PACIFIC DEFENCE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 November 1938, Page 5

PACIFIC DEFENCE

BATTLESHIP SQUADRON NEEDED VISITING BRITISH ADMIRAL’S VIEW. ' i SAFEGUARDS AGAINST INVASION. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND. November 21. The formation of an Empire Naval Squadron for the defence of Australia and New Zealand, preferably including three or four capital ships and consisting largely of cruisers, was advocated by Rear-Admiral W. B. Mackenzie, R.N., retired, who arrived by the Awntea from Sydney on a holiday visit to New Zealand. Admiral Mackenzie, who was accompanied by Mrs Mackenzie, has come to New Zealand to visit his son, Lieutenant Mackenzie, of H.M.S. Leander, and also for big-game and trout fishing. The essence of the defence of a remote island country like New Zealand was in intercepting any hostile ships and dealing with them before they reached the coast rather than in allowing them to land and then engaging in battle, Admiral Mackenzie said. The days when the whole British battle fleet could be sent out to deal with any disturbance were now past and adequate local defence had become an essential. “Two or three capital ships out here, maintained by the Empire, would be the turning point I think for peace,’’ he said. With such a force at its disposal, New Zealand, or the Dominion jointly with Australia, could have the assurance that any hostile power bent on capturing the two countries would have the greatest difficulty in getting its troopships over long ocean stretches. The mere existence’ of such naval strength would be a powerful deterrent and an enemy commander would think deeply before risking his troopships in such circumstances. CO-OPERATION URGED. Close co-operation between Australia, New Zealand, Malaya and Great Britain in naval defence might tend toward the establishment of such a unit as he envisaged, Admiral Mackenzie continued. The naval strength based on Singapore and the China Squadron were not being overlooked, but he thought that greater naval strength in the Southern Pacific would be a valuable asset. Small and fast torpedo-boats, which were comparatively cheap, would scarcely serve for the Dominion’s defence, as to be really valuable they should be capable of operation over great distances. Such small ships were of major importance in the Mediterranean, but for the South Pacific he considered that cruisers were the best type. Though firmly convinced of the value of naval defence, Admiral Mackenzie, whose last command before his retirement was the aircraft-carrier Hermes, was enthusiastic about the value of aircraft. He considered, however, that the navy should be the first line of defence for New Zealand and Australia, with aircraft in a complementary position. “No warship can do without aircraft,” he said. “It is like losing your sight to be without them. However, you want a sea-going base so that aircraft can return to the mother ship,” Naval training for pilots of aircraft operating with the navy was in his opinion essential. Ability to distinguish ships from the air and to learn what the movement of the ships foretold took years of training to master, and it was just being realised in England that two years was too short. Pilots with two years’ training were just beginning to be really useful when they finished. Before his retirement about two years ago, Admiral • Mackenzie was Director of Torpedoes and Mines at the Admiralty. He said that he intended to remain in New Zealand for about three months, and he was anxious to see as much of the country as possible, as well as to experience some of the fishing of which he.had heard enthusiastic reports.