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.Continue reading “HMNZS Tui (T234) was a Bird-class minesweeper of the Royal New Zealand Navy.”
Category Archives: Minesweepers
In Memoriam – HMNZS Manuka Pennant numbers: T19, T401, WN82 – 73 years ago on 4 October 1952, while anchored in Port Hutt, Manuka sunk at her moorings. There was nobody aboard when she sank
HMNZS Manuka was one of three composite New Zealand-built Castle-class trawlers 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.[1] ConstructionContinue reading “In Memoriam – HMNZS Manuka Pennant numbers: T19, T401, WN82 – 73 years ago on 4 October 1952, while anchored in Port Hutt, Manuka sunk at her moorings. There was nobody aboard when she sank”
RNZN History – 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. War service In March 1942 in Scotland, Tui and the four Isles-class trawlers, Killegray, Inchkeith, Sanda and Scarba had been newly built for New Zealand. They were formed into a flotilla and departed from the River Clyde with a convoy bound for Canada. The trawler flotilla then left for Auckland,Continue reading “RNZN History – 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. “
RNZN History – HMNZS Moa (T233) was a Bird-class minesweeper of the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) that served during World War II.
Construction and design The first of three Bird-class minesweepers, Moa displaced 607 tons standard and 923 tons at full load. She was 168 ft (51 m) long overall, had a beam of 30 ft (9.1 m) and a draught of 15.3 ft (4.7 m). She had a top speed of 13 knots (24 km/h) and a crew of between 33 and 35 personnel. Moa‘s main armament wasContinue reading “RNZN History – HMNZS Moa (T233) was a Bird-class minesweeper of the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) that served during World War II.”
RNZN History – HMNZS Kiwi (T102) was a Bird class minesweeper of the Royal New Zealand Navy. Video of action by HMNZS Kiwi and HMNZS Moa
She was commissioned in 1941 for minesweeping and anti-submarine roles. From 1948 to 1956 she functioned as a training ship. On 29 January 1943, with her sister ship Moa, Kiwi rammed and wrecked[1] the Japanese submarine I-1. At the time Kiwi was under the command of Lieutenant Commander Gordon Bridson who was awarded the DSC and the United States Navy Cross[2] for this action. Leading Signalman Campbell Howard Buchanan (7 April 1920, Port Chalmers –Continue reading “RNZN History – HMNZS Kiwi (T102) was a Bird class minesweeper of the Royal New Zealand Navy. Video of action by HMNZS Kiwi and HMNZS Moa”
