AUSTRALIAN WARSHIPS TO VISIT N.Z.

Wanganui Chronicle, 13 December 1949, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN WARSHIPS TO VISIT N.Z.

AUCKLAND, Last Night (PA).— The aircraft carrier Sydney and several other ships of the Royal Australian Navy are expected to visit New Zealand early next year. Senior naval officers in Auckland could not comment on the possibility of an Australian squadron cruise, but reports from Sydney suggest that the ships may be in Auckland in March. The Australian visit would probably be in the nature of a continuation ol joint exercises which were carried out by warships from the two Dominions in Australian waters in October and November. Two of the submarines which have been recently lent by the Royal Navy for training purposes may also be in New Zealand waters at about the same time.

The Sydney, which is commanded by Captain R. R. Dowling, D. 5.0., R.A.N., is a light fleet carrier of the. Majestic class. She is almost identical in appearance with the Theseus, which visited New Zealand in 1947, but, because of differences in Internal accommodation, her ship's company of 1600 is correspondingly larger. She carries Seafire and Firely aircraft, and to meet the requirements of air-sea rescue work, a ship of her class is normally escorted by at leasf one destroyer. Laid down in 1942, the Sydney was originally named H.M.S. Terrible. This was changed when she was acquired at the beginning of the year by the Australian Government.