U.S.A. FLEET.

Hokitika Guardian, 22 July 1925, Page 3

U.S.A. FLEET.

[Australia & N.Z. Cable Association.]

THE FLEETS JOURNEY

(By Radio, from Special Kepresentative of Australian Press Association aboard the Seattle).

Yesterday afternoon the amateur wireless operator at Caterham, England listened for twenty minutes while Lt. .Sehnell gave him an account of the tleet journey from Honolulu to Australia, and details of the programme of entertainment which the Australians have prepared. Iho amateur's name is T. Marcuse and his cal! 2 N.M. He was sending on forty-live metres, while Sehnell used thirty-nine. Sehnell said Marcuse's signals were .so clear that they could be beard three feet from the car pieces. A radio from the battleship Mississippi says—“ Swinging into crui.-dng' formation ilie battleship divisions lour and live, forming the detachment which visits Sydney, has separated from the other .sliij s of the fleet and are now proceeding northward at a speed of twelve knots, so that the detachment may arrive at Sydney at the same time as the other detachment readies Melbourne.

The California, the Hagsilip of tho Battle Elect, will probably lead llm ships into harbour. Admiral S. S. Robinson commands the Sydney detachment.

Drills. <‘ii route, have brought tin Heel gunnery to a high efficiency. 1 iflicers and men receive their pay in Australian money on the day of arrival."

WIRELESS EXPERIMENTS. WASHINGTON. July 21

Some noteworthy performances in radio communication were achieved in connection with dispatches from the American Fleet, cn route to Australia. ( aptaiu McLean. Director ol Naval Communications, stated that two-way communication had been established between Washington and the cruiser Seattle in the vicinity of Samoa.

The destroyer Pope at Shanghai held reciprocal communications with the fleet.

The Peary, the flagship of the MacMillan Arctic Expedition, nearly in Labrador, heard the fleet on ith July, a.nd n.n amateur at .JoluMinesbtirg. South Africa, received short wave signals from the tied in the vicinity of Hawaii.

fleet off the heads. (Received this day at 10.25 a.in.) SYDNEY, July 22. A wireless from the American Fleet, sixty miles off Gabo Head, states that at six last evening the fleet divided. The .Melbourne division continued south and the Sydney division lurned mirth. Heavy rain fell tlil'ouglimit the day and tho seas were short and elmppy. Admirals Coont.z and Robinson exchanged farewell messages. While the the two divisions will meet again alter the New Zealand visit the Admirals will not see each other till I hey reach I’ago Pago. It was just getting dark when, with flashing searchlights playing a farewell. tho detachments Inst sight ol each other.

Owing to the fact that the battleships are drawing thirty feet, they will probably not enter Melbourne till high water, about noon. Ibe smaller vessels will enter earlier.

PASSING THE FLEET

(Received this day at i 1.25 a.m.l

SYDNEY, July 22

The Moeraki. on route from New Zealand, bail the unique experience of passing through the American Fleet. The msi was like glass and early in the morning the .advanceguard of the licet was sighted, and gradually all the slii fxs of war came into view. As soon as the Meet was observed, the Captain of the .Moeraki ordered all passengers to he aroused, and the decks were soon lined with an admiring throng. Gradually the paths of the licet and Moo-i.-iki converged and the Captain ol the Union C'ioiii paiiv’s vessel altered his course s:» as not to break the lormat jmi. The Moeraki passed between a battleship •and flagship Seattle. She was steaming between 12 and l.'t knots an knur and the licet was doing a little less. It seemed hardly to move. Shortly the fleet was riding the horizon, and then the vessels disappeared oiio by one. If was a memorable sight that will never lie forgotten by the passengers.