Ottawa, March 11 .

- As Allied navies prepare against what promises to be the greatest undersea blitz in the history of the world, the Royal Canadian Navy announces its commissioning of the latest addition to its fast-growing fleet-the shiny new Tribal class destroyer-H .M .C .S . Athabaskan. Sleek, trim, rated as the fastest destroyer-class ship on the seas today, the Athabaskan is the second of the nation's answers to Grand Admiral .Kar1 Doenitz's U-boat wolf packs . The country's first answer was, the Athabaskan's sister ship, H.M.C.S . Iroquois, which is already afloat and "duty bound." To Cmdr. G. R . Miles, O .B .E ., R.C.N., native of Rothesay, N.D., goes the seagoing title of "captain" and the command of the Athabaskan. One of the senior commanders in the permanent force, Cmdr. Miles was captain of H.M .C.S . Saguenay at the' outbreak of war. Previous to his new appointment he was captain (D) at . Halifax (captain commanding destroyer forces) . Executive officer, or second in command, of the Athabaskan, is Lieut. F. Caldwell, R .C.N., who has served in the Canadian destroyers Saguenay, St. Laurent and Ottawa . Like most R .C.N. officers, Lieut. Caldwell has had much experience with ships of the Royal Navy, such as battleships, cruisers and aircraft carriers . 'Built in Britain. Built in a famous British shipyard, the Athabaskan is one of the largest and most powerful destroyers afloat. Her gunpower is more than double that of the destroyers with which Canada entered the roar -with four twin mountings comparing with the four single 4:.7's of the earlier classes, and a galaxy of antiaircraft weapons reinforcing .', the main armament. Torpedo tubes and depth charges are added to her', fighting potential, so that she may be ready to engage the enemy ; whether he be found on the surface' o the sea or beneath it . . . or in the air. The commissioning ceremony, as are all,such ceremonies in wartime, was of the briefest . On the high-angle gun-platform the officers and ratings who had been "standing-by" the ship during her building had fallen in . The order, "Ship's company, 'shun," from the first lieutenant (Lieut . F. B . Caldwell, R .C.N., of Amherst, N.S.) signalled the arrival of the bishop who was to dedicate the ship and commend her, with all who are to serve in her, to the care of God . The bishop, wearing order and medal ribbons which bespoke his service with the armed forces in the last war, was received by Atha" baskan's captain, Cmdr. Miles . There were short prayers . prayers for protection in storms and in dangers, for safe outgoings and incomings. There was the Lord's Prayer, in which all joined, . and then the brief dedication, ' The service ended, and officers ar,d ratings, at the first lieutenant's

Fast Destroyer Welcome Addifion For War Against U-Boaf WolfNicks

order, replaced their caps and turned so that. they faced aft, facing the ensign-staff at which the white ensign of the senior service was to be hoisted for the first time. The shrill notes of a boatswain's call heralded the hoisting of the ensign . Officers and chief and petty officers came to the salute. On the dockside a number of-workmen who had their part in the building of the ship stiffened to attention. The ensign whipped in the breeze at the staff-head and the boatswain's call shrilled once more . . . this time the "Carry One' The ship was commissioned . . H .M.C .S. Athabaskan - of the Royal Canadian Navy. Almost before the commissioning party had left the gun platform the work of getting the destroyer ready for sea was under way. Stores were coming over the gangway ; gear and equipment for her crew were arriving . There are no minutes wasted in wartime in preparing a fighting ship for her duty of seeking out and engaging the enemy, and the commissioning of Athabaskan was but a prelude to this preparation . Ammunition, fuel, stores . . all these were to be taken aboard. The crew, entraining from Canada's naval base in the United Kingdom, H .M.C.S. Niobe, were to arrive within an hour or so, and little time could be spared if the destroyer was to be made ready for the accommodation of more than 200 men . The navy, however, work to plan . - and work briskly. The arrival of the balance of the crew found everything in readiness for them, with those of their shipmates

who had earlier been drafted to the ship in readiness to show them the way to their quarters . And, as the seamen of today brings his bed with him as well as his baggage, it was only necessary for them to "sling hammocks" to be quite at home . One-]IWnute Speech. There was, however, one small ceremony yet remaining ere the ship, her captain and her crew, could be regarded as a composite whole, There was need of a commission. ing speech from the captain, still in the naval tradition . Mustered in the waist of the ship, with the captain amidships, the credo heard the speech-one lasting but a minute. "We have a brand-new ship with a brand-new name," said Commander Miles. "The ship and the name are what we make them. I'm a believer in the old sailing-ship motto-one hand for the ship and one for yourself. But, lads, remember-the hand for the ship comes first . "We have a job to do. We have, I am. sure, no illusions about it . Let us, then, all work together to do that job ." H.M .C .S . Athabaskan, a brandnew ship with a brand-new name, will, if her crew gets its wish, do that job ~to the full. Within a minute or so of her commissioning, H .M.C .S. Athabaskan received her first visitor . A ginger cat, sleek and smart, stalked up the gangway. It was immediately "adopted" into the ship's company as mascot . The first lieutenant (second in command) of H .M.C .S . Athabaskan, `Lieut. F. B . Caldwell, is again shipma e with his brother, Lieut . (E) J. B . Caldwell, R.C .N., who is the destroyer's engineer officer, and who has seen her building from the very ! beginning . Once before the broth-' j ers had sailed together-in H.M .C.S. Saguenay under the same captain j with whom they are now serving . i True to service routine, the brothers (address each other respectively as "Number One" and "Chief," such designations being always applied to first lieutenants and chief engineers. They are natives of Amherst, N .S. Divided evenly between officers of. the Royal Canadian Navy and the Royal 'Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve, the Athabaskan's officer personnel covers just about all Canada, Province by Province. They are : Lieut. J. A. Lantier, R.C.N.V.R  Montreal ; Lieut, W. J. Eastwood, R.C.N.V.R., Ottawa ; Lieut . D. .H. Brown, R .C.N.V.R ., Vancouver ; Lieut . (E) J. B. Caldwell, R.C .PI., Surgeon Lieut. Cmdr. J. H. McCelland, R .C.N .V .R., Toronto ; SubLieut. R. B . Hayward, R.C .I\E , Victoria ; Sub-Lieut . R . M . Lawrence, R .C.N ., Fredericton ; Sub-Lieut. H. tiV. Dadson; R.C.N.V.R., Winnipeg ; Sub-Lieut J. A. Brebner, R .C.N .V .R., Montreal ; Pay. Sub-Lieut. J. G. Dykes, R.C .N.V.R., Winnipeg ; Gunner (T) G. D . Sigston, R.C.N., Dartmouth, N.S . ; and Warrant Engineer j, T . Docker, R .C.N., Vancouver.

149 WAR . EQ ROP : :,a 1939 CAN-10A NAVY, D-EST ROYM ATHAD A