HMNZS Awatere was one of eight steel New Zealand-built Castle-class ships built and commissioned by the Royal New Zealand Navy during World War II.
.png) HMNZS Awatere on a slipway.
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
  New Zealand | |
| Name | Awatere |
| Builder | Stevenson & Cook, Port Chalmers |
| Launched | 26 September 1942 |
| Commissioned | 26 June 1943 |
| Decommissioned | 1945 |
| Identification | Pennant number: T25/T397 |
| Fate | Sold to Arthur. A. Murrell of Sydney |
 Australia | |
| Name | Awatere |
| Owner | A. A. Murrell |
| Acquired | 1946 |
| In service | 1946 |
| Out of service | October 1946 |
| Fate | Purchased by the Australian Commonwealth Government, allocated to the UNRRA. |
| Australia | |
| Name | Awatere |
| Owner | United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration |
| In service | 1946 |
| Fate | Last seen fishing October 1949 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Castle-class minesweeper |
| Displacement | 625 tons |
| Length | 135 ft (41 m) |
| Beam | 23 ft (7.0 m) |
| Propulsion | Single screw, triple reciprocating engine |
| Speed | 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) |
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 the time.[1]
Operational history edit
Awatere was the second of the nine steel minesweepers constructed for the Royal New Zealand Navy and was commissioned on 28 July 1943. the others being Aroha, Hautapu, Maimai, Pahau, Waiho, Waima, Waipu, and Waikato (never commissioned). She served with the 95th Auxiliary Minesweeping Group, located at Wellington.[2] On 27 July 1945, Awatere would ram the Maimai stern-to-stern at Shelly Bay, with minor damage.[3] In March 1946, Awatere would be sold to Arthur. A. Murrel of Sydney along with Pahau. [3][2] In October 1946, Awatere was brought by the Australian Commonwealth Government and was allocated to the UNNRA to rebuild the decimated Chinese fishing industry.[3] She was last seen with the Pahau and Tawhai fishing at Formosa (now Taiwan).[3]
References edit
- ^ "HMNZS Waiho Castle-Class Minesweeper". National Museum of the Royal New Zealand Navy. 6 October 2015. Archived from the original on 21 December 2009. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
- ^ a b "CHAPTER 18 — The Minesweeping Flotillas | NZETC". nzetc.victoria.ac.nz. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
- ^ a b c d McDougall, R.J. (1989). New Zealand Naval vessels. ISBN 0-477-01399-6.