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] Operational history [edit] Waipu was the sixth of the nine steel minesweepers constructed for the Royal New Zealand Navy andContinue reading “HMNZS Waipu was one of eight steel New Zealand-built Castle-class ships built and commissioned by the Royal New Zealand Navy during World War II.”
Category Archives: Minesweepers
Castle Class NZ – HMNZS Hautapu (T26/T340)
HMNZS Hautapu was one of eight steel New Zealand-built Castle-class trawlers built and commissioned by the Royal New Zealand Navy during World War II. Background [edit] 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 theContinue reading “Castle Class NZ – HMNZS Hautapu (T26/T340)”
Castle Class – RNZN built, not completed as HMNZS Waikato, later SS Taiaroa (1943)
HMNZS Waikato under construction, 1943 – Not commissioned HMNZS Waikato under construction, 1943 Waikato being launched, 1943 The minesweeper HMNZS Waikato in the Waitematā Harbour immediately after launching, crowds attending the launch ceremony at the Marine Departments Construction Yard in the foreground Castle Class – RNZN built, not completed as HMNZS Waikato, later SS TaiaroaContinue reading “Castle Class – RNZN built, not completed as HMNZS Waikato, later SS Taiaroa (1943)”
Castle Class – RNZN built, not completed as HMNZS Tawhai, later transferred to UNRRA (1943)
Tawhai launch Tawhai sandwiched in the middle Just a peek of Tawhai Tawhai alongside HMNZS Tawhai was a New Zealand-built composite Castle-class trawler built for the Royal New Zealand Navy during World War II for the intention for use as a minesweeper, later being converted into a fishing trawler. Background[edit] The vessel was ordered after the New Zealand government, facing a requirement for more minesweepers to operate in homeContinue reading “Castle Class – RNZN built, not completed as HMNZS Tawhai, later transferred to UNRRA (1943)”
Bird Class – HMNZS Tui (T234)
HMNZS Tui (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.In March 1942Continue reading “Bird Class – HMNZS Tui (T234)”
