Successful Cruise

NZ Frigates Conclude Successful Cruise

THE four New Zealand Navy frigates which spent ten weeks cruising in the Pacific returned to Auckland in early August having performed a mixed bag of duties and shown the flag from Sunday Island to Tahiti.

Taupo spent most of her time in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands. A meteorolo gical officer checked up on weather stations in the group and a considerable time was soent in surveying the Tarawa Atoll.

Hawea visited Tahiti, Cook Islands, Niue, Suva, Western Samoa, Tokelaus and Raoul (Sunday) Island. Her duties in cluded blasting with depth charges a main shipping channel about five miles from Apia, Western Samoa, where coral growth had made it unsafe for shipping; and visiting Savaii Island, Western Samoa, which had not seen a British war ship for over 20 years.

Pukaki travelled extensively among the Fiji and Tongan Groups. Kaniere visited the remote Northern Cooks, Phoenix Islands, Christmas, Fanning, Canton, Syd ney, Hull and Gardner. One of their duties was to reaffirm British sovereignty over Flint and, at Christmas Island, two officers acted as assessors when a native was tried for manslaughter.

All four ships checked radio and meteorological stations, gave medical aid when necessary, landed stores, presented gifts of tobacco, flour, tinned meat, sweets, etc. All personnel of all ships were entertained lavishly by the native inhabitants of the islands, were feasted, admired, and showered with gifts of native handicrafts.

The captain of the Kaniere calculated that he made 31 speeches in response to ceremonial welcomes which invariably marked the ship’s arrival at island anchorages.