H.M.S. LEITH ARRIVES

Taranaki Daily News, 14 November 1934, Page 7

H.M.S. LEITH ARRIVES

NAVY’S LATEST VESSEL NEW SLOOP FOR NEW ZEALAND. SHIP ON FIRST COMMISSION. EVENTS ON OUTWARD VOYAGE. By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. H.M.S. Leith arrived at Auckland this morning from England. She replaces H.M.S. Veronica as a sloop of the Imperial division of the Royal Navy on the New Zealand station, and is the newest vessel in the British Navy. ■ H.M.S. Leith, which is on her first commission, was joined by a crew from Chatham depot on July 10 this year, and left Portland on July 23 to pay a visit to her name port, Leith, so well known to officers and men of the Grand Fleet during the war. Only one previous ship of the Navy appears to have been named the Leith, and that was more than a centip-y ago, in the sailing days. The new sloop returned to Chatham from August 1 to August 13, whence she sailed for New Zealand, via Gibraltar (August 19-22), Malta (August 27-29), Port Said (September 2-3), Aden (September 9-13), Colombo (September 22-26), and Singapore (October 3-7). From there the sloop called at other ports in the Dutch East Indies, Thursday Island and Brisbane. She left the Queensland port on November 8 for Auckland direct.

The Leith is one of the most modem type of sloop. Her tonnage is estimated at 1060, and her engines develop 2000 horse-power. Fuel oil is used for the furnaces. Her armour consists of two 4.7 in., one 3in. and four three-pounder guns. Her designed speed is 16 knots. Her voyage to New Zealand was made at an average speed of only ten knots. The sloop is, however, capable of logging up to 16.6 knots. She arrived one day ahead of her original schedule.

NOT AN UNLUCKY VOYAGE.

Although the Leith left England on the thirteenth day of the month and arrived on the thirteenth of another month the voyage was anything but unlucky. Generally fine weather was experienced, spray being taken on deck only on two occasions during the entire trip, and at all ports called at by the vessel her officers and company were royally received. On arrival at Port Said the new sloop fired a salute in honour of the flag of the country, and at Colombo she was in company ior several days with H.M.S. Sussex, on which the Duke of Gloucester travelled to Australia. Shortly after leaving Brisbane, where the Leith spent six highly enjoyable days, the sloop rammed a whale. Two days before reaching Auckland the vessel struck another whale, the impact being sufficient to awaken some of her company sleeping in. the after part of the vessel. On the second occasion the whale, which apparently was not seriously injured, was seen to blow.

As the Leith came into harbour this morning she passed the Royal mail liner Niagara outward-bound from Auckland to Vancouver, and courtesies were exchanged. The vessel has three mascots, a fox terrier, which rejoices in the name of Bonzo, and two cats. The ship’s complement totals 104, including Captain O. Bevir and six officers.

None of the officers has been on the New Zealand station before, but a number of the men have been here on other Imperial ships, and several of them had wives and children to greet them on arrival.