After departing Lyttelton on 4 June with two MPI fishery officers aboard, RNZN personnel from Taupo made seven boardings over three days.
The fishery officers would observe vessels before hailing them to ask questions about their catch. A five-person boarding team would then use Taupo’s seaboat for a visual inspection.
While six vessels were found to be compliant, a seventh vessel was observed fishing overnight where a suspected breach was identified. The vessel was boarded the following day and will be subject to further enquiries.
INSHORE PATROL VESSEL HMNZS TAUPO CREW MEMBERS AND MPI STAFF HAVE MONITORED FISHING BOATS OF THE SOUTH ISLAND’S EAST COAST THIS MONTH
Fisheries Officer Gareth Manson says all vessels inspected will undergo further inspection of their digital catch records.
“Working with HMNZS Taupo has been a smooth and enjoyable experience. We are very appreciative of the team’s flexibility, and for the opportunity to work alongside the Navy to extend our capabilities.”
Taupo’s Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Samara Mankelow, says the fishery inspection period took place while the ship was in the South Island conducting Officer of the Watch training for the RNZN’s new cohort of junior warfare officers.
“For many of our sailors, it was their first exposure to boarding operations. Operation Kauwae provides a great opportunity for the Navy to work with other government agencies and build connections and experience.
“The boarding team of Taupo look forward to future opportunities to protect New Zealand’s maritime resources.”
Loch Morlich was transferred to the Royal New Zealand Navy on 1 April 1949.[3] Renamed Tutira, she was commissioned into the Royal New Zealand Navy on 19 April 1949.[1] In 1950, along with HMNZS Pukaki, she sailed for Korea, taking part in the United Nations naval blockade during the Korean War, serving mainly as an escort. She took part in the Battle of Inchon serving as part of the screening force.[4] After returning from Korean waters she was placed in reserve in September 1951. She sat laid up in Auckland from 1952 until sold for scrap in 1961[1] and was broken up in 1966 at Hong Kong.
Loch Morlich which was ordered from Swan Hunter on 13 February 1943. She was laid down 15 July 1943 and launched 25 January 1944. Upon completion she was transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy and commissioned on 17 July 1944, at Wallsend-on-Tyne.[2][3]
After commissioning Loch Morlich joined convoy escort group EG 6 based in Derry after working up at Tobermory. She patrolled the waters around the United Kingdom until April 1945 when the group was transferred across the Atlantic to Halifax. She remained on the Canadian side of the Atlantic until the end of May when she returned to the United Kingdom. She was decommissioned and returned to the United Kingdom 20 June 1945 at Sheerness alongside HMCS Loch Achanalt, another Loch-class loaner to the Royal Canadian Navy.[2] She was reduced to reserve status and laid up in Sheerness, eventually being sold with six other Loch-class frigates in 1948.
Postwar service
Loch Morlich was transferred to the Royal New Zealand Navy on 1 April 1949.[3] Renamed Tutira, she was commissioned into the Royal New Zealand Navy on 19 April 1949.[1] In 1950, along with HMNZS Pukaki, she sailed for Korea, taking part in the United Nations naval blockade during the Korean War, serving mainly as an escort. She took part in the Battle of Inchon serving as part of the screening force.[4] After returning from Korean waters she was placed in reserve in September 1951. She sat laid up in Auckland from 1952 until sold for scrap in 1961[1] and was broken up in 1966 at Hong Kong.
A series of international operations and exercises in the Western Pacific, South East Asia and East Asia will form part of a significant deployment for the Royal New Zealand Navy’s (RNZN) HMNZS Aotearoa.
19 JUNE, 2024
The RNZN’s maritime sustainment vessel sailed from Devonport Naval Base last week with a Seasprite helicopter on board, and will spend the next five months at sea involved in a series of regional engagements, training exercises and operations.
The largest of these will be Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC), which is held in Hawaii every two years. The US-hosted event is the world’s largest multinational maritime warfare exercise and this year New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel and platforms will join 40 surface ships, four submarines, 171 aircraft and more than 25,000 personnel from 30 nations.
The crew from HMNZS Aotearoa will be among approximately 250 NZDF personnel deployed to RIMPAC. The NZDF is also deploying a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-8A Poseidon aircraft and air surveillance personnel, RNZN divers from HMNZS Matataua and staff officers for headquarters roles.
RIMPAC is one part of the ship’s overall five-month deployment, named Operation Crucible. The RNZN regularly makes this deployment to the Asia Pacific region, to carry out engagement activities including training with other navies and replenishing ships at sea.
Commander Joint Forces, Rear Admiral Jim Gilmour, says Operation Crucible demonstrates NZDF capability, and its commitment to the international rules-based system and security and stability in the region.
“This is a continuation of the NZDF’s work with partners to support maritime security and defence matters while enabling collective training exercises,” he said.
During the deployment, HMNZS Aotearoa will also support the NZDF’s contribution to efforts to detect and deter evasions of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions which impose sanctions against North Korea.
North Korea continues to launch ballistic missiles in violation of UNSC resolutions and to import and export prohibited goods and materials. The sanctions are intended to persuade North Korea to denuclearise and abandon its ballistic missile weapons capabilities.
While on operations, HMNZS Aotearoa will maintain a presence, conduct surveillance, and re-fuel ships at sea, including those from partner nations conducting maritime patrols to detect and deter sanctions evasions.
Maritime Component Commander, Commodore Garin Golding, says the RNZN has a long history of deployments in the Asia Pacific area.
This is an important deployment, enabling our highly trained personnel to further upskill while working alongside partner militaries in the region, undertaking both exercises and operational missions.
“The Aotearoa’s participation in efforts to detect and deter UNSC sanctions evasions is a great opportunity, one I know the ship’s company is looking forward to undertaking,” Commodore Golding said.
For the Commanding Officer of HMNZS Aotearoa, Commander Rob Welford, the deployment is shaping up to be one of the career highlights for the crew.
“The ship’s company are really excited as this deployment is exactly the reason why they joined the Navy,” Commander Welford said.
“They’ll be sailing more than 30,000 nautical miles, conducting port visits in four countries and creating bonds with their shipmates over the next 18 weeks that will last a lifetime.
“Plus they will be advancing New Zealand’s interests from the sea, one of the key reasons our Navy personnel choose to serve.”
Another view of the Commonwealth Jubilee Exercises off the coast of Tasmania in Feb.-March 1951. Here we see a flight of 10 aircraft – seven Hawker Sea Furies and three Fairey Fireflies from HMAS SYDN EY over the 5,950-7,200 ton New Zealand Modified Dido Class cruiser HMNZS BELLONA.
In a way this is a physical manifestation of postwar New Zealand naval policy, in that the RNZN Dido Class anti-aircraft cruisers were obtained by loan and acquisition after WWII specifically to operate with Australian aircraft carriers, making a strong combined regional force.
Again, these were the exercises during which, on Feb. 26, 1951, a practice rocket [or rockets, we’re not sure] fired by a Sea Fury from SYDNEY struck the quarterdeck of HMNZS BELLONA, fortunately without major damage or casualties.
BELLONA was towing a target astern, but as we have previously reported, a little facetiously, the Sea Fury pilot, Lt Peter Seed – a New Zealander, like many in the RAN’s FAA squadrons then – had insisted before an enquiry that he had not pressed the rocket firing button, and the plane’s rockets had streaked off independently, and inadvertently.
Noone quite accepted that at the time, although it was clearly as accident. It was only later, during SYDNEY’S tour of duty in Korea that it was discovered that powerful low frequency radio transmissions from the carrier had the capacity to spontaneously ignite the under-wing rockets on her aircraft aloft. Indeed it was found to be a problem on other carriers also, and arming procedures for the ordnance had to be changed.
Subsequently, in somewhat different circumstances, it was a spontaneous under-wing rocket firing from an an electrical surge that caused the huge deck fire on the U.S. super carrier USS FORRESTAL in the Gulf of Tonkin on July 27, 1967. The consequences in that case were truly tragic, with 134 men killed and 161 injured, as explosions and fire spread among fuel and bomb-laden aircraft on the giant carrier’s crowded flight deck. Details of that incident are here.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1967_USS_Forrestal_fire
By the way, we had a wonderful Allan C. Green portrait of HMNZS BELLONA at Entry NO. 5317, here:
www.flickr.com/photos/41311545@N05/6524159025/
This photo: ADF Serials website, RAN aircraft section, with permission. With a magnificent collection of photographs and aircraft log and tracing information, you can find the ADF Serials website here:
