HMNZS Hawera – unknown HDML alongsideThis is after Hawera was taken out of service and laid up after WW2, sat there for many years gradually being scrapped. Here she is on the left in 1952, bridge goneHMNZS Hawera Crew in Fiji
HMNZS Hawera – pennant
HMNZS Hawera (1914) Functioned as supply ship in 1945
HMNZS Hawera (T16) (carried the name of a town without a port and without naval associations.) World War II minesweeper, 194th Minesweeping Group – Auckland=LL magnetic minesweepers: Hinau, Manuka, Rimu, Hawera, Kapuni-Vessel Name: HAWERA-Vessel ID: 1121387-Official No: 121387-Vessel Type: Coastal vessel-Tonnage: 174 gross-Owner: South Taranaki Shipping Company-Built: 1912-Builder: Brown, W.H., Auckland-Engine: Sream, compound,154 ihp–Date of Fate: 1957-Type of Fate: Broken up-Region of Fate: Auckland region-Vessel Abstract: Saw war service as H.M.N.Z.S. HAWERA 1943-45., Functioned as supply ship in 1945.
HMNZS Gale (T04) was a coastal cargo boat which was requisitioned by the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) and converted into a minesweeper. She was the first New Zealand vessel to go into action against Japan. Gale was owned by the Canterbury Steam Shipping Company. She was one of four ships requisitioned as a consequence of the German auxiliary cruiser Orion’s minefield and the loss of the liner Niagara, the others being Matai, Puriri and Rata. She was taken over on 10 October 1940 and handed to the dockyard for conversion. She was a sister ship to Breeze. Operational history Gale joined the 25th Minesweeping Flotilla in April 1941, sweeping for German mines in the Hauraki Gulf. On 14 May, she rescued the survivors of the Puriri sinking. Later in 1941, the flotilla swept suspected minefield areas such as near Cuvier Island and Farewell Spit. In December 1941 Gale detached to relieve Viti in Fiji. She returned to New Zealand for refit in February 1942. In June 1942, Gale was deployed to Noumea for port minesweeping duties where she was the first New Zealand vessel to deploy with COMSOPAC, the United States Navy’s South Pacific Command, then taking over command of the 25th Minesweeping Flotilla. On 5 August, Gale located a missing US amphibious aircraft, rescued the crew, and towed it back to Noumea. The ship subsequently received a US commendation. Gale sailed back to New Zealand on 30 October 1942; she was then assigned to Wellington as a port minesweeper with the Second Minesweeping Group. In February 1943, Gale rejoined the 25th Minesweeping Flotilla at Tulagi in the Solomons. In April 1943, her sister ship Breeze arrived at Tulagi, at which point Gale, Breeze and Matai were formed into the 9th Auxiliary Minesweeping group. They carried out night-time patrol and escort duties under COMSOPAC control. The Japanese were largely well to the north by this time, but occasionally made sudden attacks into American strongholds around Guadalcanal. From time to time flotilla boats would return to Auckland for refit, usually escorting freighters bound the same way. By mid-1944, the owners were demanding the return of Gale and her twin Breeze. COMSOPAC released her on 20 September 1944. Fate Gale was sold by Canterbury Steam Shipping Company in December 1962[1] to Cia de Transportes Sylvia S.A. of Panama and renamed Jasa. She was scrapped in Singapore in 1970Gale
Gale was owned by the Canterbury Steam Shipping Company. She was one of four ships requisitioned as a consequence of the Orion‘s minefield and the loss of the liner Niagara, the others being Matai, Puriri and Rata. She was taken over on 10 October 1940 and handed to the dockyard for conversion. She was a sister ship to Breeze.
Gale joined the 25th Minesweeping Flotilla in April 1941, sweeping for German mines in the Hauraki Gulf. On 14 May, she rescued the survivors of the Puriri sinking. Later in 1941, the flotilla swept suspected minefield areas such as near Cuvier Island and Farewell Spit. In December 1941 Gale detached to relieve Viti in Fiji. She returned to New Zealand for refit in February 1942.
In June 1942, Gale was deployed to Noumea for port minesweeping duties where she was the first New Zealand vessel to deploy with COMSOPAC, the United States Navy‘s South Pacific Command, then taking over command of the 25th Minesweeping Flotilla. On 5 August, Gale located a missing US amphibious aircraft, rescued the crew, and towed it back to Noumea. The ship subsequently received a US commendation. Gale sailed back to New Zealand on 30 October 1942; she was then assigned to Wellington as a port minesweeper with the Second Minesweeping Group.
In February 1943, Gale rejoined the 25th Minesweeping Flotilla at Tulagi in the Solomons. In April 1943, her sister ship Breeze arrived at Tulagi, at which point Gale, Breeze and Matai were formed into the 9th Auxiliary Minesweeping group. They carried out night-time patrol and escort duties under COMSOPAC control. The Japanese were largely well to the north by this time, but occasionally made sudden attacks into American strongholds around Guadalcanal.
From time to time flotilla boats would return to Auckland for refit, usually escorting freighters bound the same way. By mid-1944, the owners were demanding the return of Gale and her twin Breeze. COMSOPAC released her on 20 September 1944.
Gale was sold by Canterbury Steam Shipping Company in December 1962[1] to Cia de Transportes Sylvia S.A. of Panama and renamed Jasa. She was scrapped in Singapore in 1970
HMNZS Duchess, and a very fine ship indeedDuchess pre WW2 at Kawau Island
HMNZS DUCHESS – Type: Auxiliary Minesweeper/Examination Vessel Pennant No.: T07 Built: 1897 Mackie & Thompson Scotland Type: Auxiliary Minesweeper/Examination Vessel Pennant No.: T07 Displacement: 314 tons gross, 137 tons net Length: 133.6 ft. /40.7 m Beam: 26 ft./7.9 m Draft: 10.3 ft./3.1 m Propulsion: Steam reciprocating 650 ihp, single shaft, coal Speed: 12 knots Complement: 17 as MS, 24 as Exam. Vessel Armament: 1 light MG
Duchess was a passenger ferry operating in the Hauraki Gulf. In 1934 the ship was charted for 12 weeks, converted and commissioned as HMS Duchess II for five weeks of MS trials. She was then returned to her owners.
She was requisitioned on 24 June 1940 and commissioned on 8 July, temporarily in the first instance, as an additional sweeper at Auckland, although questionably suitable. In April 1941 she was reduced to care and maintenance on a mooring In November she was taken in hand for conversion to an examination vessel, a duty she performed at Auckland until the service ceased in September 1944.
After a further spell on the moorings, Duchess performed as a supply ship to HMNZS Tamaki from February 1945 until September 1946 when she was paid off and placed on sale. She was sold in December to F. Appleton of Penrose for breaking up. The hull was stripped , towed away and beached in Boulder Bay, Rangitoto Island.
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.
