John
HMS Philomel, later HMNZS Philomel, was a Pearl-class cruiser.
She was the fifth ship of that name and served with the Royal Navy. After her commissioning in 1890, she served on the Cape of Good Hope Station and later with the Mediterranean Fleet.
In 1914, she was loaned to New Zealand for service with what would later become the Royal New Zealand Navy. During the early stages of the First World War she performed convoy escort duties and then carried out operations in the Mediterranean against the Turks. She later conducted patrols in the Red Sea and Persian Gulf.
By 1917, she was worn out and dispatched back to New Zealand where she served as a depot ship in Wellington Harbour for minesweepers. In 1921 she was transferred to the Devonport Naval Base in Auckland for service as a training ship. Decommissioned and sold for scrap in 1947, her hulk was scuttled in 1949.
Design and description
HMS Philomel was laid down on 9 May 1889 at HM Naval Dockyard in Devonport, Plymouth. Her name is derived from Philomela, in Greek mythology the daughter of Pandion I, King of Athens,[1] and was the fifth ship to be so named.[2]
The ship had an overall length of 278 feet (84.7 m), a beam of 41 feet (12.5 m) and a draught of 17 feet 6 inches (5.3 m). She displaced 2,575 long tons (2,616 t). Propulsion was through 3-cylinder triple-expansion steam engines, driving two shafts, which produced a total of 7,500 indicated horsepower (5,600 kW) and gave a maximum speed of 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph).[1] She was also rigged for sail and when installing the foremast, workmen noticed it was stamped “Devonport Dockyard 1757”.[3] Her main armament consisted of eight QF 4.7-inch (120 mm) guns with a secondary armament of eight 3-pounders. As well as four machine guns, the ship also mounted two submerged 14-inch (360 mm) torpedo tubes.[1]
Philomel was launched on 28 August 1890, and completed the following March.[1] After completing sea trials, she was commissioned in the Royal Navy on 10 November 1891. Commanded by Captain Charles Campbell, she was assigned to the Cape of Good Hope Station although fitting work and working up trials meant that Philomel did not arrive in South Africa until June 1892.[3]
Operational history[edit]
For six years, Philomel served on station, intercepting slave traders along the coast of Africa. In 1896, she participated in the Anglo-Zanzibar War, during which rebels murdered the Sultan of Zanzibar and seized his palace. Along with the three gunboats and HMS St George, she bombarded the palace fortress and the only ship of the Zanzibar Navy, HHS Glasgow. This action lasted less than an hour and resulted in the routing of the rebels.[3] The following year, Philomel was transferred to the West Africa component of the Cape of Good Hope Station and participated in the Benin Expedition.[4]
A refit was completed in 1898 after which Philomel returned to Cape of Good Hope Station. She served throughout the Second Boer War. Some of her complement of 220 men served in the field with the Naval Brigade. Two of her 4.7-inch guns were disembarked and used in the Battle of Colenso. After the war, she returned to Devonport and was paid off on 22 March 1902.[4][5] She was laid up in the Firth of Forth for several years before a refit was carried out in 1907 at Haulbowline Dock in Ireland. During her tow to Ireland she went adrift for a night in the North Sea when the rope to the towing vessel, HMS Hampshire, broke.[1]
Philomel was recommissioned in February 1908 for service with the Mediterranean Fleet under the command of Captain John Seagrave. She provided assistance in the wake of the earthquake at Messina in Sicily. The following year she served with the East Indies Station, running patrols from Aden in the Persian Gulf for two years and served in operations off Somaliland, 1908–1910.[6]
Transfer to New Zealand
In 1913 the Admiralty agreed to lend Philomel to New Zealand as a seagoing training cruiser to form the nucleus of the newly established New Zealand Naval Forces, which was a new division of the Royal Navy. This was in response to the desire of the New Zealand Minister of Defence at the time, James Allen, who wanted to establish a local naval force which would co-operate with the fledgling Royal Australian Navy.[7]
Philomel was recommissioned in October 1913 in Singapore and later sailed for New Zealand to join HMAS Psyche and HMAS Pyramus, both Pelorus-class cruisers serving in New Zealand waters. Philomel was commissioned for New Zealand service on 15 July 1914, under the command of Captain Percival Hall-Thompson. Although mainly crewed by Englishmen, she was the country’s first warship.[1]
First World War[edit]
Philomel was on a short shakedown voyage to Picton on 30 July 1914, prior to taking on its first complement of New Zealand cadets, when it was recalled to Wellington Harbour in anticipation of the outbreak of war. Largely crewed by personnel from the Royal Navy, volunteers were brought on board to bring the ship up to full strength and after stocking up with supplies, she departed for Auckland to await further instructions.[8] On 15 August 1914 she formed part of the ocean escort for the New Zealand forces that were dispatched to occupy German Samoa (now Samoa). The escort would have been unlikely to offer much resistance to the German cruisers SMS Scharnhorst and SMS Gneisenau that were known to be in the area. Fortunately, the convoy did not encounter the German ships. Philomel then steamed for the Kingdom of Tonga to deliver news of the hostilities with Imperial Germany before returning to New Zealand.[9]
By now the main body of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, formed for service overseas, were ready to embark from Wellington on a convoy for the Middle East. Philomel escorted the convoy as far as Western Australia. Then, along with Pyramus, she sailed northeastwards for Singapore in search of the German cruiser SMS Emden, which was then carrying out raids in the Indian Ocean. The two ships, which would have been outgunned by the more modern Emden, had reached Christmas Island when they received news of Emden‘s sinking by HMAS Sydney. They arrived in Singapore on 12 November from where Philomel continued onto Port Said, escorting three French troopships.[10]
From late 1914, Philomel, needing maintenance and an update of equipment, was berthed at Malta and underwent an overhaul. This was completed by late January 1915 and she then started operations in the Mediterranean against the Turks.[11] On 8 February she landed an armed party in Southern Turkey where a large force of Turkish soldiers were encountered, resulting in three seamen being killed and three wounded. This action marked the first deaths in the war of New Zealanders serving with a New Zealand formation.[12]
Subsequently, Philomel was deployed in the Red Sea and in the Persian Gulf for much of the remainder of the year. In December 1915 she sailed to Bombay for maintenance work but was back in the Persian Gulf in January 1916,[13] continuing her patrolling. By the end of the year, her engines were giving trouble and her stern glands were worn out. A lengthy and costly refit was required and rather than incur this cost for a ship which was nearly at the end of her operational life, the Admiralty decided to give her to New Zealand and dispatched her home to be paid off. She duly arrived in Wellington Harbour in March 1917. A large portion of her Royal Navy crew were returned to England to be assigned to other berths.[14] Armament removed, Philomel was recommissioned as a depot ship in Wellington, supporting minesweeping operations until May 1919.[1]
Postwar service[edit]
In March 1921, on the creation of the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy, Philomel was recommissioned as a training base. She steamed from her berth at Wellington to the dockyard at the Devonport Naval Base in Auckland. Moored alongside the training jetty, she was operated as a training facility for new recruits to the naval service, under the command of a series of officers from the Royal Navy including, for nearly six months in 1923, Commander Augustus Agar VC.[15] Training armament was installed and in 1925, her boilers and engines were removed to create more accommodation space. Further accommodation, in the form of wooden cabins, was later constructed on her deck. In October 1941, on the creation of the Royal New Zealand Navy, Philomel was recommissioned as the training base HMNZS Philomel.
Fate[edit]
Philomel was paid off and decommissioned on 17 January 1947 and her name transferred to the Devonport Naval Shore Establishment. On the day of her decommissioning, the New Zealand Naval Board sent a signal to Philomel which stated:
“…their regret at the passing from the service of the first of His Majesty’s New Zealand Ships, a ship that has meant so much to all who served in her. She goes as many good ships have gone before her, but when HMNZS Philomel’s colours are hauled down at sunset this evening, the tradition which she has established during her long career will live on in the depot to which she has given her name.”[16]
The hulk of Philomel was sold to Strongman Shipping Company, based in Coromandel. She was towed and deliberately ran aground in Coromandel harbour, near the wharf. After her fittings and parts were removed, she was towed out to sea and sunk in 100 fathoms near Cuvier Island on 6 August 1949, when sunk she was just 22 days shy of 59 years afloat. Much of the teak timber and some fittings went into a newly built coaster named Coromel, an amalgamation of Coromandel and Philomel.[1] Her crest is mounted to the gate of the Devonport Naval Base and her builders plate is on display in the William Sanders building which serves as the administrative Head Quarters of the shore establishment.[16] Additionally her mast has been used as a flag pole at HMNZS Tamaki and is now situated infront of the parade ground on the Jim Tichener Parade side of the base.
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The New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy also known as the New Zealand Station was formed in 1921 and remained in existence until 1941.
HMNZS Philomel
It was the precursor to the Royal New Zealand Navy. Originally, the Royal Navy was solely responsible for the naval security of New Zealand. The passing of the Naval Defence Act 1913 created the New Zealand Naval Forces as a separate division within the Royal Navy.
History[edit]
At its establishment in 1848, the Australia Station encompassed Australia and New Zealand.[1] Under the Australasian Naval Agreement 1887 the colonial governments of Australia and New Zealand secured a greater naval presence in their waters, agreed that two ships would always be based in New Zealand waters and agreed contributions to funding that presence.[2]
In 1901 the Commonwealth of Australia became independent of the United Kingdom. The Australian Squadron was disbanded in 1911 and the Australia Station passed to the Commonwealth Naval Forces. The Australia Station was reduced to cover Australia and its island dependencies to the north and east, excluding New Zealand and its surrounds, which was transferred under the command of the Commander-in-Chief, China and called the New Zealand Naval Forces.[3]
On 1 January 1921, the New Zealand Naval Forces, which had formerly been under the command of the China Station, were renamed the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy.[4] Funded by Wellington and increasingly manned by New Zealanders, it operated 14 ships over a period of 21 years, including the cruisers HMS Achilles and HMS Leander, the training minesweeper HMS Wakakura, and the cruiser HMS Philomel which was recommissioned as a base training establishment.[5]
The Commodore’s appointment was abolished and forces brought directly under the New Zealand Chief of the Naval Staff from October 1940.[6] The New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy became the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) from 1 October 1941, in recognition of the fact that the naval force was now largely self-sufficient and independent of the Royal Navy
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HMNZS Fairmile Q411 Later Kahu
HMNZS Kahu (P3571)
Career (New Zealand) Royal New Zealand naval ensign
Laid down: 1942
Commissioned: 1947
Decommissioned: 1965
General characteristics
Class & type: Fairmile B class motor launch
Displacement: 85 tons
Length: 112 ft (34 m)
Beam: 18 ft 3 in (5.56 m)
Draught: 4 ft 9 in (1.45 m)
Propulsion: Twin petrol engines totaling 1200 bhp
Speed: 20 knots
Range: 1500 miles at 12 kt
Complement: 16
Sensors and
processing systems: asdic, the forerunner of sonar
Armament:
1 x 3-lb Mk I gun 1 x twin 0.303-in Machineguns
12 depth charges
Armour: Wheelhouse plated
HMNZS Kahu I (P3571) was a Fairmile B motor launch of the Royal New Zealand Navy.
Originally commissioned on 20 December 1943, with the pendant number Q 411, she was part of the 80th Motor Launch Flotilla. Early in 1944, she went to the Solomon Islands where she served under the operational control of COMSOPAC.
She was recommissioned from 1947 to 1965 as HMNZS Kahu I (P3571)
Kahu probably late 50’s coming into Admiralty Steps. The upper deck long cabin must have been shortened early 60’s as that had been done when I joined her
HMNZS Fairmile Q411 Later Kahu (P3571)
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/aucklander/news/tall-tales-from-the-high-seas/RDEQBWE4QIQ2DBCQM2ZRONVDTU/
More photos here – https://waitematawoodys.com/2017/05/31/kahu-2/
Never finished the refit
Contracts were awarded in 1941 to four Auckland boatyards to construct a total of 12 Fairmile Class B anti-submarine motor boats. Plans and prefabricated keel framing were provided by the British Admiralty and the hull, decking and superstructure were to be completed with local timber. The stem and sternposts were formed from Pohutukawa and the hull was two layers of Kauri planking. Engines, ordnance and many fasteners and fittings used in their installation were also imported from UK. The first Fairmile was finished in Oct-42 and the last by Dec-43 and along the way there were delays in shipping of components and obtaining sufficient Kauri that prevented the project being completed sooner. During this time the vessels began coastal patrols with six based in Auckland, four in Wellington and two from Lyttelton.
However by the end of 1943 there was little further threat of enemy attack in the vicinity and in January 1944 it was agreed to deploy all the Fairmiles to the Solomon Islands and under the control of US Navy. They sailed in three groups during late February via Noumea and arrived together at Russell Islands in early March organised as the 80th ML and 81st ML flotillas. They commenced anti-submarine patrols in the Guadalcanal, Tulagi and Russell Islands area. The launches added to the existing RNZN presence in the Campaign as the 25th Minesweeping flotilla had already seen much action there .The NZ Army 3rd Division were also deployed nearby as were squadrons of RNZAF aircraft. The Fairmiles continued on patrol and escort duties in the region until they were withdrawn in July-45 and although there had been operational accidents they never engaged in battle with Japanese forces. Consequently all 12 returned to NZ and except for Q411 were soon up for tender.
Q400 – 402 Built by Chas Bailey & Son.
Q403 – 406 Associated Boatbuilders.
Q407 – 409 Shipbuilders Ltd.
Q410, 411 P.Vos Ltd.
BRIEF POSTWAR HISTORY:
Q400 “Dolphin / Sayandra”– Burned and sunk, Gt Barrier Is. 1980.
Q401 “Mahurangi” – Lost, Cook Islands 1954.
Q402 “Ngaroma”; Hauraki Gulf Ferry on Gt Barrier service – Sold Sri Lanka 1992.
Q403 “Tiare”; Tauranga Ferry – Abandoned Raglan 1957.
Q404 Named “Wailana”.
Q405 “Marlyn” – Severely damaged in Wahine storm, Burnt in Marlborough Sounds 1969.
Q406 “Motunui”; Hauraki Gulf Ferry on Waiheke service – Converted to Motel at Waitomo 2006.
Q407 “Deborah Bay”; Once owned by Sir Dove-Myer Robinson.
Q408 “Karamana II / Colville”; Gulf Ferry on Gt Barrier service – last reported Fiji 1985.
Q409 “Iris Moana” ; Returned to Navy as HMNZS Maori P3570 1953-63. From then Gulf Ferry on Waiheke service – Sold to Sri Lanka 1992, beached and abandoned during civil war action 1995.
Q410 “La Reta” – Sunk Vanuatu 1977.
Q411 “Kahu”; Retained by Navy as HMNZS Kahu P3571 1947-65. From then as backup Gulf ferry in storage. Subsequently sold to private owners – At Whangarei for refit 2016.
Many of the Fairmiles were a familiar sight on Auckland Harbour and provided reliable public transport for decades after their military service was over. Generations of Aucklanders enjoyed the excursions on them around the islands of the Gulf. I haven’t yet found mention about the fate of Q404 and Q407 nor if Q402 and Q408 are still afloat. I’m looking forward to any news about their recent history and current status. But it appears that only Q406 and Q411 remain in NZ.
Kahu may have been the last chance for preservation but too late
A story of a sailor who served on Q411 and also HMNZS Tamure – https://rnzncomms.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/jacks-war-1941-1946-medium-resolution.pdf
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HMNZS Fairmile Q410 Later La Reta
Production date
10 Dec 1942
All
Object detail
Public comments
Object detail
Description An original black and white photograph of Fairmile Q410 just after being launched at P Vos Ltd’s shipyard on 10 December 1942. Q410 was commissioned on 25 January 1943. The masts of the scow ECHO are in the background. In the centre is a starboard view of a small ship with a flag flying from a mast above the cabin that looks like the Union Jack. Another flag is hung at the bow which could be the New Zealand flag. Three men are standing at the bow, two are in uniform. There are several buildings in the background to the left. One has Waitemata Fisheries Ltd written on two sides. Above the ship’s cabin two masts are visible. On the reverse of the mount is a caption written in black pen by Jack Churchouse. Auckland, 10 Dec 1942
