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.
