STEAMER'S WAR SERVICE

Taihape Daily Times, 2 May 1919, Page 2

STEAMER'S WAR SERVICE

EUUAPES JvKOM SUBMARINES 01-’ MEWTERK AXL W. . WIiI.UIXGTON. Aprin j Til!- berthed in. Wellington this | running :i steamer which has played | a. conspicuous part in the war tor 1"" years—t)i e Union Company’s Waimar- [-!(>:■ jirst trip in the service of the Home authorities was from Pan 1 :a'ieisco tc vhe United Kingdom with a mod of (lour. Captain P. d. Poster ll'ui had chr.irge, but on arrival in 'England Captain J. Thompson, fresh from the !o"pedoing of the Waihemc, ;oe.h charge and has retained comiiiand ever since. From the United K iagdom the Vfoimarim Iris carried fre ghl of all kinds to every pari et I the Mediterranean. The chief officer ; said this y.one was a favourite hunt- ; inf ground of the German, and nr it> | line ships l:-r.«l been sent to the hot- j torn. _ 1 ••The Germans," he said, -‘navel done some bastardly things, but we | liilist give them credit for their organ- j ■ sing ability. Their system of a seer- j Mining the position of ships and con- ■ voys was ( wonderful. ” It was not to be imagined, however, that the Allied work was not as well, if not more, efficiently carried out. Explaining the svs tern adopted, the officer said that masters and officers of various steamers which were to make up a convoy were summoned to a conference, and there the part each man was expected fe play was fully explained. • ‘You must remember. the naval officer in charge would candidly say. | "that you litre working in a /one] which is GO per Cent, more dangerous 'than European waters rml if it should happen that you should get‘ pipped, | for God’s sake keep together. Our main business is to settle with Ihe German gentlemen. ’ ’ Lighting regulations were of course absolutely strict, the chief officer continued. Pointing to a door, he showed u cont rivance for the pm pose of switching out the Pghts as soon w die door was opened. Should a light he noticed anywhere on a ship a rifle a ,to fired off immediately with little regard for persons. -Striking a match on deck at night was a grievous crime, punished by a heavy fine. The officer 1 pi id a high tribute to the men on tire trawlers, and admitted that had it not 1 been for them they would have been

blown to atoms '.'.n many occasions. Tin- Waimarino had many times been attacked by submarines, but by a stroke of fortune was never damaged. The Waimarino is the only vessel of the six “W Ships” to return to Now Zealand to relate her adventures. The Waikawa, Waihemo, and Waitemata were all torpdoed in the war zone. The Wairuna was captured by the raider Wolf, and tiro Waitoha was burnt at sea. The Waiuiarino has officially been loaned to the Union Companv for one trip, but it is understood she will not see further service with the Imperial Government.