AUSTRALIAN SQUADRON.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 19, 17 October 1907, Page 10

AUSTRALIAN SQUADRON.

IMPROVED,GUNNERY; LIST OF THE NEW OFFICERS. 'A special correspondent, writing from London to tho Sydnoy Daily Telegraph, under . date August 30, says:— This year the' ships • of tho Australian Equadron ;havo improved a bit in gunnery, particularly tho Powerful (Captain Lionel Halsoy), flagship of Vice-Admiral Sir ,W. H. Jf'awkes,, commander-in-chiof. At, her recont gun practice tho Powerful mado good shoot- ' ing with her 6-inch guns. Kitting the target 67 times out of tho 117 shots, and of tho nino rounds discharged from her two 9.2 guns two scored bulls/ tli'o avorage. working out at 50.00 for'h'cr entire armament. The Challenger, Captain J. R. Bridson, hit the target 38 times out of 81 rounds, tho Encounter, Captain H. V. W. Elliott, found tho mark 36 ■ times, in 85 rounds, and tho Cambrian, Captain E. F. A. Gaunt, C.M.G., followed closely with four hits for 13 rounds from her 6-inch guns, arid .31 hits out of 53 .rounds from her i.7-inch guns.' Tho third-class cruiser Psycho, Commander M. 11. Cobbo, and her Bister cruiser Pyramus, Commander T. G. F. Mitchell, are down at the foot of tho list almost, their antiquated i-inch guns making a poor , show of 22.89 arid 19.62 points re- • opectively. If tho scores of tho latter word deducted from the performance of tho fight--1 ing strips of'tliq squadron, the total left woiild work out much better. As it is, tho squadron stands sixth in the list of tho eight squadrons from which returns have been recoived. ' 3,' HE POWERFUL AND CAMBRIAN RE- !- '. Commissioned: ' , Tho Powerful and Cambrian, whose commisoions will expire in tho course of a few weeks, are to remain on the station, and-new crows havo been despatched to Colombo, Ceylon (where the rc-coriimissioning will tako . place)," by the 1 cruisers. Edgar and, Europa, Captain Halsoy will.'re-commission the flagship, and Captain Vaughan-Lewes, D.5.0., has been appointed to succeed Captain Gaunt. Tho Powerful, as flagship, carries a comple- . Mont of 900 officers and men, and the Cambrian is manned by_ 318'.'officers.'and'men. Il'ho paid-o(f crews will return home by tho Ifiiuropa and Edgar. . CAREER OF'THE CAMBRIAN'S CAP- ....... TAIN. , Captain Price Vaughan-Lewes, D.5.0., who :. hoists his pennant, on the Cambrian, is one of tho best-known officers in the Royal. Navy, »nd .there is something very appropriate in' a Welshman being appointed to tho command of'the Cambrian. It is a little over .29 years Since ho joined the navy, his rank', of com- ■ mandor came to • him specially for ' his services fin the Cretan troubles, 1898, arid two years ago he was promoted captain. • Whilst lieutenant of tho cruiser Blanche,' then a ship of the East hi dies /squadron, 1893, he .was the horo of one. of tho .finest, exploits recorded in recont years, arid whicli gained for. him his well-earned decoration. News eamo to him that a manager of the East ■ African Company,.named Hamilton,, had been , " brutally murdered ,by tho Somalia,; and that two of his .companions--wore surrounded' : 'up the Juba River,'having taken refuge in a . ■ river steamer. Lieutenant Lewes promptly called for 40 volunteors, and, every man of the cruiser offered. '• With his :40 men lie" :.-• landed near Kismayo, boldly struck into tho country, which was swarming with tho enemy,, defeated them with heavy loss, carried a strong 'fort at • the point of tho bayonet, , burned the Somali stronghold, , and rescued tho two Britishers who wore on' board tho -.-■ K.onia."/'Having'exacted a heavy retribution for the murder of Mr; Hamilton ; he returned to tho coast,, leaving behind him a healthy respect for the handy man. His promptitude salved the,cxponso of . a .largo;:expeditiom ( arid saved British,, prestige,'iii that region!' 'j.Thfe Admiralty' was,- pleased ;) to approve of- his action in the matter, and further marked it by conferring upon him the Companionship of the Distinguished Service Order, in addition to the medal with '"Juba" clasp. OTHEft;ifI?6OTiIBNTO. 1 Tho appointments to the Powerful :ihclude tho, following:—Commander W. M. Ellert'on. (re-appointed), Lieutenants R. A. Rice, D. B. N. -North (re-appointed),'G. D. Fanshaw (reappointed for torpedo duties), C. F., S. Danby, A. E. Evans,-A. C. I'V.v.'ssctt, and F. ; N.iEardley Yv ilmot; Engineer-Commander ,E. Cornish (re-appointment), Engineer-Lieu-, tenants A., W. Coleman (re-appointed), W. J. Johnston, C. G. Broton, and W. W. Lock; Major and Brevet-Lieutenant-Colonel ■F.' G. Kappoy, Royal Marine Artillery; Lieutenant J. H. do M. H/ Knight, Royal-Marine Light Infantry; Rev. F. M'Quade, chaplain and naval instructor; Surgeon C. R. Wdrthington .' (re-appointed), Sub-Lieutenants A.; R. C. , .Chalmers (ro-appointed), and D. M. T. Bedford, and C. Pinsonti supernumeraries (reappointed), Engineer Sub-Lieutenants. P. W. Allen, T. Spalding,'and B. Child; Fleet Surgeon J. T. Hall, Staff Paymaster A. E. B. Jiosken, and Gunner G. W. ''', f Tho following ofiicers havo been posted to ! tho Cambrian:—Lieutenants J. L. Pearson, Kenneth M'Leod, R. T. Down, and A. F. S.. Grant; Rev. E. Sutclifle; . Engineer Lieutenants G- H. Hirtsel (re-appointed) and G.. H. Coekay, D.5.0.; Staff . Surgeon E. T. Eamcs'; Surgeon J. Bourdas; Sub-Lieutenant H. C. Woolcombe-Boyce; Staff Paymaster P. &litchell; and Mr. 1,. M. Robinson, clerk..