HMNZS Tui (T234) was a Bird-class minesweeper of the Royal New Zealand Navy.

She was commissioned in 1941 for minesweeping and anti-submarine roles. Tui was the first of two ships with this name to serve in the Royal New Zealand Navy and was named after a native bird from New Zealand.
Oceanographic research
. On 5 March 1956, the now disarmed Tui was recommissioned and reclassified as a fleet auxiliary. She made many scientific cruises for the DSIR and NRL to places around New Zealand and Pacific islands. She investigated shipwrecks, notably MV Holmglen off Timaru in 1959 and MV Kaitawa off Cape Reinga in 1966.

In October 1955 Tui was docked for conversion to an oceanographic research ship

Fate
Tui was decommissioned for the last time on 22 December 1967. She was stripped of her equipment and sold in December 1969 to Pacific Scrap Ltd who demolished her. She was replaced in 1970 by a purpose-built oceanographic ship with the same name.

Minesweeper Bird Class Trawler, HMNZS Tui had a near miss whilst patrolling off Guadalcanal when a Japanese torpedo bomber fires at her, narrowly missing. Only her slow speed, 8 knots, saved her.
Photo: HMNZS Tui Red Watch c1940s ABJ 0171


Discover more from JCs Royal New Zealand Navy Ships and New Zealand Defence, Also other World Defence Updates

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Leave a comment

Discover more from JCs Royal New Zealand Navy Ships and New Zealand Defence, Also other World Defence Updates

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading