HMNZS WaipuBuilt: Stevenson & Cook, Port Chalmers Type: Castle Class MinesweeperPennant No

HMNZS Waipu

Built: Stevenson & Cook, Port Chalmers
Type: Castle Class Minesweeper
Pennant No.: T32
Named after: NZ river
Displacement: 540 tons std. Full load: 612 tons
Length: 134 ft./40.8 m Beam: 23.4 ft./7.1 m Draft: 14.5 ft./4.4 m
Propulsion: Coal burner, Triple Expansion, 480 hp, 1 shaft
Speed: 10 knots.
Complement : 27
Armament: 1 × 12 pdr. 2 × MG ASW (DCs)

Waipu was launched on 31 July 1943 and commissioned on 17 November 1943 by Lieutenant Blair, RNZNVR. She was assigned to the 97th Auxiliary Minesweeper Group at Auckland where she mainly operated as a danlayer in continuing operations to clear minefields in the outer Auckland area.

In 1944 she was involved in two salvage operations. Firstly she went to the aid of the ss Kotor off North Cape and later pulled a USs Army oil barge off the Kaipara Heads and towed it to Auckland.

In September 1945 Waipu swept the Wellington area for the mines reported to have been laid by the German raider ‘Adjutant’ but none were located. It was later established that these were magnetic mines which fortunately failed to detonate.

She was then converted for permanent use as a danlayer. In 1946 the coal-burning ships of the 7th Trawler Group were ordered to be paid off into reserve and Waipu was decommissioned on 25 July 1946 and sold to Sanford Ltd. of Auckland for £16,500.