Maunganui was converted from a 30-year-old oil burner, and was larger than the previous ships operated by the RNZN, those being the Maheno and Marama. She had electric lifts installed which could carry two stretchers each from deck to deck and a fresh water tank holding up to 700 tons of water. Also installed were an operating block containing rooms for sterilization, massage, X-ray and diathermy. Initially planned to have accommodation for 390 patients with 100 swinging cots, 100 single fixed cots and 95 fixed two-tier cots she ultimately ended up with 365 cots, 22 for fractures, 84 single cots and the rest two-tier cots. In total these conversions cost the New Zealand government around £50,000. By 21 April 1941, the conversions had been completed.[1]
Once completed she had a crew of 104 medical officers, nurses and orderlies and an indeterminate amount of crew. She set sail for Suez a day after finishing conversions, leaving on 22 April 1941 to assist 2 NZEF. She arrived at Suez on 22 May 1941 taking casualties from Greece and Crete before returning to New Zealand on 10 June 1941 full with patients. This was a voyage she completed a total of 14 times.[1]
On her 15th voyage, the ship was diverted to the Pacific to assist around various islands making repeated voyages to pick up and treat patients until the end of the war when she brought back one final load of 2 NZEF casualties from Italy and Egypt. By the end of the war the total number of patients she had taken on numbered 5,677
The vessel was built for the Danish shipping company Mercandia during the early 1980s, and operated under the names Mercandian Queen II and Continental Queen II. The New Zealand Defence Force had identified the need for a logistic support ship as early as the 1970s but it was not until the 1991 white paper that planning to acquire a ship commenced in earnest. Mercandian Queen II was for sale around that time, and although not as capable as the RNZN had initially specified, was purchased in 1994.
The ship arrived in New Zealand in 1995 under the name Sealift, and was commissioned later that year as HMNZS Charles Upham, after the only combat soldier to be awarded the Victoria Cross twice, Captain Charles Upham. After some modification, the ship made two voyages to test her capabilities and determine what further work was required to make her fully operational. Significant problems with stability and seakeeping were encountered during the second voyage, and the ship was removed from service on her return. The cost of fixing the stability problems and fitting Charles Upham out for troop and vehicle transport was prohibitive, and the work was postponed. In the meantime, the ship was chartered to Spanish company Contenemar SA in 1998 and used to transport citrus fruit around the Mediterranean.
By 2001, the New Zealand government had decided that Charles Upham was unusable and should be sold. The ship was sold to Contenemar (who operated her under the name Don Carlos, then Don Carlos II), then converted into a vehicle carrier and onsold in 2009 to Indonesian company PT Pelayaran Putra Sejati (operating as Nusantara Sejati). In the meantime, the RNZN sought to acquire a new logistic vessel, with HMNZS Canterbury entering service in 2007.
The vessel was one of 137 cargo vessels built by Danish shipping company Mercandia between 1964 and 1996 for their worldwide shipping fleet.[1] The ship is of the Mercandian 2-in-1 class design, with a displacement of 7,995 tonnes (7,869 long tons; 8,813 short tons) at light load, and 10,500 tonnes (10,300 long tons; 11,600 short tons) at full load.[2][3] She is 131.7 metres (432 ft) long, with a beam of 21.1 metres (69 ft), and a draught of 6.2 metres (20 ft).[3] The propulsion system consists of a MaK M 453AK diesel motor, which supplied 4,890 horsepower (3,650 kW) to a single controllable-pitch propeller.[3] This was supplemented by a bow thruster.[3] Maximum speed was 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph), and maximum range was 7,000 nautical miles (13,000 km; 8,100 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph).[3]
The ship had a two ramps for vehicle loading; one at the stern, the other on the starboard side.[3] She was designed to carry up to 7,000 tonnes (6,900 long tons; 7,700 short tons) of cargo.[4] The crew complement was 17 strong, and the ship was fitted with two I-band navigational radars.[3][5]
The vessel was built by Frederikshavns Værft in Frederikshavn, Denmark.[3] Laid down as yard number 407, she was launched on 16 December 1983, and completed on 6 April 1984.[6] The vessel was assigned the IMO Number 8131128.[6]
The ship was built for and operated by Danish shipping company Mercandia, and was flagged as a Danish vessel.[1][6] During her initial civilian career, the vessel operated under the name Mercandian Queen II, except for a period during 1992 when she was briefly named Continental Queen II.[6][7]
The RNZN began to identify the need for a logistic support ship in the 1970s.[8] Such a ship would be used to support the defence and foreign policies of the New Zealand government, particularly in the South Pacific region by providing sealift for the New Zealand Army‘s Ready Reaction Force (RRF), with secondary roles including disaster relief, civil defence, Antarctic supply, and United Nations operations.[3][8] The 1978 Defence Review noted the need for such a vessel, with attention drawn back to the acquisition of such a ship in the 1987 Defence White Paper.[8] A 1988 study indicated that the minimum requirement was a vessel able to transport 200 soldiers and equipment, and unload them either through beach landings or wharf facilities.[8] The need for a transport vessel was again identified in the 1991 Defence White Paper, with such a vessel essential to meet the tasks specified for the New Zealand Defence Force in that document.[9] A review subsequent to the 1991 White Paper proposed a less-capable vessel than previously, with the ship able to perform wharf landings only.[10] As well as the transportation of soldiers, the ship was envisaged for use during civil emergencies in South Pacific nations to deliver supplies of extract New Zealand citizens, and to keep transport routes to New Zealand’s offshore islands, or across Cook Strait, if civilian services became restricted or unavailable.[10] The review concluded that the acquisition of a mid-size roll-on/roll-off vessel for use as a military sealift ship should be prioritised; a Mercandian 1500-type vessel, capable of transporting 50% of the RRF’s vehicles and equipment, was seen as the minimum standard, although a larger vessel like Union Rotorua, almost able to deploy the entire RRF, was preferred.[10]
Union Rotorua was the first ship considered for acquisition, with inspection beginning in November 1991, but after the New Zealand Defence Force began to look at other vessels in mid-1992, Union Rotorua was dropped from contention.[11] In researching New Zealand defence acquisitions, Peter Greener claims he can find no clear reason for Union Rotorua to be dropped, but identifies the size of the 205-metre (673 ft) ship, which would have been by far the largest vessel ever operated by the RNZN, and the gas-turbine propulsion system, which was due for overhaul, as factors.[11]Shipbroking company Rugg and Co was contracted in July 1992 to identify civilian ships that met the RNZN’s criteria and were available to purchase second-hand; the company returned a list of 33 ships of 20 classes, which the Defence Force culled to 21 ships of 9 classes, then again to 4 classes.[12] In October 1992, around the same time as the second revision or Rugg and Co’s list, shipyards in Spain, Korea, and Poland were asked about the cost of new-build vessels.[12] By January 1993, a Mercandian 2-in-1 class vessel was identified as the preferred type; although there was a loss of capability compared to a purpose-built vessel, this was seen as an acceptable tradeoff as the RNZN would have great difficulty affording a new ship, particularly after acquiring the Anzac class frigates.[12][13] An independent review by British company BMT Defence Services indicated that conversion of such a vessel for military service was feasible, but warned that the ramp size and vehicle deck height were smaller than the RNZN had specified, and that motion in heavy conditions, particularly with the later-planned modification to carry helicopters, was a concern.[12] Approval was sought from Cabinet in April 1993 to purchase a ship, although the decision to buy a new-build or second-hand vessel was unresolved.[12] The Australian government offered to lease or sell the Royal Australian Navy‘s heavy lift ship, HMAS Tobruk, to the New Zealanders in late 1993; although the offer was responded to favourably, it was rejected because of the lower cargo capacity and higher personnel requirement compared to the Mercandian design, despite Tobruk‘s capability for beach landings.[14]
The decision to acquire a second-hand Mercandian 2-in-1 class ship was made in July 1994.[2] Rugg and Co was asked to provide a list of such ships available; they advised that the only ship available was Mercandian Queen II, which had just come back onto the market after a previous sale fell through, and Cabinet approval was secured on 28 November 1994.[15] The ship was purchased from Mercandia on 16 December 1994 for NZ$14.15 million or 55 million Danish Kronor.[5][13] She was sailed to New Zealand with a cargo and as a New Zealand-flagged merchant vessel under the name Sealift to offset costs, arrived on 14 March 1995, and was commissioned into the RNZN as HMZNS Charles Upham (named after dual Victoria Cross winner Charles Upham) on 18 October 1995.[3][5] Before entering operational service, she was fitted with naval communications equipment, along with four 12.7-millimetre (0.50 in) machine guns and two SRBOC Mark 36 launchers for self-defence, and increased accommodation facilities.[3][16] In military service, the ship’s company consisted of 8 officers and 24 sailors.[3]
During 1996, Charles Upham made two operational voyages to test the ship’s capabilities.[4] The first was between Napier and Lyttelton, then on 24 June, the vessel sailed from Auckland to Fiji as part of Exercise Tropic Dust.[4] En route to Fiji, the lightly laden Charles Upham showed a propensity to roll, and reached 37 degrees from centre during one heavy storm; the degree of roll caused the main fuel pump to fail and the ship experienced a broaching effect.[4][13] The conditions led to the ship being nicknamed “Charles Chuckam” and “Chuck-Up”, and the commanding officer was so concerned for the safety of the ship and his personnel that on return to New Zealand on 3 August, Charles Upham was withdrawn from service until modifications could be made to improve stability.[1][4] Other alterations planned as part of this conversion included the installation of a flight deck and facilities for two mid-size helicopters, and an increase in soldier accommodation by 100, bringing the number of available berths for ship’s personnel and passengers to 215.[3][5] Investigation found that up to 3,500 tonnes (3,400 long tons; 3,900 short tons) of cargo or ballast (half the ship’s designed load) was required to minimise excessive motion, and operation of a helicopter in even these conditions would be limited.[4] Cargo unloading capability at undeveloped or damaged wharves was also found to be poor, with cranes unable to be fitted because they would further compromise stability, and container forklifts were too heavy for the ship’s 17-tonne (17-long-ton; 19-short-ton)-per-axle deck weight limit.[17]
The ship was berthed at Devonport Naval Base until the problems could be addressed; this was slow in coming, and by June 1997, Charles Upham was being referred to as “the Calliope South Windbreak”.[18] Delays included a reassessment of Defence finances and operational requirements prioritising spending on the Army, and government calls for an independent report into the ship’s acquisition and suitability for conversion. The report found that the vessel had been acquired reasonably and was suitable for modification, although the new Alliance Party criticised this review as a whitewash.[13][19] In October 1997, Cabinet agreed that conversion of the vessel would be considered in 2000, near the end of the three-year planning cycle.[18] A month later, the Alliance Party published The Scandal of The Chales Upham the first of two booklets criticising the ship and her acquisition.[18] By April 1998, pressures on the defence budget caused priority for funding the conversion to be reduced, and the RNZN made Charles Upham available for civilian charter until such funding became available again.[20] In early 1998, the ballast tanks were refitted, and an STP was installed.[3]
On 12 May 1998, Charles Upham sailed on a bareboat charter to Spanish company Contenemar SA, where she was used to transport oranges and lemons around the Mediterranean.[1][20] The Alliance Party released their second booklet, The Biggest Lemon Ever to Leave Auckland, in July 1998, which claimed the sealift ship was “doing a passable imitation between a lemon and a white elephant“.[20] To counter the claims being made by the Alliance Party and sections of the media, the Audit Office compiled an internal report in September commenting on the allegations, along with other advice received by the government relating to the ship.[20] To serve the public interest, Defence Minister Max Bradford authorised full disclosure of all information the Ministry of Defence and the RNZN could make public, resulting in the November 1998 publication of the document Official Information Pertaining to the Military Sealift Project HMNZS Charles Upham.[20] In July 1999, the Cabinet gave approval in principle for the conversion to occur.[21]
An election in November 1999 saw the transition from the Fourth National Government to the Fifth Labour Government, and a new review into Charles Upham was ordered.[21] The Sealift Review was completed in November 2000, and found that although the ship had limitations, retaining and modifying the vessel was the most cost-effective option for maintaining a strategic sealift capability.[22] Despite this, the Cabinet agreed in April 2001 to a proposal that called for the sale of Charles Upham once her Spanish charter ended, and address the reacquisition of sealift capability at the same time as the replacement for the frigate HMNZS Canterbury (F421).[23] On 9 May, plans to sell the ship were announced.[1]Charles Upham was decommissioned and sold outright to Contenemar in July for NZ$8.6 million.[13][24] The RNZN then sought to acquire sealift capability through Project Protector, resulting in the acquisition of the multi-role vessel HMNZS Canterbury (L421) in 2007.[13]
In Contenemar service, the ship initially operated under the name Don Carlos (a name that began use during the company’s charter of the naval vessel), then was renamed Don Carlos II in 2007.[6] In 2008, the vessel was converted for use as a vehicle carrier.[6] She was sold in 2009 to Indonesian company PT Pelayaran Putra Sejati, and renamed Nusantara Sejati.
Navy, Air, Army, HMNZS Canterbury, MRV, Samoa, Tonga, Tsunami, Deployment: HMNZS Canterbury deploys to Tonga and Samoa after a Tsunami in the Pacific region devastated much of Samoa South Coast and a small Island in Tonga. Aerial view of Niuatoputapu Island, NTT with Canterbury anchored offshore.
She was commissioned in June 2007, and is the second ship of the Royal New Zealand Navy to carry the name. She is also New Zealand’s first purpose-built strategic sealift ship.[5]
As early as 1988 the Royal New Zealand Navy had identified the need for some form of sealift in the South Pacific. In 1995, this led to the commissioning of HMNZS Charles Upham. The subsequent failure of successive governments to fund the required refits resulted in Charles Upham being sold in 2001.
At the same time the newly elected Labour Government directed the navy to exclude the option of a third frigate from the Maritime Forces Review, while the sea lift requirement was also part of a wider capability mix desired.[6]
The construction of the MRV was sub-contracted to Merwede Shipyards in the Netherlands by Tenix Shipyards in Williamstown, Melbourne, with the design based on the commercial RoRo ship Ben my Chree. However, the choice of a commercially based design has been criticised after the ship was delivered, as it placed several limitations on the functionality of the ship in rough seas – rather than the coastal environment for which Ben my Chree was designed.[5][7]
Canterbury under construction in Rotterdam
The keel was laid on 6 September 2005 and the MRV was launched successfully on 11 February 2006. The ship completed initial sea trials in the Netherlands and arrived in Australia in late August 2006 for fit-out with military equipment. Final acceptance was delayed due to alterations to the ship’s hospital and late delivery of documentation.[citation needed] There were also ongoing concerns, negotiations and redesign activities regarding her performance in heavy seas, doubts about which had already been thrown up during her initial journey to Australia, and in fact, even before actual construction.[7]
The MRV was accepted by the New Zealand Government on 31 May 2007 and commissioned on 12 June 2007 in Port Melbourne, Australia by the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Helen Clark.[8] The ship cost NZ$130 million to construct.[9]
She was constructed with an ice-strengthened hull to allow her to operate in the subantarctic waters, where New Zealand governs several islands, and where Canterbury is to assist scientific expeditions.[10]
The vessel was plagued by problems since delivery, having been involved in a number of incidents and being considered less seaworthy than specified. It was estimated in 2008 that at least another NZ$20 million would have to be spent to achieve the sought-for operational abilities.[11]
After commissioning, the ship sailed to its home port of Lyttelton arriving 28 June 2007. After several days of inaugural events, it departed again on 2 July. Following a courtesy visit to Timaru and after a month-long set of trials and exercises in the Auckland area, where she is operationally based at Devonport Naval Base,[12] she is to head to New Zealand’s subantarctic waters carrying DOC conservation officers.[9]
In September 2007, Canterbury embarked 250 troops and 50 vehicles, including 20 NZLAV armoured vehicles, to test embarkation and disembarkation procedures.[13]
In early 2011, it was announced that the ship would form the core asset of a joint Australia-New Zealand task force for disaster-relief operations. At that time Canterbury was the only vessel available to the navies of the two countries suitable for such tasks as three other similarly capable Australian ships were unavailable due to significant maintenance problems.[14]
Coincidentally, the newly appointed disaster-relief ship was in the port of Lyttelton less than two weeks later during the devastating February 2011 Christchurch earthquake. The crew provided meals for 1,000 people left homeless in that town,[15] and accommodation for a small number of locals.
2012 Kermadec Islands eruption and pumice raft[edit]
After the earthquake on 14 November 2016, HMNZS Canterbury was deployed to provide relief for Kaikōura, as extensive damage to major roads severely restricted access. The ship delivered supplies from Port Lyttleton to Kaikōura and evacuated foreign tourists back to Port Lyttleton.
The M242 Bushmaster cannon fitted to Canterbury‘s foredeck is the primary weapon fitted to the sealift ship
As a sealift ship, Canterbury is not intended to enter combat, or conduct opposed landings under fire. The ship’s armament consists of a single 25 mm M242 Bushmaster cannon fitted to an MSI DS25 stabilised mount, two .50 calibre machine guns, and a number of small arms. These are intended for self-defence against other smaller craft, and for ocean patrol duties (for example the intercepting of suspicious civilian craft) during a naval blockade.[17]
The ship also carries two Landing Craft, Medium.[clarification needed] The landing craft have a length of 23 metres (75 ft) and a displacement 55 tonnes (empty) to 100 tonnes (loaded with two NZLAVs). They are operated by a crew of three, using two Azimuth thrusters generating 235 kW.
The LCMs can be loaded from either of Canterbury‘s two 60 tonne cranes or via the stern ramp. To aid stern ramp loading, the MRV is fitted with Flippers to ensure that the LCM are aligned with the MRV. A ballasting system is fitted to allow for safe operations during loading.[citation needed] Once loaded, the LCM can conduct over-the-beach landings, with the boats mainly intended to be able to access beaches in the Pacific where no port facilities are available, for example during humanitarian missions.[18]
Due to various issues (discussed further below) the original landing craft were decided in 2010 to need replacing. The fate of the current craft is currently undecided.[18]
HMNZS Canterbury alongside at Lyttleton in 2007. An SH-2G Seasprite is sitting on the dockside
Canterbury is able to accommodate up to four NH90 helicopters for deployment ashore in support of New Zealand Army operations and disaster relief activities. She is also capable of operating the SH-2G Seasprite and the helicopter deck is able to handle a Chinook-size helicopter.
Canterbury weathered her first strong storm during 10 July 2007 well, though she lost one of her rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIB) (and almost lost the other) to waves swamping her open boat bays while near Tauranga on the way to Auckland.[12] The RHIB was found a week later, washed ashore on Great Barrier Island, 200 kilometres (120 mi) to the north.[4][19]
Berthed at the Devonport Naval Base, Auckland, November 2007 showing one of the boat bays located around 3 metres (9.8 ft) above the waterline.
A court of inquiry found that the loss was due to a known design flaw identified in tank testing. The flaw resulted in the loss of the RHIB and water entering the cargo deck after the doors were opened by the sea. As a result of this the doors were tied shut. The court of inquiry also reported slamming of the bow and propellers leaving the water. Options to resolve the design problems on the ship include closing the alcoves in which the ship’s boats had been stowed. At the time the RHIB was lost, the ship’s log records the weather conditions as being a wind strength of 60 knots (110 km/h; 69 mph), gusting to 73 knots (135 km/h; 84 mph), a swell of 6 metres (20 ft) (sea state six), and a completely overcast, very dark night. The alcoves are 3.3 metres (11 ft) above the waterline and were swamped by the waves and because the ship was experiencing severe motion, rolling up to 28 degrees to port, at a roll frequency of 11.5 seconds. The ship’s anti-roll system will not function when the period of the ship’s roll is less than 11.9 seconds. As a result, work was begun to relocate the boats to a less vulnerable location.[20]
In October 2007, a crew member was killed when an RHIB capsized whilst being lowered into the sea. The Navy immediately began an inquiry into the accident.[21] Defence Minister Phil Goff later reported that it was caused by the failure of a quick release shackle, which was now being replaced on all naval vessels.[22]
In November 2007, Lieutenant General Jerry Mateparae said that certain issues were being discussed with the shipbuilder, including the location of the RHIB on the quarterdeck from which it was torn off during the storm in July, possible fatigue problems with the landing craft fittings, and some other issues.[23]
New Zodiac inflatable sea boats were ordered from Tenix Australia to replace the two Gemini sea boats that were damaged.[24]
In 2010, it was decided that two new landing craft would have to be built for Canterbury, as they had experienced a variety of issues, from material problems experienced with weak bow ramps to stability problems, which severely curtailed their usability. The Australian builders of the ship, BAE Systems, agreed to pay $85 million towards remedying the faults of the ship, including the construction of the new landing craft.[25]
In 2013, two new shell doors on deck 3, and two new accommodation ladders on deck 5 were designed and installed by Taranaki engineering firms ITL and EHL. Marine Industrial Design and Babcock NZ made the necessary structural changes. The RHIB was able to be relocated as a result of the innovative design of the new accommodation ladders which can stow compactly inside the ship (5 m × 2.5 × 2.5 m), rather than being externally stored alongside the ship as before. Improved design of the ladders and the relocation of the RHIB has increased the safety and capability of the ship is no longer compromised.
In September 2008, an independent review of the safety and functionality of the ship revealed that some operating limitations will have to be accepted, as sea-keeping performance is poor in high sea states. The “selection of a commercial Roll-on, Roll-off (Ro-Ro) design” has “been at the root of differences of opinion between Tenix, the Ministry of Defence and New Zealand Defence Force and the shortfalls in performance”. The issues included that the propellers can come out of the water when the ship pitches in rough seas, with concern that this may affect the ship’s machinery. The report also recommended relocating the ship’s boats (or protecting them from waves if relocation was not possible) and adding more ballast or improving the ballasting system of Canterbury.[7][23]
These upgrades have now been completed. The RHIB alcoves are now further forward and higher, and more ballast has been added to help with sea keeping. This was all completed before the Pacific Partnership 2013 Exercise.
She was named after James Cook’s Bark Endeavour and is the third ship in the RNZN to carry that name, though if continuity with the Royal Navy ships of the name HMS Endeavour is considered, she is the twelfth. The previous two ships of the RNZN were Antarctic research support vessels. Endeavour was built in South Korea to a commercial design and commissioned on 8 April 1988. Endeavour was deployed to East Timor as part of the Australian-led INTERFET peacekeeping taskforce from 21 to 24 September 1999, and from 28 January to 23 February 2000.[1] In January 2010, Endeavour was awarded the Chatham Rosebowl, the award for the best performing ship in the RNZN. As a result for all of 2011 she flies the ‘E’ Pennant for efficiency. In 2012 Endeavour attended Exercise RIMPAC. The RNZN is currently searching for a replacement for Endeavour. The ship was previously due to be decommissioned in 2013; however, it was given a double hull during an 18-month refit so that it could continue in serve until 2018. In March 2015 a request for tender for a replacement vessel was released by the New Zealand Ministry of Defence.
_in_July_2013_(cropped).jpg)
