PLATE BATTLE . Then came a sudden climax to these proceedings—the battle of the River vious that the end of the Italian campaign was near. Resistance had been shattered, and the enemy’s military power had practically ceased to exist. On May 3 it was announced that Marshal Graziani’s army had surrendered on April 28, and that the New Zealanders had linked up with Marshal Tito’s Yugoslav forces at Montalcone. The same day came the electrifying news that the whole of the German forces in the north of Italy and western Austria, numbering about a million men, had surrendered unconditionally. The end of the Italian campaign will probably bring to a close- the operations of the N.Z.E.F. in Europe. What its future role will be remains, to be decided. From this brief account of its battles it will be seen that it has played a major part in the advance of the Bth Army from El Alamein to the borders of Switzerland. Its record will stand comparison with that of any other division in the British Army.

Plate. Correctly anticipating the enemy’s movement, Commodore Harwood had concentrated his three cruisers Ajax, Achilles and Exeter and soon after dawn on December 13,. having just completed exercising his ships in the tactics he proposed to employ in action, intercepted the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee, .which had crossed the South Atlantic aftei- sinking eight merchant ships. The weight of gunnery was well in favour of the Graf Spee but she was outdone by the spirit and skilful tactics of the British ships. The Exeter was put out of action early, but Ajax and Achilles, after an all-day pursuit, shepherded the big German into Montevideo roads at midnight. Four days later the Graf Spee was scuttled and set oh fire by her own company. In his dispatch covering the engagement Admiral Harwood, who com 1 manded the cruiser force, spoke of the “very high standard of efficiency and courage displayed by all officers and men throughout the five days of the operation.” Of the part played by Achilles Admiral Harwood said that New Zealand had every reason to be proud of her seamen during their baptism of fire.

During the period the ship was absent from New Zealand’ on her first [war cruise—August, 1939, to February, 11940 —Achilles steamed 52,323 miles. She spent 168 days at sea and only 10 days in harbour. Excluding the four days and nights of patrolling outside Montevideo, the action with the Admiral Graf Spee lasted about 18 hours. LEANDER ON PATROL H.M.N.Z.S. Leander was employed on patrol duties in New Zealand waters during the first four months of the war. On January 4, 1940, she went from Wellington to Lyttelton, to act as escort for the two transports carrying the South Island section of the Ist Echelon of New Zealand troops for overseas service. In the forenoon of January 6, Leander and her charges made contact in Cook Strait with the main part of the convoy from Wellington. The six troop transports were the Empress of Canada, Strathaird, Orion, Rangitata, Dunere and Sobeiski, and they were escorted by H.M.S. Ramillies, H.M.A.S. Canberra and the Leander. Off Sydney Heads on January 10 the New Zealand ships joined up with the Australian convoy and H.M.A.S. Australia relieved the Leander, which proceeded into Sydney. Later she returned to New Zealand.

In May, 1940 the Leander proceeded overseas and was employed for nine months on patrol and escort duties in the Red Sea. That was arduous and exacting service in tropical heat, the monotony being broken occasionally by bombing attacks by Italian aircraft. While operating in the Indian Ocean in February, 1941, the Leander intercepted the Italian commerce raider Ramb I. On being ordered to stop the enemy opened fire and was quickly silenced by five salvoes. Eleven officers and 92

ratings were picked up by the Leander, which suffered neither casualities nor damage. The Italian ship burned fiercely and sank 50 minutes later. On March 2, 1941, the Leander joined, company with H.M.A.S. Canberra on patrol in the Mauritius area. Two days later two enemy supply ships were intercepted. One, the German vessel Coburg, was sunk by gunfire from the Canberra, and the other, the former Norwegian tanker Ketty Brovig, scuttled herself. The survivors, including two boatloads of seamen held as prisoners by the Germans, were picked up by the Leander who landed them at Mauritius. Later that month the Leander intercepted a Vichy French steamer and sent her into Mauritius for examination. OPERATIONS OFF SYRIA In June, 1941, the Leander proceeded into the Mediterranean and joined a squadron operating off the coast of Syria, where she took part in a short, inconclusive action with two Vichy French destroyers. The Leander and several destroyers also bombarded enemy positions which were impeding the progress of British troops along the coast. After an arduous and successful cruise that lasted 16 months the Leander arrived back in New Zealand in September, 1941. During 1940, the liner Monowai was chartered by the New Zealand Government and fitted out as an armed merchant cruiser. The ship was commissioned on August 30, 1940, and during the next two and a-half years was employed continually on escort duties in the South Pacific.

In September, 1941, the King graciously approved the proposal that New Zealand naval forces should be designated the Royal New Zealand Navy. This honour was greatly appreciated in New Zealand as implying the recognition of the war services not only of the personnel trained and serving in the Royal Navy but also of those officers and men who entered the service as New Zealanders and of whom the service in New Zealand predominately consists. Since the early days of the war the minesweepers and anti-submarine and patrol vessels of the Royal New Zealand Navy have performed much arduous and valuable service around the coasts of New Zealand, including the sweeping of a. minefield laid by a German raider in the northern approaches’ to Hauraki Gulf in June, 1940. SAFETY OF SHIPPING Every endeavour had to be made to ensure the safety of all shipping in New Zealand coastal waters against any possible form of attack. Among other things it was essential to establish a naval control service for overseas shipping and to build up a comprehensive system for the control and routing of shipping in the Pacific. In this respect the Royal New Zealand Navy has accepted responsibility over a vast area entailing the maintenance of a very accurate “plot” of every ship in that area.

The Women’s Royal New Zealand Naval Service has fulfilled an important function in the duties of the Royal New Zealand Navy. When the problem of manpower in the Dominion began to become acute it was decided that a Women’s Naval was desirable to enable naval ratings performing certain essential shore duties to be released for service overseas. Accordingly, Governmental approval of the proposal was given. On May 26, 1942, the appointment of a director and deputy director was approved and the Women’s Royal New Zealand Naval Service, generally referred to as the “Wrens,” began to function. The first “Wren” was entered in July, 1942, and now there are about 500 in the service in New Zealand. They are employed as wireless telegraphy operators, visual signallers, writers, mail clerks, boat’s crews, telephone switchboard operators, motor transport drivers, messengers, coders and plotters, cooks, stewards and in many other duties.

Though still a young service, the Royal New Zealand Navy, during this war, has earned for itself a magnificent fighting record of which New Zealand can well be proud. It has played its full part in maintaining the security of the sea communications and retaining command of the sea. LIST OF AWARDS Following is a list of awards and decorations granted to officers and ratings of the Royal New Zealand Navy during the war period: — • British awards (operational)—Companion of Order of the Bath (military division), 1; Distinguished Service Order, 5; Distinguished Service Cross, 44; bar to D.S.C., 5; second bar to D.S.C., 1; Distinguished Service Medal, 31; Conspicuous Gallantry Medal, 1; Albert Medal (in bronze), 1; British Empire Medal, 5; Mentioned in Dispatches, 72; special commendation, 1; total operational, 167. British awards (periodic)—Officer of the Order of the British Empire, 7; Member of the Order of the British Empire, 7; British Empire Medal, 6; D.S.C., 7; mentioned in dispatches, 6; volunteer officers’ decoration, 6; total periodic, 39. United States Awards—Navy Cross, 3; Silver Star Medal, 5; letter of commendation, 23; total, 31. Total all British and American awards,) 237.