HMNZS Q1189 – Laid up 1945. Left RNZN 1946. Became Sea Scout vessel Alert in Dunedin . Known to be in Milford Sound 1980 on deer recovery. Now located at a marine yard in Kopu, Thames
Q1187 – Q1190 via SS Kootenay Park arrived Wellington 30 April 1943
125th Motor Launch Flotilla
Based: Wellington from May 1943 – disbanded September 1945
HDMLs 1187 transferred from 124th ML Flotilla 1 November
1188
1189
1190
1191 transferred from 124th Flotilla 22 May 1944
1349 recommissioned November 1944 to replace other HDMLs
Patrol Area: Approaches to Wellington Harbour and Cook Strait.
Everett Marine Ways Inc. Everett, Washington.
(Contract Number: D.A.N.O.B. 586)
This Company also built four craft. They were Q1187, Q1188, Q1189, Q1190. They were shipped to Wellington, N.Z. from Vancouver as deck cargo on the ship Kootenay Park arriving Wellington on the 30th April 1943.
Q1187 was commissioned on the 13th May 1943.
Q1188 was commissioned on the 22 May 1943.
Q1189 was commissioned on the 25th May 1943
Q1190 was commissioned on the 28th May 1943
Sixteen Harbour Defence Motor Launches (HDMLs) purchased in the United States were commissioned between March 1943 and March 1944. The launches were 72 feet (22 m) long, displaced 54 tons, and had a complement of 10. Twin Diesels generated 270 hp (200 kW) on each of two shafts for a speed of 12 knots (22 km/h). They were armed with one 20mm Oerlikon, three Vickers GO machine guns and six depth charges.
They operated as the 124th and 125th Motor Launch Flotillas, based on Auckland and Wellington respectively. They maintained anti-submarine patrols inside indicator loops. Though they were not tested by enemy action, the anti-submarine fixed defences at Wellington and Auckland attained a high degree of efficiency.[13]
After the war, twelve were retained, three were sold and one was transferred to the Army. The remaining boats were refitted and re-engined with Foden diesels. These were subsequently used as fishery protection, survey and reserve training boats. All remaining boats were named and given new pendant numbers in 1950.
WII HDML Alert – with modified superstructure — at Waitemata Harbour
AUCKLAND STEAM FERRIES WITH HDML ALERT -waitematawoodys.com
ALERT LYTTLETON 2017 -waitematawoodys.com
ALERT 2018 WAITEMATA waitematawoodys.com
Wellington Harbour Q1189 with Q1188 top
Wellington Harbour
Mor information here including her time at Kopu – https://classicyacht.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/Issue-127.pdf
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HMNZS Hawea (P3571), Otago Harbour
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HMNZS Taupo, originally HMS Loch Shin, was a Loch-class frigate which served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War, and then in the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) from 1948 to 1961. She was scrapped in 1962.
In April 1950 Taupo and her sister ship HMNZS Hawea went to serve with the Mediterranean Fleet at Malta. The RN sent two Bay-class frigates HMS St Austell Bay and HMS Veryan Bay to New Zealand. Taupo and Hawea returned to New Zealand in November 1950.
Royal Navy service
On Commissioning in October 1944 Loch Shin was allocated for service in the Western Approaches.[1] On 4 February 1945 she participated in attacks on the German submarine U-1014, which was sunk. The following month she was allocated for escorting Russian convoys. At the end of the war and during 1946 she was employed on Operation Deadlight to sink captured German U-Boats.
She was paid off from Royal Navy service in June 1947 and was reduced to reserve status.
Royal New Zealand Navy service
HMNZS Taupo on winter patrol in Korea
n early 1948 Loch Shin‘s sale to New Zealand was negotiated and she was re-fitted at Chatham before sale. Her name was changed to HMNZS Taupo and her pennant number was changed to F421.
During her service with the RNZN she served in the Pacific and Mediterranean and in 1951 and 1952 was deployed for service in the Korean War. Her service included shore bombardment operations. She paid off at the end of 1952 and was held in reserve status at Auckland.
HMNZS Taupo – Yang Do action – 20 February 1952.
She was sold for scrapping on 15 December 1961.
