BACK FROM REFIT

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 114, 4 August 1927, Page 11

BACK FROM REFIT

H.M.S. DUNEDIN RETURNS NEW ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNS Two months of thorough overhauling at Chatham has made little difference to the outward appearance to H.M.S. Dunedin, which returned to Auckland yesterday. The only important change is that she now has three 4-inch anti-aircraft guns, instead of the two 3-inch which were previously part of her armament. The new guns have longer range and greater hitting power. She did not waste much time on the trip out, the voyage taking 55 days. About 14 or 15 knots was logged most of the way, this being the most economical speed, though the ship could race at 29 knots if there was necessity. Before leaving Chatham Captain J. S. M. Ritchie and his officers held an “At Home” and 100 New Zealanders came down from London for the event. At a luncheon on board the guests included Vice-Admiral E. S. AlexanderSinclair, Commander-in-Chief of the Port of Chatham, Rear-Admiral A. F. Beal, formerly in command of the New Zealand Squadron, and Sir James Parr, High Commissioner for the Dominion.

About one-third of the crew is new. seven officers and 140 ratings having joined in England. Twenty New Zealand ratings were left behind for instruction and six who had completed training were brought back. The officers who joined in England are: Commander H. L. Morgan, D. 5.0., Surgeon-Commander S. Bradbury, Lieut.-Commander E. H. Longsdon, Captain E. Bowring, Royal Marines, Lieut. C. S. Britton, Paymaster Lieut. W. G. Hewson, Mr. T. Cavan, commissioned gunner, Mr. A. A. Hodges, schoolmaster. PaymasterLieut. E. F. B. George will join H.M.S. Diomede.

The following officers returned to New Zealand: Lieut.-Commander H. A. Rowley, Lieut.-Comamnder R. A. Macdonald, Engineer-Commander F. W. G. Smith, Paymaster Lieut.-Com-mander W M. Hawkes, Lieut. R. Hunter-Blair, D.S.C., Lieut. C. R. E. de Jersey, Lieut. E. W. Reep, Lieut. O. J. Gerard, Mr. W. R. Boiston, D.S.M., commissioned engineer, Mr. W. G. Richards, warrant shipwright, Mr. A. L. Hobden, warrant engineer, Mr. R. H. Shipcott and Mr. W. A. R. Imrie, gunners.