HMNZS Rata (Authenticity of photo not guaranteed) was part of the 95th Auxiliary Minesweeping Group – Wellington along with HMNZS Futurist, and Danlayers, HMNZS Kaiwaka and HMNZS CoastguardHMNZS Rata (T03) Converted merchant boat for use as a minesweeper
HMNZS Rata (T03) HMNZS Rata (Pennant) was part of the 95th Auxiliary Minesweeping Group – Wellington along with HMNZS Futurist, and Danlayers, HMNZS Kaiwaka and HMNZS Coastguard
Rata 1929-59, unloading coal for the Golden Bay Cement Company at Tarakohe, March 1948. Vessel Name: RATA Vessel ID: 515030146 Vessel Type: Steamship Tonnage: 973 gt Owner: Anchor Shipping & Foundry Co. Nelson, NZ Built: 1929 Builder: Bow, McLachlan & Company Limited, Paisley Date of Fate: 1959 Type of Fate: Broken up SS RATA in Anchor fleet 1929 – 1958. Sold to Lanena Shipping Company, Hong Kong. Towed from Nelson to Hong Kong by tug CABRILLA 1958, and broken up 1959.Rata
HMNZS BreezeHeat proved to be one of the toughest challenges for crews in the wartime Pacific. War artist Russell Clarke painted crew members cleaning the boilers on HMNZS Breeze, a similar-sized vessel to the Bird-class ships Moa, Kiwi and Tui.Cargo Ships Breeze 1964
Cargo Ship Breeze
HMNZS Breeze (T02/T371) was a coastal cargo boat which was requisitioned by the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) and converted into a minesweeper.
Breeze was owned by the Canterbury Steam Shipping Company. She was taken up on 3 March 1942, under protest, to replace the Puriri which had sunk in a minefield. She was a sister ship to Gale.
Operational history Breeze joined the 25th Minesweeping Flotilla at Tulagi in April 1943. On her arrival she was also formed, with Matai and her sister ship Gale, into the 9th Auxiliary Minesweeping group within the flotilla. They carried out night-time patrol and escort duties under COMSOPAC control. The Japanese were well north by this time, but occasionally made sudden attacks into American strongholds around Guadalcanal.
In July 1943, prior to being fitted with radar, Breeze collided with USS LST-895 off Guadalcanal while patrolling in a monsoon rainstorm. Grazing port to port, she had a boat wrecked.
During convoy escort duty in Ironbottom Sound she was attacked, but not damaged, by dive-bombers.
From time to time the flotilla boats would return to Auckland for refits, usually escorting freighters bound the same way.
By the middle of 1944 the owners were demanding the return of Breeze and her twin Gale. COMSOPAC released her on 10 November 1944.
Fate She was sold to the Philippines in 1964 and renamed Balabac in 1966.
HMNZS Black PrinceHMNZS Black PrinceHMNZS Black Prince – HMCS Ontario, HMS Ceylon and HMNZS Black Prince at Hobart in February 1954 with Royal Yacht Gothic (not in pic). HMAS Quadrant can just be seen behind Ontario. Four different shades of grey. Picture scanned from original slide taken by Reg Wilson – Courtesy of Russell PriestHMNZS Black PrincePhotograph of British light cruiser HMS Black Prince, under tow on the Tyne.HMS Black Prince was a Dido-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy, of the Bellona subgroup.
The cruiser was commissioned in 1943, and served during World War II on the Arctic convoys, during the Normandy landings, and as part of the British Pacific Fleet. In 1946, the cruiser was loaned to the Royal New Zealand Navy, becoming HMNZS Black Prince. The cruiser was docked for modernisation in 1947, but in April, her sailors walked off the ship as part of a series of mutinies in the RNZN. The shortage of manpower resulting from these mutinies meant that the modernisation had to be cancelled, and Black Prince was placed in reserve until 1953. She returned to service after refitting with simplified secondary armament with a single quad “pom pom” in Q position and eight Mk3 40mm Bofors guns. The ship was decommissioned again two years later, and returned to the Royal Navy in 1961. Black Prince did not re-enter service, and was towed from Auckland to Osaka for scrapping in 1962. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Black_Prince_(81)
The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) has deployed a Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130H (NZ) Hercules and personnel to Papua New Guinea to help with the distribution of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief supplies.
10 MAY, 2024
Papua New Guinea experienced a significant earthquake on 24 March in East Sepik and there has also been recent flooding there and in surrounding provinces.
The Government of Papua New Guinea recently asked for New Zealand’s help in transporting approximately 30 tonnes of aid from Port Moresby to affected communities in outlying areas.
Commander Joint Forces New Zealand Rear Admiral Jim Gilmour said NZDF personnel would work with Papua New Guinea authorities on transporting the supplies to affected communities in 10 provinces.
New Zealand has a long-standing commitment to working with and supporting Pacific partners in humanitarian assistance and disaster responses.
“Our Hercules aircraft are well suited to this task. We have deployed the aircraft and personnel to support our Papua New Guinea partners with their distribution plan and to help get relief supplies to communities in need,” Rear Admiral Gilmour said.
The Hercules departed Royal New Zealand Air Force Base Auckland on Thursday, and will be flying over the weekend to transport the aid.
The relief supplies include tents, blankets, plastic sheets, sleeping pads, water purifiers and portable jerry cans.
The Hercules and NZDF personnel are due to return to New Zealand on Monday.
