PROPELLORS FOULED

Hokitika Guardian, 22 September 1932, Page 8

PROPELLORS FOULED

1 PRACTICE INCIDENT. ‘/ AUCKLAND, September 20. As a, result 1 -of' choppy seas and the : aewnewhat unwieldy nature of the large battle-prat bice ' target;, considerate diitibiilty- was experienced by the * cruiaeli’S: Diomede and Dunedin, wihih carrying 'odt gunneiy -exercises**, ard manoeuvres'-in' the Hatrrafei-'Gulf. Tin-, first two days ! ?f the /practice‘-crirYr provided unexpected excitement When the' towing wire' of the- target fowled the, Duniedrn’s propa’-lors, divers having ’ to be "Sent overboard- to free the lines. ' ' " u ,

divers worked all one afternoonhut at dusk the propellers were sti” folded, and' operations .were suspended At dhwn next- morning the divers ■ re* sumed~Hjheif- task, and, after*' four hours* work I ', 'the line was cleared.

TARGET AGAIN BREAKS AWAY. ■ The flagship Diomede then took tin target iii tow; and during the morning the Dunedin carried out firing’practice. However, owing to the rough weather the tljrget broke away agai"at'''about 1;30 p.m., and it was only owing to excellent seamanship that i 4 was recovered' - without 'boats being .lowered. The', target was taken ir fcow by the Admiralty trawler Wdkn Icura, which, was in the gulf cm r training cruise with a section from the Auckland Division of the Royal -Naval Voihihteer Reserve. There was hv Brilliant display in the gulf (one night- as both cruisers fined 1 j star ' shells 1 and-. pierced the .darkneßt' of - ‘the n ibht - with ,the powerful beams ofr'isdarobiights.• Both ships, were dark-' ene'd: and searched for one another ir ttirni' The pniTsuing oruiser would fi.frsfar shells in*: l an effort* to locate bo* enemy, and as soon as-the other ship •was’sighted-she would immediately be flbodcim in 'the ’ glare of secrchlicrhH. . Theh'j in a: f6w* seconds, would follow vtbb 'crashing roar of gunfire. There was ‘ also a torpedo attack by the cruisers on the Wakakura, while one of the most: spectsjculai* exercises was wheh both the Diomede and the Dunedin fired- broadsides' at 1 a- target* .toweld by the lVp>kakiiirn. Aircraft from the t HobsonviHe '#l*' 1 Base 1 - cot opeirated wathdihe Navy on Friday, and . observers were able to follow the tracks of torpedoes an d' indicate’' thel f frtihl location, i ' . -All three ships will return to port to-morrow: *r- - 1