Le Picard, a fast frigate of the French Navy, arrived in Tema Harbour, Ghana on Monday (April 2) for a five-day goodwill visit. The ship is on a routine training cruise along the West Coast of Africa and has been visiting friendly countries on the way. Le Picard has already called at Senegal and Abidjan.

The ship was met at the harbour by three officers of the Ghana Navy and officials of the French Embassy in Accra. After the formal welcome, the ship's captain, Lt. Commander Jean Martin de Marolles went to Tema Naval Base to pay a courtesy call on the Commander, G.E. Osei, who is officer-in-charge. Le Picard has a crew of 12 officers and 152 ratings. It was built in 1954 and has a top speed of 28 knots.

While in Ghana the ratings will go sight-seeing and visit the Akosomno Dam site, and the Cape Coast Castles. On Wednesday Le Picard was open to the public.

SYNOPSIS: The French naval vessel, La Picard, continued a goodwill tour of West Africa when it sailed into Tema Harbour in Ghana on Monday. Le Picard, a fast frigate, was to spend five days in port at Ghana. The crew lined the decks as Le Picard came into harbour -- to an official welcome.

At the dockside the First Secretary of the French Embassy in Accra and the Military Attache waited with three officers of the Ghana Navy as the ship tied up. Le Picard is on a training cruise along the West Coast of Africa, calling on friendly countries.

The ship has already called at the ports of Senegal and Abidjan. As soon as Le Picard had docked, the Military Attache and the First Secretary went aboard to met the Captain, Lieutenant Commander Jean Martin de Marolles. Le Picard has a crew of twelve officers and one hundred and fifty two ratings.

The frigate, built in 1954, has a top speed of twenty-eight knots. Its armaments include six fifty-seven millimetre guns, and heavy Before guns.

Le Picard also has twelve torpedo launchers. The ship has a range of four thousand five hundred miles at a speed of twelve knots. The First Secretary and the Military Attache were shown round the ship and entertained on board before the formal welcome was over.

Later Captain Marolles paid a courtesy call to Tema Naval Base to meet the officer in charge, Commander G.E. Osei. He and Commander Marolls spent some time talking before the French officer returned to his ship. While in Ghana, the ratings of Le Picard visited the site of the Akosomno Dam and the Cape Coast Castles.