AUXILIARY CRUISER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24418, 2 October 1940, Page 6

AUXILIARY CRUISER

A CONVERTED MERCHANTMAN FULL-POWER TRIAL ! READY TO DEAL WITH ' RAIDERS (Per United Press Association). - ■ . .. >■ AUi&oUrto; qdt. i. New'Zealand’s fil’sT'a'U’kffidty'Cruiser did a full-power trial in Hauraki Gulf on Monday. She is fit to take her place with those of many other,freshly guised merchantmen which, since the first watches of the war. have been playing an invaluable and heroic part in cementing Britain’s blockade of the Axis Powers and in holding the seas against furtive enemy raiders. f*» The task of the new armed merchant cruiser is not that of a raider. She-is openly and proudly a warship. The white ensvn flies where the “red duster" used to stream before the wind, guns point where the passengers used’ to walk, and the uniformed officers and men plainly indicate her purpose. She is of that intermediate class, of merchantman —neither too large nor too small—-which, for various reasons, among which,are her speed, her seakeeping qualities, and her ability to stay on patrol for long periods at a time without refuelling, refitting or reprovisioning. makes her suitable for working in a combination of natural circumstances-where it would not always be desirable to use battleships or cruisers / - “ Efficient Fighting Unit Another value which she possesses i* that she can be used for releasing these types of ships from patrol work for other duties. She is not intended to stand in battle against anything upward of a light cruiser, although there is no doubt that like the Rawalpindi she would do so. but New Zealand may be confident that she is: equipped to deal with any raider that began life as a merchantman. Details may not be given of-her speed and .armament., but the care which has been lavished on each has hot had the purpose of enabling her-to do her fighting running away.... Like all ships ,of the Royal Navy and unlike vessels of the Nazi Navy, she has no big'guns specially mounted to fight aft.,, . Although it may be thought in some quarters that this ship has been a long time in the making, she is to all, appearances a heartening job of work Those who planned and supervised her reconstruction may justly be proud of the result, apd it is a pity that wartime makes it impossible for the country which is giving her to the navy .to see how fit she is to stand alongside any auxiliary cruisers that have been converted in other parts of the world. Such conversion cannot be the quick job that many mightr expecc. For .instance in the usual naval manner she has been completely fitted with traps, combings and doors dividing her into a large number ,Of watertight compartments. Again,- : the extra space in her double : bottoms formerly used for cargo stowage has. been-fitted-, with thousands of empty; oil drums .shored up and sealed so that even more ■Watertight divisions haye been created,. The completion of this system alone has beep a long job; entailing among other tasks the removal of the bulkheads in much of the' accommodation that M usual to a merchant ship. ’ v Manned by Naval Officers .. . ’ Indeed, part from the innumerable installations that haye been necessary to convert a one-time peaceful Pacific and Tasman trader into a fighting machine, the ship has been so changed inside that her former „ passengers would find difficulty in recognising her. In- most places she has -been stripped right down, her former comforts and luxuries giving way to stark naval utility. , The -only, public room which’; Seeing• .its", identify is the music room, now the wardroom, and even that has lost its ceiling. The cruiser did-a'two hours’ fullpower trial on Monday, with water screaming, fast ..along- her .flanks. The captain, first ’• lieutenant and some of the key men of both the quarter deck and the lower deck are long-service Royal Navy men. Many of the others are from the merchant navy, and others from the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. The others ...are ex-naval men from the Royal; Fleet Reserve, and,, with those of them who have, riot seriied; before, in' a warship it is surprising ; how the’-New Zealanders, suddenly. taken from -civilian life, can quickly adapt themselves to the demands of the navy. For most of the day the ship, and'her men tried themselves out. Like all. new ships, she must have her “ teething troubles," but, like’ all naval ships; she will quickly get ever them.; Sheris .a ship upon which a thorough job. of work has been done, and her officers and men all’show that they have the will and the way to make the most of hen' When it is time for them to hand her back to the work from which she came they will be sorry to see her SO, ” ‘ 1.;