HMNZS Waiho (T34/T403)
Does anyone have photos of the trawler HMNZS Waima during her wartime years? ive contacted the NZ naval museum, and NZ Maritime museum and they have nothing, i only have these 2 photos and shes only in the background behind the Waiho. Her pennant numbers were T33 and T349 and she served in Lyttleton.
HMNZS Waiho 612 tons 1944-46
HMNZS Waiho was one of eight steel New Zealand-built Castle-class ships built and commissioned by the Royal New Zealand Navy during World War II. She was the last Castle-class trawler built for any navy.
Background
The vessel was ordered after the New Zealand government, facing a requirement for more minesweepers to operate in home waters, chose the Castle-class design because it was simple enough to be built with the country’s limited ship construction facilities at the time.[1]
Operational history
Waiho was the last of the nine steel minesweepers constructed for the Royal New Zealand Navy and was commissioned on 3 June 1944. the others being Aroha, Awatere, Hautapu, Maimai, Pahau, Waima, Waipu, and Waikato (never commissioned). She served with the 97th Auxiliary Minesweeping Group, located at Auckland.[2]
The day she was commissioned, she ran aground and was towed off after two hours, suffering a twisted rudder and popped rivets.[1][3] In 1944, the Waiho was struck by the Tui.[3] In 1945, she struck the Auckland ferry Makora, with damage to the ferry. [3] In 1946, she was sold to Red Funnel Trawlers, and was towed to Australia by the Matai.[4][3]
She began fishing in 1946, and was laid up in 1958.[3] She was sold for scrap in 1963.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMNZS_Waiho
