MOSQUITO FLEET

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 201, 26 August 1943, Page 3

MOSQUITO FLEET

SMALL N.Z. SHIPS HELP IN PACIFIC WAR (P.A.) Auckland. Aug. 25. Little vessels of the Auckland coastal fleet—scows, auxiliary schooners, and small steamers—which left Auckland for Sydney last September in the strangest convoy the T « man has seen—have assisted Australia’s liyht craft in playing a major part in the south-west Pacific war. Taking trops to forward areas, transporting food, ammunition ano supplies from large ships through shallow and treacherous waters, running past Japanese-held positions in the dark, and bringing back wounded and sea-battle survivors, small craft, once so busy in peaceful industry, are now in the front fin-?. Some ot the New Zealand seamen who took the craft to Sydney still man them. Led by the I Oil-ton auxiliary schooner Meins. wi.l ,i was under the command ... 1 convoy officer, Lieutenant R. K. Entwistle.’R.N.Z.N.V.R., the first convoy consisted of the auxiliary schooner Will Watch, the scows Altair and Haere. and the little steamer Bellbird, still under their New Zealand masters and with New Zealand crews. Their last New Zealand rendezvous was Whangaroa, and the Meina was the first tn arrive at Sydney 10 days later. The Will Watch, which developed engine trouble early in the voyage, was towed 680 miles by the Meina. A New Zealand blackbird which flew on board the Meina 140 mile.*- from New Zealand, stayed with the convoy until it was a day from Sydney. Heavy seas were met. and there were times when the other ships of the convoy could not. 'be seen. From fiie day after it was east off from the Meina,' the Will Watch was not seen until it arrived at Sydney. Heavy weather was experienced near Sydney, and the Altair, which had also been in tow because of engine trouble, was lost, on Long Reef, north oi Manly Beach. The crew managed to get ashore. Partial overhauling, provisioning, arming, and loading were completed at Sydney, and the little New Zealand vessels joined Australian vessels of all types, from. seine fishing boats to barquest in the voyage up the coast to >the war zone. The personnel was changed, hut some New Zealanders remained in the crews, and about a third of the New Zealanders who left in the little ships are still with them. They have had many adventures in the war zones.