Weighed anchor February and Diomede sped through Perim Straits and steamed slowly through Suez Canal to enter Alexandria. In an angry Mediterranean the storm bows sliced oncoming rollers to throw them high over No 2 gun deck and lash the bridge until Malta's brown rock cliffs appeared and Diomede slewed through the moles. Dockies came aboard to repair a sea-boat that had been stoved in and other minor structure damage and within the week continued westward for the northern pillar of Hercules, once called Mons Calpe, now Gibraltar. On through a mild bay of Biscay, calm English Channel and intor Sheerness to secure astern a modern cruiser, HMS Achilles.
Diomede was paid off on 31 March 1936, leave expired, returned to Diomede to be told she was paying off and Achilles had been offered as her replacement. On March 31 humped gear down the old ship's gangway along the wharf and up Achilles for'ard gangway to new messdecks. It was unforgettable, no longer stooped under low deckheads, stood straight and looked up at a wealth of overhead space. Individual lockers took all the kit with room for more, mess tables spread expansively, clean and new.
The Admirality handed Achilles over to New Zealand's Navy Board, commissioned on 24 March 1936 under Captain IG Glennie she had 60% New Zealanders and 40% Imperials and no cats, they were still aboard Diomede. Minnie soon settled down but Slim refused to stay on Achilles and froze to death back on board Diomede.
April 20 sailed in sleet to Portsmouth to pick up the Walrus with the new marine band doing its best to play 'traditional' harbour leaving maritime music. Entered Portsmouth for leave and go aboard Nelson's old Victory.
Orders to join the 2nd Cruiser Squadron in the Mediterranean sailed for Gibraltar with Walrus in its cradle. The sixth day run south Captain Glennie put all departments through the hoops. Action stations at unexpected times when the whole ship's company dropped whatever it was doing and sped to allocated positions for action.
Down below in the engine department stokers learnt new routines with Thomas Barrymore Paton being promoted from Stoker 2nd Class to Stoker First Class.
The power unit consisted of two engine-rooms with turbines driving four propeller and three boiler rooms A,B,C each containing two Yarrow superheated water tube boilers capable of developing steam from 12,000 hp per boiler. Dry steam drove the highly sensitive turbine blades. If the distilled feed-water provided by banks of evaporisers rose too high in the boilers 'priming' occurred and moisture in the steam would wreck the turbines by stripping the blades. The superheated steam being dry and operating at 400lbs/sq" pressure posed a threat when leaks developed, it couldn't be seen and would strip skin and flesh instantly. Artificers in suspect areas held out a stick with a rag attached before going closer.
When extra power was demanded, boiler-rooms were terribly unnerving places, with incessant roaring of forced draught fans which raised the atmosphere pressure up to 8" above normal, the continual bellowing of 12 hugh sprayers per boiler and the scream of the turbo feed pump. Speech was impossible, telephones indicated by flashing lights, large foam-rubber cups on earpieces made listening practical but very difficult and added to this was the intense heat, scorching hot furnace fronts on which stokers manipulated air-flaps when flashing up a sprayer or turning one off and as leather or other heat resistant gloves weren't issued there were many burned and blistered hands.
Much concentration had to be observed by the Chief Stoker responsible for maintaining 400lb/sq" boiler pressure increasing or decreasing fans for air pressure - too little, black smoke; white smoke and inefficient oil burning either way. Oil fuel pressures and temperatures were rigidly watched on gauges and adjustments made to suit the flashpoints of the various oils taken in when refuelling. Each intake from oil tankers or oiling port had to be tested to determine the flashpoint as this varied greatly in different parts of the world.
At times when high power might be required from the boiler rooms the PO Water tender's responsibility lay in keeping a correct water level on the sensitive boilers. He seldom took his eye off the water level glass, it taking only 20 seconds for a boiler to collapse if water disappeared from these observation glasses. A happy Chief Stoker knew he had a watch of experienced stokers down below in time of emergency as they were unable to hear a word so the slightest flick of a finger or rap of a wheel spanner on metal required instant response and good men leapt in anticipation of his every signal. The terrific air pressure caused ear troubles, tension and unending noise racked the nerves.
May 1 went to the Rock, Gibraltar's great stone lion lies 10 miles north of Morocco and its many guns guard the Mediterranean's western entrance. Achilles entered the harbour between the South and the Detached Moles. Saw Hood, largest warship in the world 42,000 ton battlecruiser and pride of the British Navy to starboard and to port Rodney. Queen Elizabeth lay a ship's length ahead of the 23,000 ton air-craft Furious. Both ships occupied the Detached Moles so Achilles carried on further into the harbour and went alongside her sister ship Neptune.
Work.....towed the high speed battle target at 24 knots for Rodney as it fired 16" salvo from 20,000 yards. Night action, smoke screens, torpedo attacks, fleet manoeuvres the lot and Achilles came through no sweat.
July 15 the Home Fleet dispersed leaving Achilles the only warship in harbour. Rodney had sailed early in the month with her destroyer flotilla, then Furious and Hood on successive days with more escorts.
July 17 cleared lower deck with reports Italian planes massing in Morocco and the fleet could not remain at Gibraltar. Under orders of the Commodore-Commanding New Zealand Stations to sail for Kingston Jamaica. Achilles, bearing the name of ancient Greece's bravest fighter, the slayer of Hector, the finest Trojan warrior, cruised westward with the north equatorial current. In the Sargasso Sea known for its largest areas of seaweed that extends over two million square miles constantly circled by Atlantic currents Achilles passed along its southern edge.
July 29 entered Kingston Harbour Jamaica after cruising at economical speed for 3917 miles. Stayed 5 days enjoying swimming at the Bournemouth Baths, water-polo, swimming races and sailing against local teams while others soaked them-selves in rum.
534 miles to Balboa, 50 miles through Panama Canal from Colon. Crossed the equator and introduced newcomers to the mysteries of King Neptune's court.
August 19 arrived Nuhuhiva in Marquesas, refuelled from New Zealand's Admirality oiler Nucula and collected first mail in 4 months. Four days north-west to Christmas Island just north of the equator where ships's boats took picnic parties through gaps in the reef. Large sharks cruised around the boats right until they beached, so no swimming. Onto Fanning Island, one of the Line Islands peaks of submerged mountains along a chain reaching from the Hawaiian group somewhere north of the Friendly Islands. Canton Island where every British or US ship called concreted its national flag with the ship's name and date into the coral - stayed long enough to etch 'Capt. I.G. Glennie, RN, HMS Achilles 28 August 1936'.
Logged 780 miles from Kingman Reef headed south to Hull Island for a 4 hour stay then another 280 miles to Nukunono Island for a 3 hour stay and 4 days later passed well clear of Minerva Reefs headed directly for Auckland - home!
September 25 Achilles crossed the Waitemata to secure at Western Wharf. Concluded 1936's New Zealand cruise by calling at Lyttelton, Akaroa, Dunedin and New Plymouth to spend a few days 'showing off' the ship to fellow New Zealanders. Back in Auckland Achilles entered the dock for minor alterations while half ship's company went for 3 weeks Christmas leave and when they returned the remainder left to spend New Year in home towns.
