R.N.Z.N. DOCKYARD

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 5 January 1945, Page 2

R.N.Z.N. DOCKYARD

EXPANSION AT DEVONPORT

OVER £1,000,000 SPENT ON IMPROVEMENTS Auckland, Jan. 3. For the first time in more than five years it has become possible to discuss the extraordinary development of the Royal New Zealand Navy’s dockyard at Devonport. Hitherto, considerations of security have shrouded this tremendous programme in secrecy and, though most Aucklanders are aware that there has been much activity at the base for a long time, few have had the precise means of discovering the extent of the expansion, or to realise that what has been and is still being done at the base constitutes one of the major works of New Zealand’s war effort.

The base is in two parts. There is the depot and training ship called H.M.N.Z.S. Philomel, after the old cruiser, now barely recognisable as a ship, which has for so long presided over this section; and there is the dockyard, which includes not only the dock, but also a staggeringly wide range of related features, wharves, workshops and stores. Apart from the development of the depot, which now includes large barracks, messes, administrative buildings and sick-quai ters, the magnitude of the work undertaken is such that another six to 12 months will probably be taken for the completion of that which is already being done. Five years’ growth can scarcely be outlined in a few sentences, and ccr- ; tainly cannot be detailed, but here is a list of some of the works either ' finished since 1939 or at present in I hand:—A second lengthening, by . 40ft., of Calliope Dock; an extension or 500 ft. to Calliope Wharf, the main ■ berthing space at the base, now about 17001't. in length; the reclama--1 tion of a substantial part of Sanley Bay, and also of a large portion of Ngataringa Bay; the construction of . such new buildings as an electrical ; shop, sail loft, boiler shop, very t large stores, boatshed and workshop. , boat harbour, four tunnels for the ] underground storage of fuel-oil, one , traffic tunnel right through from the , base to Ngataringa Bay and to the new stores and victualling section j there and several smaller tunnels \ designed as air-raid shelters for . base personnel. FUTURE OF THE DOCKYARD Obviously the dockyard facilities . are now greater than would be needed by a Royal New Zealand Navy of ) 1939 size on a peacetime footing. r Obviously too their post-war maintenance in their present proportions would cost far more than the country spent on its Navy six years ago. Further if by chance the post-war Pacific naval programme demands more than the maintenance of the present Devonport establishment the [ base site can only be extended phy- ’ sically by reclaiming more land from 1 the sea cliffs and thereby possibly encroaching on civilian property and services. In such a re--1 stricted area it has been a miracle that the dockyard has been expanded so greatly in the last five years with so little interference to neighbour- ' ing civilian property. : The secret of this lies largely In - the transfer of the stores and vic- ■ tualling branch not yet completed from the main dockyard area through the large tunnel to Ngata- ’ ringa Bay. By taking this step, the ' Navy has enlarged the space available- for those other functions of fhe dockyard immediately concern- ’ ed tecffaiicai maSmenahcfc of [ theaggg whibH' ngc-it. '- TimGterk S - eentred upon the dock, which iri turn offers another inescapable fact for the visitor who speculates on the future use of the base. Though It has been twice lengthened within recent years, once just before the war and the other time since then, the .dock cannot accept ships of greater beam than light cruisers, and even then the docking of such ships as the Gambia is a ticklish business calling for the utmost precision on the part of ship and dockyard personnel. Unless Australian docks are used, the Devonport dock thus becomes a limiting factor in any consideration given to the ships which should compose the post-war Royal New Zealand Navy. If it is desirable to use New Zealand as a base for warships of greeter size than light cruisers, then the Devonport dock will not be large enough for their refits. It is apparently not practicable to widen it, and therefore any increase in the size of the ships which the future may bring to New Zealand must sooner or later be accompanied by the provision of a larger dock. EXPENDITURE SINCE WAR BEGAN However, within its scope the present dock has been of gi'eat value to the Royal New Zealand Navy, the United States Navy, and the merchant navies of several countries It is not possible to detail the work which has been done—almost invariably under thq special pressures imposed by war and shipping shortages but enough evidence is available to show that the tasks bestowed on the dockyard have been performed with complete skill and creditable rapidity. To achieve this result the dockyard must clearly have at its disposal men trained to perfection and the. machines and other equipment which they need lor their work. Rather more than £1,000,000 has been spent on the dockyard since the war began, and of this total very considerable sums have gone toward the purchase of thoroughly modern equipment for the various constructive, engineering and electncal sections of the yard, upon Whom falls the responsibility for the repair and technical refit of all ships For everything which the dockyard needs for shipyard work, and equally for everything which ships need at sea, whether it be a large item of equipment or a bag of potatoes, the Navy calls upon its stores and victualling branch. It is this branch which is now expanding to veiy large stores built and being built on reclaimed land at Ngataringa Bay. Hours can be spent going through these stores and examining the incredible multitude of items which tpey contain, but perhaps the best means of conveying an impression of S? ® xtci ? t . ° f the stores and of the " g 'T hl u h , a warshi P and its officer and ships company might need and th u dock y ai 'd:s stores and victualling branch has a card listed in'ff 00 diffei ' ent all *' 14 IS not su BS es ted that all these arp at the base, but many thousands of them are. ■