HMNZS Waima was one of eight steel New Zealand-built Castle-class trawlers built and commissioned by the Royal New Zealand Navy during World War II.
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
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
Courtesy of Sydney heritage fleet photos
Courtesy of Sydney heritage fleet photos
