NEW ZEALAND NAVAL RECORD

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21367, 11 March 1941, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND NAVAL RECORD

Typical of the war, its tragedies and its triumphs, was the news released yesterday of the defeat in battle of an Italian commerce raider by the New Zealand cruiser Leander and of the sinking of two fine ships well known as traders to New Zealand, the Rotorua and the Waiotira. The losses were due to that most sinister of all forms of warfare—the submarine that creeps under the sea and delivers its deadly shafts at unsuspecting ships. Britain has suffered heavily from the ravages of submarines and must still face a greater menace as the war proceeds. But British seamen are brave and have accepted the danger. They will persist as long as Britain calls for their service.

Surface raiders also have taken a heavy toll of the Empire’s ships especially in waters distant from British naval bases. Therefore the Leander’s work in hunting down and destroying the fast Italian raider Ramb I. is applauded all over the Empire. It is possible that this is one of the raiders which operated from Mogadiscio, in Italian Somaliland, which recently was captured by British land forces operating in conjunction with the Navy. At least there is evidence that raiders called at Mogadiscio, because prisoners from captured ships were found there when the British forces entered the town. No more can Mogadiscio be used as a base for operations against the British Mercantile Marine.

New Zealand’s two cruisers have earned for themselves a name that will last in the annals of the British Navy. The Achilles was made famous by her participation in the Battle of the River Plate The Leander has added another notable exploit to her battle honours and when the full story is told it will probably be found that the story already told is only a minor part of that which is known to the ships’ companies. There are no two cruisers in the British Navy with finer records, and New Zealand has reason for gratification and pride that the two ships which have fought so well are manned largely bv New Zealanders. y y