H.M.S. AVENGER.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15989, 25 August 1917, Page 13

H.M.S. AVENGER.

0 LOST IN NORTH SEA. (FROM OUR OWX COItnESrOMBENT.) LONDON, June 26. New Zealauders in this country felt they had sustained intimate loss when it was officially announced that 11.M.5. Avenger had been torpedoed in tho North S>ea on the night of Juno 13-11, and had subsequently sunk. Although there had been no opportunity for th:s armed merchant cruiser fo take up the mail-eervice for which ■ she had been built,"hor temporary war-name did not disguise the: iact tnat she was to have been, christened the Ao-tca-Roa, and iiad been designed and built for the Ii.S.S. Co. to take up her running in the New Zealand-Vancouver mail route. So nearly ready was she that a number or her officers had arrived fiom New Zealand to take the vessel out, and they, tco, were commissioned by tho Admiralty. At the time she was lost iheAveiiger had on board the following New Zealanders: — Engineer-Commander, ,T. Dunlop, R.N.11. "(Auckland): EngineerLieutenants A. Leslie Gatland, R.N.1?., (Onchunga). Robertson Cook, R.N.11. (Dunedin), and J. Stanley "Wells, R.N.It. (Christchuich): Engineer-Sub-Lieutenants, llenrv ]]. Wilson, R.A.R-. (Mosgiel), Walter ft. Richardson, R.N.R. (Dunedin). George H. McLeod. I'.N.R. (Auckland), Thomas J. McLaren, R'.N.R. (Dunedin). William J. I rquhait, R.N.R. (Dunedin). Errol T. Tvlec, 11. N.R. (Napier), and Hugh Kirkland, R.N.R. (Mosgicl). Kirkland was injured by the explosion, but is doing well. For the time being this little service colony is separated. The. Avenger's tonnage was 1-5,000, and she was driven by steam turbines geared by two screw shafts.