WAR AT SEA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 December 1939, Page 5

WAR AT SEA

(Continued from page 7.) MINE-SWEEPING SERVICE. In addition to the ships mentioned, New Zealand also possessed one trawler, the Wakakura, which was normally used principally for the duty of training the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. This little ship was fitted as a minesweeper, but of course one mine-sweeper was quite inadequate by herself, so the New Zealand Government had taken up three of the trawlers which fish from Auckland, the James Cosgrove, Humphrey and Thomas Currell, and they had been reconditioned and fitted up as minesweepers and were now in commission, and after a period of training had taken up their duty of searching the approaches to our ports for mines which might have been laid, or might be laid, by the enemy. Other trawlers were also being fitted to act as minesweepers should the need arise for this branch of naval activity to be reinforced. “A further and most valuable reinforcement to New Zealand’s naval forces is under way in the shape of three small training vessels, not unlike trawlers, which are being specially built in Scotland and will be armed with a 4-in gun and smaller weapons and equipped foi- minesweeping and anti-submarine work,” said Mr Jones. "These three ships, which will be called the Moa, the Kiwi and the Tui. will, it is hoped, be ready for service in about 18 months’ time, and will prove a most valuable, efficient and up-to-date unit."

NEW ZEALAND OFFICERS & MEN. The Minister said that in this early stage of the development of our Naval Forces there were of course few New Zealand-born officers serving in our ships, but as time went on the proportion of New Zealand to Imperial officers and men would steadily increase In the meantime, on account of the war. the complements of the seagoing ships had been brought up to war strength by the mobilisation of officers and men of the New Zealand Royal Naval Reserve and Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, and officers and men of these reserve forces were also serving in the minesweepers alongside personnel who had volunteered from the mercantile marine. There would be in the New Zealand Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve a considerable number of officers and men who would not be needed for the manning ’of our own ships and the Government had recently informed the Government in the United Kingdom that they would be placed at the disposal of the Admiralty for service in the Royal Navy wherever they might be required. The training of the officers and men who had not yet been mobilised for actual service was being continued to the greatest possible extent.

EXAMINATION SERVICE. As soon as war seemed to be imminent, and actually before the outbreak of hostilities, the Navy established signal stations, an examination service and a naval control service at the three defended ports, Wellington, Auckland and Lyttelton. The signal stations were manned by signalmen of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, and these men had done and were doing very good work which at the beginning was under conditions of considerable hardship, because the signal stations were in very exposed positions and in many cases the men were accommodated only in tents. Now, however. buildings had been erected or were in course of construction in which they would be able to live in comfortable conditions.

It was the duty of the examination service in co-operation with the military defences to ensure that no enemy vessel could possibly enter harbour. This service, which was often very arduous and continues day and night, was maintained partly by men of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and partly by harbour board pilots, and the ships engaged in the work were manned by the mercantile marine. The function of the naval control service was to ensure that merchant ships should so far as possible, proceed upon their lawful occasions in safety for which purpose each ship was given a special secret route to follow. By this means the shipping was kept away from the main trade routes and spread over tne sea in such a manner that the bag of a raider would be reduced to the smallest possible proportions. Most of this work was being performed by personnel of the New Zealand Naval Reserve.

Though not a naval service, the Minister said he would like to pay a tribute also to the work of the men who manned the coast watching stations, more than 40 of which were established at the beginning of the war around the coasts. These men, many of whom were returned soldiers, were keeping their lonely vigil day and night in isolated and windswept spots. ARMING OF MERCHANT SHIPS. “Another very important item in the naval defence of the Empire and the protection of merchant shipping is the arming of merchant ships so that they can act in their own defence when attacked by the enemy on the high seas.’’ said Mr Jones. “The Naval Base at Auckland has up to date equipped no fewer than 20 ships with guns of 4inch or higher calibre, and each of these ships has sailed from Auckland with a gun's crew, the nucleus of whic his formed by three of the young men of the New Zealand Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. “These ships arc now continuing to trade in distant parts of the world, from which you will realise how farflung is the contribution which the men of this Dominion are making in the common cause. This work of arming merchant ships and manning their guns is continuing steadily. It will be remembered that the Doric Star was I recently attacked by an enemy raider I and her fate is not. yet known; this was I one of the ships provided with a gun and a gun’s crew in Nev/ Zealand, so

this means that these three men were the first members of the New Zealand Naval Forces to be in action with the enemy. “All the work of fitting out and equipping ships has thrown tremendous strain upon the workmen employed at the base at Devonport and at the naval armament depot at Kauri Point. They have had to put in long hours and the work has proceeded smoothly and without a hitch. ‘Side by side with the devoted service being given by the naval officers and men. mention should also be made of the members of the Public Service in Wellington and Auckland who for some time before the outbreak of war and ever since have been working long hours under conditions of great strain. Their work is less spectacular than that of the seagoing ships, but is none the less vital to the prosecution of the war.”