LEANDER SHOWS HER PACES

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVI, Issue 21379, 23 June 1939, Page 11

LEANDER SHOWS HER PACES

Speed Trial in Gulf Thirty Knots Exceeded Gunners Have Anti-Aircraft Practice By Telegraph—Press Association AUCKLAND, June 22. While the wind whipped bursts of spray off the sea, flung it high against the flag and bridge decks and swept it along the forecastle, the cruiser Leander, flagship of the New Zealand Squadron, slid through tire waters of Hauraki Gulf at more than 30 knots. At the same time two aircraft, one towing a red target, came out of the clouds above and a battery of high angle guns amidships opened fire on them. The Leander was doing a full- | power trial after a refit. She was taken out of the Calliope Dock shortly after 9 o'clock, remained in the stream briefly to hoist her boats on board, swung round and slipped down past Rangitoto into the open sea. For a time she was conducted by a school of porpoise. Disturbed by the sharp bow bearing down upon them, they leaped in procession before her, swam alongside her flanks and then vanished in the growing wake. At Top Speed At this stage of the trial the cruiser contented herself with a placid cruising speed of 14 knots, her motion being unnoticeable. Shortly before noon, however, the engine-room signalled its readiness to warm up for the trial. The speed leaped in minutes to 21 knots. At the bow of the ship disturbed waters curved up and up until, snatched by the screaming wind, they were tossed back to the upper deck and even taken in splashes on to the reflectors of the signal lamps on the flag deck. Underneath the stern they were lifted in increasing turmoil. From 21 knots the speed was increased by steps until the engine revolutions indicated power enough to drive the cruiser at slightly more than 30 knots. Although speed through the water was being held back by the strong head wind, the speed was held. While the trial went on crews manned the 4-in anti-aircraft guns below the bridge and eyes were strained to catch the first glimpse of the two machines which had by then left the Hobsonville Air Base. Clouds hid them except for an occasional glitter as the sun struck their fuselage, but finally they came fully in sight about 11,000 feet behind, one of them being the red sleeve target about which the gunners had to burst their projectiles. Prosaic Orders After tension had grown enough to indicate what it would be like in real and not mock battle the order came to fire. It was given by the gunnery officer, who in turn transmitted it into a speaking tube to the battery officer. The final command of the petty officer

was in prosaic language. What he said into the speaking tube was ‘George. Freddie, Freddie.” When the firing was to be checked he passed on another order. This time he said “George. Charlie Charlie.” He was not asking in a hurry for any of his shipmates but was reducing firing orders to a quickly understood code. Shell after shell, each one standing to two-thirds the height of a man’s leg was pushed into the breech and fired, the concussion being sharp and flat but severe enough for precautions to be taken with glass shades over electric light bulbs near by. The object was not to hit the target but to burst a shell near c: ugh to endanger the machine it represented with hurtling fragments. As each shell burst the quick puff it the white explosion showed up against the blue sky, so that in the end the red target left behind a string of little tell-tale smoke rings. The two aircraft, one of which had been keeping in touch with the cruiser by radio to tell her what effect the shots were having, disappeared into the clouds over the Little Barrier. On the bridge the Commodore commanding the New Zealand Squadron. Commodore Rivett-Camac. gave orders for his flagship to come round and head for home. Now it was the turn of the Leander’s smaller anti-aircraft batteries. One of the aircraft still towing her red sleeve dived down and roared alongside at short range. For a second the muzzles of one battery followed her. Then it stuttered viciously Into life with the stinging sound of a pneumatic drill and cartridges fell on to the deck in a stream. The aircraft turned round behind the cruiser, swept past on the starboard side and the battery there trained on to the target again, and the one on the port side cracked out. Then the one overlooking the quarter-deck followed suit. The starboard battery took it up once more. Finally the aircraft ceased her attack and went home. When the firing was finished the Leander, again at cruising speed, came on to Devonport. She will stay there urHi Monday, when she is due to leave for a cruise to the Pacific Islands.