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]
The launching of the minesweeper Tawhai at Auckland.
Tawhai was the last of four composite minesweepers to be built for the RNZN, the others being Hinau, Manuka, and Rimu. Tawhai was originally built for use as an LL Magnetic minesweeper, but by mid 1943, it was clear Tawhai was not needed as another LL minesweeper, so was to be completed as a conventional minesweeper.[2] At the 28 September 1943 Navy Office conference, use of the Tawhai as a servicing vessel was considered but was declined.[2]Tawhai would be ‘work suspended’ at the date of delivery when 95% complete and was declared surplus to the War Assets Realisation board in October 1944 for disposal.[2] In 1946, she would be purchased by the UNRRA to rebuild the decimated Chinese fishing industry.[2][3] She was last seen with the Awatere and Pahau fishing at Formosa (now Taiwan)
HMNZS Waikato under construction, 1943 – Not commissioned
HMNZS Waikato under construction, 1943
Waikato being launched, 1943
The minesweeper HMNZS Waikato in the Waitematā Harbour immediately after launching, crowds attending the launch ceremony at the Marine Departments Construction Yard in the foreground
Castle Class – RNZN built, not completed as HMNZS Waikato, later SS Taiaroa (1943) Vessel Taiaroa, crossing the roadway from the slipway at Evans Bay, Wellington. Evening post (Newspaper. 1865-2002) :Photographic negatives and prints of the Evening Post newspaper. Ref: EP/1956/2260-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/22311999
HMNZS Waikato (Now Taiaroa in this photo – fishing trawler)
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]
Originally launched as HMNZS Waikato in 1943, she was planned to have been commissioned in 1944, and was to serve in the 97th Auxiliary minesweeping group.[2] But construction would be stopped when she was 95% complete and was declared war surplus.[2]
In 1946, she was sold to the National Mortgage and Agency Company, being renamed to Taiaroa, and was converted into a fishing trawler, and would operate at Dunedin.[2][3] She would be sold to New Zealand Fisheries LTD in 1952.[4] Later that year on 28 July 1952, a man was found dead on the deck of Taiaroa, having fallen head first.[5] a member of the crew, Charles Munday told the police that he was walking with the man on the wharf, and while he was climbing down to the trawler, the man fell head first onto Taiaroa.[5] Charles would report this to the fireman of Taiaroa, but because he did not see the man because of the darkness, the fireman presumed he was under the influence of liquor, told him to get off the ship.[5] Charles would then report the accident to the police, and when the police arrived, they found the man dead.[5] In September 1974, she was laid up in Wellington, where for almost a decade, she would be badly vandalised. In April 1982, she was sold by the Wellington Harbour Board to recover costs, and was to be used for the movie Savage Islands, and would sail to Tauranga under her own power to be converted.[2][6] In one of the final scenes of the movie, she was to be blown up, which was only meant to damage deck structures, unfortunately she caught fire, also setting fire to a wildlife reserve on Motoura island.[2] After a lengthy court case, Taiaroa was stripped, and given to the Royal New Zealand Air Force to be sunk
HMNZS Waipu (T32/T357 ) outboard of HMNZS Kiwi (T102)
Ex-HMNZS Waipu as a fishing trawler
HMNZS Waipu HMNZS Waipu – New Zealand minesweeper from the period of World War II , one of the thirteen built units of type Castle . The ship was launched on July 31, 1943 at the Stevenson & Cook shipyard in Dunedin , and the Royal New Zealand Navy entered in November 1943. The unit was withdrawn from service in 1946. Design and construction The ship’s construction was based on a project of British Castle trawlers , built massively from the First World War [1] [2] . Of the planned seventeen units of this type, thirteen were completed, with a hull with a wooden shell made of agatisa , using metal frames [3] .
HMNZS [a] “Waipu” was launched on July 31, 1943 at the Stevenson & Cook shipyard in Dunedin, and entered service in the Navy on November 17, 1943 [2] [3] .
Tactical and technical data The length between the ship’s risers was 38.1 meters , the width was 7.16 meters and the maximum draft was 4.27 meters [1] [2] . The standard displacement was 447 tons , and the full standard was 635 tons [1] [4] . The ship was powered by a 480- hp triple-expansion steam machine , to which steam supplied a single cylindrical boiler , fired with coal [1] [3] . The maximum speed of the unit driven by one screw was 10 knots [1] [5] .
Artillery equipment consisted of a single 12-pound running universal caliber of 76 mm (3 inches ) QF HA L / 40 [1] [2] . The small-caliber anti-aircraft weapon was a single Oerlikon automatic gun cal. 20 mm L / 70 [1] [2] [b] . For anti-submarine serving pitcher depth charge with a supply of four bomb [1] [2] . Anti-mine equipment was sea trawl [2] .
The ship’s crew consisted of 42 officers, non-commissioned officers and seamen [1] [2] [c] .
Service “Waipu” served in the RNZN for less than three years, initially marked with the T32 side sign , then changed to T357 [2] . The list of the fleet was written down in 1946 and then sold to the fisheries sector
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
Operational history Waima was the eighth of the nine steel minesweepers constructed for the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) and was commissioned on 28 March 1944. the others being Aroha, Awatere, Hautapu, Maimai, Pahau, Waiho, Waipu, and Waikato (never commissioned). She served with the 96th Auxiliary Minesweeping Group, located at Lyttleton.[2] In September 1945, Waima along with the Waiho and Waipu were converted into danlayers, with operations ceasing October 1945 due to coal shortages, resuming in March 1946 with a guaranteed supply of coal for all 3 trawlers with them making up part of the 25th Auxiliary Minesweeping Division, which was formed to sweep the Waitemata Harbour for a final time.[3][2][1]
Waima would be sold to Red Funnel Trawlers, located in Sydney in May 1946, being towed to Australia by the Matai, arriving on 12 September 1946.[3] She would be renamed to Moona, and began trawling that same year, being laid up in 1958 but would temporarily re-enter service in mid-1959 but would be laid up once again in 1960.[3] In 1963, she would be sold to Robin & Co. Ltd, located in Singapore to be scrapped https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMNZS_Waima
A Waima model at the Port Chalmers Maritime Museum
EX HMNZS Waima as Moona, a fishing trawler in Sydney, Australia
HMNZS Waiho, T34HMNZS Waiho – Gunnery practice 1940’sHMNZS Waiho, T34
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
