BRITISH NAVY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 152, 8 September 1941, Page 5

BRITISH NAVY

COMMODORE PARRY IS PLEASED

BY HELP OF LEAGUE

Taking as his subject the objective of the Navy League—"To urge the Vital Importance of Sea Power to the British Empire," Commodore W. E. Parry, Chief of the New Zenland Naval Siaff, the guest speaker at the annual meeting of the Wellington branch of the Navy League, paid a tribute to its valuable part in educating the public, in the need for a strong navy, in its contribution to the training of boys for n sea career and in the provision of comforts for the men of the navy and merchant service. In Britain as elsewhere in the Empire the Navy League was doing a great job of work, said Commodore Parry. In particular did he wish to "xpjess appreciation to those who had provided comforts. Oinlv those who had experienced the hardships of life at sea in war conditions could estimate the real value of that contribution, which would play its part in the winning of the war.

Reviewing the war at sea, Commodore Parry dealt with the preparations made in the three main theatres—the home waters, the Mediterranean and the Pacific—to meet the course of action anticipated of the enemy. It expected that pie. navy would have to fight In all three oceans, and the defection of the French Navy had been ji tremendous blow. The enemy had also been vastly strengthened by his occupation of bases from Norway to France. In the Battle of the Atlantic his surface raiders arid submarines had taken great toll of shipping. That battle was still undecided but the enemy had suffered heavy blows. The moral effect of the sinking of the Bismarck was enormous. The navy had been called on for i tremendous effort in the Battle «f the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, and there was much cause for gratification in the results achieved so far. In the Battle of the Atlantic a noble part was being played by Merchant seamen. They were not trained fighting men, but Lhey had fought with magnificent courage.

The third possible theatre of war. the Pacific, had come into serious calculations in recent weeks. Britain was fortunate in possessing in this .theatre the powerful Singapore base, and New Zealanders would have just cause for satisfaction in having contributed £1,000,000 some years ago toward the cosi of this base.

"I do not claim that sea power will win the war, though it has so far kept Hitler, at bay and will help to defeat him ultimately," said Commodore Parry. Alone, sea power could not win. Air power and land power were also essential, and civilian power, the resolute purpose shown by the people of Great Britain under merciless air raids.