HMNZS Q1189 – Laid up 1945. Left RNZN 1946. Became Sea Scout vessel Alert in Dunedin . Known to be in Milford Sound 1980 on deer recovery. Now located at a marine yard in Kopu, Thames

23 June 202425 June 2024
by John

Q1187 – Q1190 via SS Kootenay Park arrived Wellington 30 April 1943

125th Motor Launch Flotilla

Based: Wellington from May 1943 – disbanded September 1945

HDMLs 1187 transferred from 124th ML Flotilla 1 November

1188

1189

1190

1191 transferred from 124^th Flotilla 22 May 1944

1349 recommissioned November 1944 to replace other HDMLs

Patrol Area: Approaches to Wellington Harbour and Cook Strait.

Everett Marine Ways Inc. Everett, Washington.

(Contract Number: D.A.N.O.B. 586)

This Company also built four craft. They were Q1187, Q1188, Q1189, Q1190. They were shipped to Wellington, N.Z. from Vancouver as deck cargo on the ship Kootenay Park arriving Wellington on the 30^th April 1943.

Q1187 was commissioned on the 13^th May 1943.

Q1188 was commissioned on the 22 May 1943.

Q1189 was commissioned on the 25^th May 1943

Q1190 was commissioned on the 28^th May 1943

Sixteen Harbour Defence Motor Launches (HDMLs) purchased in the United States were commissioned between March 1943 and March 1944. The launches were 72 feet (22 m) long, displaced 54 tons, and had a complement of 10. Twin Diesels generated 270 hp (200 kW) on each of two shafts for a speed of 12 knots (22 km/h). They were armed with one 20mm Oerlikon, three Vickers GO machine guns and six depth charges.

They operated as the 124th and 125th Motor Launch Flotillas, based on Auckland and Wellington respectively. They maintained anti-submarine patrols inside indicator loops. Though they were not tested by enemy action, the anti-submarine fixed defences at Wellington and Auckland attained a high degree of efficiency.^[13]

After the war, twelve were retained, three were sold and one was transferred to the Army. The remaining boats were refitted and re-engined with Foden diesels. These were subsequently used as fishery protection, survey and reserve training boats. All remaining boats were named and given new pendant numbers in 1950.