7 GEORGE V SESSIONAL PAPER No. 38 A. 1917 REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVAL SERVICE FOR THE » FISCAL YEAR ENDING MARCH 31, 1916 PRINTED BY ORDER OF PARLIAMENT. OTTAWA PRINTED BY J. pk L. TACHfS, PRINTER TO THE KING’S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY 1916 [No. 38—1917] 7 GEORGE V SESSIONAL PAPER No. 38 A. 1917 To Field Marshal, His Pogal Highness Prince Arthur William Patrick Albert, Duke of Connaught and of Strathearn, K.G., K.T., K.P., etc., etc., etc., etc., Governor General and Commander in Chief of the Dominion of Canada. May it Please your Royal Highness: I have the honour to submit herewith for the information of Your Royal High- ness and the Parliament of Canada, the Sixth Annual Report of the Department of the Naval Service, being for the year ended March 3.1, 1916, except the Fisheries Branch, reported in a separate publication. I have the honour to be, Your Royal Highness’s most obedient servant, J. D. HAZEN, Minister of the Naval Service. 7 GEORGE V SESSIONAL PAPER No. 38 A. 1917 CONTENTS Page. Deputy Minister’s Summary of Annual Report 7 Chief Accountant, Financial Statement 22 Director of Naval Service, Report on Naval Service S'S Director of Stores, Report on Stores Branch 30 Director of Naval Service, Report on Fisheries Protection 36 Superintendent of Tidal and Current Survey, Report on 41 Chief Hydrographer, Report on Hydrographic Survey 54 Canadian Arctic Expedition, Report on 71 Director of Naval Service, Report on Lifesaving Service 81 Superintendent of Radiotelegraph Service, Report of 84 — 7 GEORGE V SESSIONAL PAPER No. 38 A. 1917 REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVAL SERVICE FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING MARCH 31, 1916 Ottawa, June 23, 1916. Honourable J. D. Hazen, Minister of the Naval Service, Ottawa, Ont. Sir,—I have the honour to report on the Department of the Naval Service for the year ending March 31, 1916, under the following headings: 1. Naval Service. 2. Stores. 3. Fisheries Protection. 4. Survey of Tides and Currents. 5. Hydrographic Survey. 6. Canadian Arctic Expedition, 7. Life Saving Service. 8. Radio Telegraphs. I.—NAVAL SERVICE. H.M.C. NAVY. During the past year the requisite number of the personnel for manning H.M.C. Ships and Establishments has been maintained by the entry of men with previous naval experience and by the employment of R.N.C.V.R. officers and men. II.M.C.S. Niobe was employed, under the command of the Rear Admiral Com- manding, North American Station, until September, 1915, when, owing to the very considerable amount of almost continual steaming that she had done since the out- break of the war, it was considered that the general state of the machinery and boilers would not warrant her continuance of this duty. As a depot ship was 7 8 DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVAL SERVICE 7 GEORGE V, A. 1917 urgently needed at Halifax to accommodate numerous drafts of men, and as a parent ship for the vessels employed on patrol work and other operations on the Atlantic coast was urgently required it was decided to pay the Niobe off and recommission her for the purposes indicated. Throughout the remainder of the year she proved suitable for her new functions, and of considerable utility both in connection with the Canadian and the Imperial services. H.M.C.S. Rainbow has been continuously employed on the Pacific Coast patrol and other important duties, under the orders of the Imperial Senior Naval Officer at Esquimalt. Submarines C. C. I. and C. C. II. and their parent ship, H.M.C.S. Shearwater (Submarine Depot) have been continuously employed in connection with the defence scheme of the Pacific coast. A large number of other vessels, both governmental and private, have been utilized in connection with the defence of the coasts, on such duties as examination service, mine sweeping, patrol and other necessary work. r I he Naval Volunteers, which were established just prior to the outbreak of the war, developed largely in the West, where some 400 officers and men are enrolled. A considerable number of these volunteers have served continuously in the Rainbow and in other vessels based on Esquimalt since the outbreak of the war. Their services are also being utilized in the various sendees on the Atlantic coast. RECRUITING ADMIRALTY. In April, 1915, the Admiralty requested the department to select men to be trained as pilots for the Royal Naval Air Service. The department received hundreds of applications for entry from all parts of the Dominion. These applications were given individual attention and likely candidates were interviewed and medically examined. All those accepted were sent to private flying schools to obtain their Aero Club certificates, and upon obtaining them were sent to England. Although the number originally called for by the Admiralty was twice increased, the depart- ment was able to obtain the necessary number of suitable candidates, the majority of whom have already obtained their Aero Club certificates and been sent to England. The total number accepted during the year is two hundred and fifty. The department has recently been requested by the Admiralty to ascertain what men could be entered for the Auxiliary Patrol (Motor Boat) Service. Several hundred applications have been received, and these have been classified, pending the arrival of the recruiting committee from England, who will take up the work of examining the applicants and making final selections. NAVAL INTELLIGENCE BRANCH. The duties and work carried out by the Naval Intelligence Branch of the depart- ment have increased considerably in magnitude and importance and have been per- formed in a very satisfactory manner during the past year. DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVAL SERVICE 9 SESSIONAL PAPER No. 38 NAVAL DOCKYARDS. With respect to the Naval Dockyards, both establishments have been worked to the full output, a considerable amount of overtime having been worked. The nature of the work done has been practically all repairs. Halifax is being used as the base for vessels of the North Atlantic fleet which has been lately strengthened; the dockyard is being used for carrying out repairs to these vessels and keeping them in going order. No. 4 jetty has been repaired and lengthened so that it will now accommodate large ships. A contract has been placed for a 30-ton steam wharf crane for use on this jetty with a view to having available suitable lifting appliance for hoisting out damaged parts of warships should the necessity arise. The N^obe has been fitted up as a very efficient receiving ship. At Esquimalt yard the expenditure and personnel have risen correspondingly, and .work has been carried out on Imperial and Allied vessels, as well as those of the Canadian Service. The total amount of money paid per month in wages for the two yards is approximately 300 per cent more than that customary to be paid for the same period prior to the war. In addition to the repairs to the vessels of the fighting fleet, the dockyards are carrying out the large number of small items of repairs needed to the various vessels now employed for auxiliary purjooses for patrol and other defensive work of the coasts. Having regard to the facilities available, this work has been carried out satis- factorily. Considerable overtime lias been necessary in order to expedite the com- pletion of the repairs. Subsidiary work in the nature of repairs and refits of the various vessels belong- ing to the different branches of the Naval Service have been undertaken during the year, and repairs of vessels of other departments of the Government have also been effected. Repairs to buildings and plant incidental to the upkeep of the establish- ment in accordance with conditions of transfer have also been completed. The officers and staff of the dockyards have carried out their duties in a zealous and conscientious manner, which has enabled the urgent work necessary in these yards during the period of the war to be satisfactorily and expeditiously completed. ROYAL NAVAL COLLEGE. The Officers of the Royal Naval College continue to report most favourably on the cadets, both as to their mental and physical progress during the past year. The midshipmen who have been serving in ships of the Royal Navy and Royal Canadian Navy have also been favourably reported upon and have proved themselves capable and efficient. Fourteen midshipmen, who entered the college in January, 1911, were promoted to the rank of Acting Sub-Lieutenant on December 1, 1915. Two of these officers are now serving in the British Submarine Service, and four Lieutenants and five Engineer Lieutenants are serving in vessels of the Grand Fleet. An examination for the entry of cadets to the college was held in May, 1915, and out of eight candidates six were entered. The report of Vice-Admiral C. E. Ivingsmill on the Naval Service may be found at page 28. 10 DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVAL SERVICE 7 GEORGE V, A. 1917 II.—STORES BRANCH. The Stores Branch of the Department of the Naval Service is divided into three sections as follows:—Purchasing and Contract section, Stores section, Transport section. PURCHASING AND CONTRACT SECTION. The Purchasing and Contract section has in its charge all purchases and con- tracts, including chartering of vessels, contracts for the erection of buildings and all installations in connection therewith, victualling of ships’ crews not victualled by the department, and the purchase of all necessary stores and supplies of every descrip- tion; not only the Naval Service proper but all the other branches of this Depart- ment are served. In order to carry out the work in an efficient manner, an estimate of the require- ments for the year is made out by each Ship and Establishment at the beginning of the year, and a stock adequate to meet the requirements is stored at Halifax and Esquimalt; supplementary requisitions are then filled in through the year as required.