DESTROYERS ARRIVE

Taranaki Daily News, 30 September 1940, Page 7

DESTROYERS ARRIVE

UNITED STATES SHIPS

Rec. 8.30 p.m. London, Sept. 29. The first flotilla of destroyers acquired from the United States arrived at a British port to the accompaniment of tremendous enthusiasm. The leader will shortly be renamed t.he Churchill. A fly-ing-boat spotted the destroyers in the Atlantic and dived in salute before returning to its base. The ships tied up without ceremony. All are 1200-ton flush-deck class contemporaries of the British V and W classes, mount almost the same armament and have a speed of 35 knots. Most aie fourfunnelled. All are equipped with fourinch guns, 21-inch torpedo tubes and three-inch anti-aircraft guns. All will be renamed after towns beginning with the^ letter C. A large flotilla of this class served in European waters from 1919 to 1924. The ships have a high standard of comfort aboard. Naval ratings were lining the decks as the destroyers came in. They gave high praise to the American crews from whom j they took over. The British crews proceeded to Canada aboard a liner which a j German plane • unsuccessfully attacked I before its departure,. ' The commander of one destroyer said: "The Americans were extraordinarily charming and handed over the ships in spick and span condition. Our rnen quickly settled down to handling the vessels. American skeleton crews accompanied us o'n the trial runs. They vvanted I to go to England and nearly wept when we sailed." | The British crews agreed the ships , were better than British destroyers of the same age. The Atlantic was crossed in six days and all the destroyers had plenty of fuel left. Everyone paid a tribute to the ships' machinery and ; cquipment. They require only the slightest touching up for active service.