“THE SILENT NAVY"

Hokitika Guardian, 20 May 1924, Page 3

“THE SILENT NAVY"

UNIQUE SPECTACLE OF THE DEPARTURE. AUCKLAND, May IS The early watchers who ventured out before it was light this morning witnessed the unique speetaele—to New Zealand at any rate—of a battle squadron putting to sea before dawn. The scene was one of magnificence and mystery. The lirst tinges of tlie approaching dawn were only beginning to splash the eastern horizon when the Delhi left her berth at the Prime’s wharf and glided stealthily out of the harbour followed immediately by the Danae, Damn less and Dragon. It was exactly one lunir before sunrise, and hm for a faint glow in the eastern sky everything seemed wrapt in darkness and sleep. Peering into lhe giey void enthralled by the silence of the scene, the watcher beheld lour squat, black shapes gliding softly and smoothly down the harbour, their heavy superstructures picked out in a scintillating mass of yellow lights. Before rounding North Head. tlie four leading vessels were followed by tlie Reoulse her long low hull conveying tlie impression of uncanny speed in the si'iiii-blneknesN. Finally as tlie streaks of gold and silver in the east expanded lhe great Hood turned slowly from law berth at the Prince's wharf, and her tremendous length seeming in fill the very harbour itself, glltliered speed as she followed majestically in tic wake of th" others.

The entire departure of the six warships was effeeted in half an hour friim 5.15 a.m.. when the Delhi left, to 3.2 D a.m.. when the Hood brought up til' rear.

A THRILLING SCl'N'lv ~nd never expected to witness such a thrilling departure. The sqiiadion arrived amid the shrieking nf sirens and the hurry and scurfy of hundreds of pleasure eralt. It left silently—it seemed st"althily—before people were awake. An at mosphere of mvsterv pervaded the roene as the sixships slipiieil cut, as it were under cover of darkness. If it bad been a • old grev morn in the North Sea, iT the \Ynitemntn had been a sheltered arm of the coast ol Scotland and the year had been 191 I instead of 192-1, the scene could not have conveyed a more i'cip'essive picture of mystery and

dread. Tli" great ships weighed an "her and moved out one after the other with scarcely a sound to betray their deoarinre. All. was silent a- the grave. Truly this was a unit of the silent navy. Only in one respect did the spectacle differ greatly from a wartime scene at •i British maritime port, and that was in the illumination of the ships. The four cruisers annealed as lighted beacons as ib"v followed curb other ill line round tile point, the brilliant light in each lighting too giving the appearance of tbe flashing light of a beacon summit.

So the darkness gave place to the "reyness of early morn, until as the Hood gathered speed and glided down lhe lpirlenir the horizon was glowing with colour. Soon the ginat battleship and Tier cqisorts wore Inn shadows in the dis-i-.qi .. and tlieq- gallant’ companies hut • r nl*,*.; iii a tender ball of memories. The King’s slops were again at sea!