TRIBUTE TO COMMANDER OF H.M.S. ACHILLES

New Zealand Listener, Volume 2, Issue 37, 8 March 1940, Page 3

TRIBUTE TO COMMANDER OF H.M.S. ACHILLES

OT men of H.M.S. Achilles worship. Captain Parry; worship seems to be the only word to express their admiration for him," said the Minister of Defence, the Hon. -F. Jones, after his return from Auckland. "During the official] luncheon one of the petty officers borrowed a microphone from the official table and expressed the thanks of the ratings to Captain Parry for what he had done for his men. It was a spontaneous and sincere tribute to him and to his officers." Mr. Jones went to Auckland by air from Dunedin to attend the reception and welcome to H.M.S. Achilles. It was a grand and glorious home-coming from 100,000 people toa ship. which won New Zealand’s first naval battle honour. Since leaving New Zealand, Achilles has steamed 52,323 miles during her 168 days at sea. "T think it was the greatest and finest public demonstration I have ever seen in my life," the Minister said. "The people really let themselves go in their enthusiasm. Those thousands of people lining the streets and clinging to every vantage point, the showers of confetti and streamers, the banners of welcome and the cheering showed how pleased the people were to have the men of Achilles home again, It was an inspiring occasion." Excellent Organisation Mr. Jones was enthusiastic about the arrangements which had been made for the welcome. The function outside the Auckland Town Hall, he said, was well arranged and the luncheon itself was particularly well managed. This was all the more remarkable because the whole of the preparations had been made in a week. "Tt was an excellent idea," continued Mr. Jones, " that Ministers of the Crown, the Mayors and Councillors, members of public bodies, and officers and men of the Achilles should all have lunch together. I think everyone enjoyed the opportunity of meeting together in one building. "The work of organisation, which was so well done, reflected great credit on everyone concerned. Nothing had been left undone by the Mayor and Councillors of Auckland, the members of the Auckland Harbour Board, and all those people who looked after the men. What pleased me very much was the provision which had been made for relatives to meet the men on the wharf as soon as they arrived, and for these same relatives to have space reserved for them at the Town Hall welcome. This all showed great thoughtfulness on the part of those concerned with the organisation for the welcome and reception,

Soldiers and Sailors "Tt was very pleasing to me, not only to meet Captain Parry, his officers and men on H.M.S. Achilles, but also to see the men of the Royal New Zealand Air Force and the men of the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force on parade, They are a splendid body of men. It was encouraging to hear, on all sides, complimentary remarks from people on the marching and appearance of the men. They made a marked impression by their behaviour." Minister Inspects Ship During his short stay in Auckland, Mr. Jones paid a visit to H.M.S. Achilles and inspected the ship. He was able to see personally. the damage caused by enemy shrapnel during the engagement, On the framework of the bridge, where Captain Parry and some of his officers were standing during the battle, there is a hole through which the Minister was able to put his hand. More shrapnel cut through the canteen, destroying several tins of fruit. These tins are being kept as souvenirs of the event. It is hoped that the Achilles will visit Wellington, but this will not be decided until the ship has been refitted, and then only if circumstances are favourable. Letter From an Officer Some time before the ship arrived in Auckland, Mr. Jones received a letter from a naval officer who played a prominent part in the Battle of the Plate and was formerly stationed in New Zealand. Here are some extracts from his letter, which pays a sincere and glowing tribute to Achilles and the New Zealanders: "It is a great feather in New Zealand’s cap that Achilles played such a distinguished role in the Battle of the Plate, and you may imagine what joy it gave me to realise that the Dominion has won her first purely naval battle honour under such glorious circumstances and with the minimum loss of life. Rear Admiral Sir Henry Harwood won a notable victory with your aid, and deserves well of the Empire in that he made such delicate use of every resource at his disposal. The victory was gained without major disaster in respect of either personnel or material-an epic of naval annals for the whole world to see and mark well. "The Graf Spee was the most finished product of German naval imagination. More money was spent on her to the square inch than on any other fighting vessel afloat. For her restricted size she combined a greater Bs and a more powerful armament than any rival. Nazis on the Defensive "There was no little boldness on the part of the Ajax in challenging with her six-inch guns an enemy that could deliver a broadside of several times their weight, But Rear-Admiral Harwood

joined issue instantaneously, at the same time calling up the sister ship Achilles and the rather more powerful Exeter. Their combined fire was still less than two-thirds of that of the Graf Speewhich, if German gunnery maintained its standards of the last war, ought to have been able to sink all three assailants through her superiority of range and power. "But the bigger vessel seems to have been from the first on the defensive, delivering her counter attacks with a constant eye to the possibility of escape. The trio of British cruisers were nimble, cleverly handled and pertinacious. Their very audacity may have unbalanced the nerve of their opponent. Defying all disparities, they got near enough to make their fire effective and adroitly embarrassed his retorts by the use of smoke-screens, "The whole story endorses once again the superiority of the moral to the material. By all the abstract rules of war the pocket-battleship ought to have made the attackers pay a fatal price for their’ temerity, and continued her destructive career uninjured. "The inheritance of naval greatness is not ours alone in these islands. The Achilles, which had so vital a share in last. week’s- victory, is a New Zealand ship, with New Zealanders for two-thirds of her crew. We can imagine the satisfied pride with which the splendid story has been received in that Dominion. It only corroborates other evidence of the brilliant fighting qualities engendered in the outer Empire and manifested especially in the aerial engagements this autumn. It will never be forgotten what we owed to ‘Anzac’ a quarter of a century ago. Our. debt. will not be the less when this war has been reg a to a_ conclusion." Bee cakes