Misplaced Pages

Devonport Naval Base

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
#349650

75-632: Devonport Naval Base is the home of the Royal New Zealand Navy , located at Devonport, New Zealand on Auckland 's North Shore . It is currently the only base of the navy that operates ships, and has been in use as a navy base since 1841. The base consists of HMNZS Philomel (the administration centre for the base), the Fleet Support Organisation, and the Fleet Personnel and Training Organisation. In

150-635: A New Zealand formation. Subsequently, Philomel was deployed in the Red Sea and in the Persian Gulf for much of the remainder of the year. In December 1915 she sailed to Bombay for maintenance work but was back in the Persian Gulf in January 1916, continuing her patrolling. By the end of the year, her engines were giving trouble and her stern glands were worn out. A lengthy and costly refit

225-726: A depot ship in Wellington, supporting minesweeping operations until May 1919. In March 1921, on the creation of the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy , Philomel was recommissioned as a training base . She steamed from her berth at Wellington to the dockyard at the Devonport Naval Base in Auckland. Moored alongside the training jetty, she was operated as a training facility for new recruits to

300-652: A dive and hydrographic vessel commissioned in 2019, which sank off the coast of Samoa on 6 October 2024, and HMNZS Matataua. HMNZS Matataua was a land-based unit (a stone frigate ) commissioned in 2017 (previously the Littoral Warfare Support Force, the Littoral Warfare Support Group, and most recently the Littoral Warfare Unit) with two operational groups, one for military hydrographic survey and

375-550: A long and varied list of services and facilities, including facilities for training, sports, and cultural activities, dry dock, as well as engineering and flight support and the Navy Hospital (and Hyperbaric Unit) . The Navy’s fleet of ships are maintained by the Maritime Engineering Support Team (MEST). The MEST is based at Devonport Naval Base and is a blended workforce of Navy personnel in

450-789: A secondary armament of eight 3-pounders . As well as four machine guns , the ship also mounted two submerged 14-inch (360 mm) torpedo tubes . Philomel was launched on 28 August 1890, and completed the following March. After completing sea trials, she was commissioned in the Royal Navy on 10 November 1891. Commanded by Captain Charles Campbell, she was assigned to the Cape of Good Hope Station although fitting work and working up trials meant that Philomel did not arrive in South Africa until June 1892. For six years, Philomel served on station, intercepting slave traders along

525-581: A ship that has meant so much to all who served in her. She goes as many good ships have gone before her, but when HMNZS Philomel' s colours are hauled down at sunset this evening, the tradition which she has established during her long career will live on in the depot to which she has given her name." The hulk of Philomel was sold to Strongman Shipping Company, based in Coromandel . She was towed and deliberately ran aground in Coromandel harbour, near

600-527: Is responsible for policing New Zealand's Exclusive Economic Zone, one of the largest in the world. In addition, the Patrol Force provides assistance to a range of civilian government agencies, including the Department of Conservation, New Zealand Customs and Police, Ministry of Fisheries and others. The Patrol Force consists of: The Littoral Warfare Support Force consisted of HMNZS  Manawanui ,

675-641: Is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force . The fleet currently consists of nine ships. The Navy had its origins in the Naval Defence Act 1913 , and the subsequent acquisition of the cruiser HMS  Philomel , which by 1921 had been moored in Auckland as a training ship. A slow buildup occurred during the interwar period , and then in December 1939 HMS  Achilles fought alongside two other Royal Navy cruisers at

750-534: The Auckland Harbour Board , the dock was transferred to the navy when the Auckland naval base moved from Torpedo Bay to Devonport, into a swamp area next to the dock. 36°49′49″S 174°47′10″E  /  36.830241°S 174.786236°E  / -36.830241; 174.786236 Royal New Zealand Navy The Royal New Zealand Navy ( RNZN ; Māori : Te Taua Moana o Aotearoa , lit.   'Sea Warriors of New Zealand')

825-807: The Battle of Kolombangara . The extent of the damage to Leander saw her docked for repairs until the end of the war. As the war progressed, the size of the RNZN greatly increased, and by the end of the war, there were over 60 ships in commission. These ships participated as part of the British and Commonwealth effort against the Axis in Europe, and against the Japanese in the Pacific. They also played an important role in

SECTION 10

#1732780270350

900-675: The Battle of the River Plate against the German ship, Graf Spee . The first recorded maritime combat activity in New Zealand occurred off the northern tip of the South Island in December 1642. Māori in war canoes attacked and killed four seamen from Abel Tasman 's party, who were at the time in low boats between the main ships. The New Zealand Navy did not exist as a separate military force until 1941. The association of

975-535: The Battle of the River Plate off the River Plate estuary between Argentina and Uruguay , in December 1939. Achilles and two other cruisers, HMS  Ajax and HMS  Exeter , severely damaged the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee . The German Captain Hans Langsdorff then scuttled Graf Spee rather than face the loss of many more German seamen's lives. Achilles moved to

1050-853: The HMAS ; Sydney . In response, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that China "handles foreign warships' transit through the Taiwan Strait in accordance with laws and regulations". On 29 September, the HMNZS Aotearoa took part in a joint maritime patrol with Australian, Filipino, Japanese and United States warships and aircraft in the disputed South China Sea , which has also been claimed by China. The Combat Force consists of two Anzac-class frigates: HMNZS Te Kaha and HMNZS Te Mana . Initially, two more frigates were planned, but this

1125-746: The Mediterranean Fleet under the command of Captain John Seagrave. She provided assistance in the wake of the earthquake at Messina in Sicily. The following year she served with the East Indies Station , running patrols from Aden in the Persian Gulf for two years and served in operations off Somaliland , 1908–1910. In 1913 the Admiralty agreed to lend Philomel to New Zealand as a seagoing training cruiser to form

1200-468: The NZ Police , and other government and civil agencies as requested and approved through Headquarters Joint Forces New Zealand . The Royal New Zealand Air Force operates eight Kaman SH-2G(I) Super Seasprite helicopters. These aircraft are part of No. 6 Squadron RNZAF based at RNZAF Base Auckland . The aircraft are operated by RNZN aviators and are assigned to RNZN ships as required. The roles of

1275-663: The Royal Navy with New Zealand began with the arrival of James Cook in 1769, who completed two subsequent journeys to New Zealand in 1773 and 1777. Occasional visits by Royal Navy ships were made from the late 18th century. The Royal Navy played a part in the New Zealand Wars : for example, a gunboat shelled fortified Māori pā from the Waikato River in order to defeat the Māori King Movement . In 1909

1350-612: The Royal New Zealand Navy , Philomel was recommissioned as the training base HMNZS  Philomel . Philomel was paid off and decommissioned on 17 January 1947 and her name transferred to the Devonport Naval Shore Establishment. On the day of her decommissioning, the New Zealand Naval Board sent a signal to Philomel which stated: "...their regret at the passing from the service of the first of His Majesty’s New Zealand Ships,

1425-525: The 1840s the first naval station in New Zealand was established at Devonport. Devonport was chosen due to the deep water of the harbour. All operational units of the Royal New Zealand Navy are based at Devonport. The Navy's munitions are stored and maintained at Kauri Point Armament Depot in Auckland. Senior naval staff are located at the NZDF headquarters in Wellington . The operational headquarters, and

1500-471: The 38th parallel in Korea , the New Zealand government ordered two Loch-class frigates – Tutira and Pukaki to prepare to make for Korean waters, and for the whole of the war, at least two NZ vessels would be on station in the theater. On 3 July these two first ships left Devonport Naval Base , Auckland and joined other Commonwealth forces at Sasebo , Japan, on 2 August. These vessels served under

1575-649: The Defence Logistics Command (Maritime) and Babcock New Zealand employees. Babcock New Zealand is the Strategic Maritime Partner for the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF). The base also has a modern converter system to supply the substantial power even a berthed navy ship requires. As NZ's navy ships use NATO standard 60-hertz power, such converters were needed to enable the base to use power supplied by

SECTION 20

#1732780270350

1650-537: The German colony of Samoa in 1914. Philomel saw further action under the command of the Royal Navy in the Mediterranean, the Red Sea , and the Persian Gulf . By 1917 she was worn out and was sent back to New Zealand where she served as a depot ship in Wellington Harbour for minesweepers. In 1921 she was transferred to Auckland for use as a training ship. The New Zealand Naval Forces passed to

1725-600: The German cruiser SMS  Emden , which was then carrying out raids in the Indian Ocean . The two ships, which would have been outgunned by the more modern Emden , had reached Christmas Island when they received news of Emden ' s sinking by HMAS  Sydney . They arrived in Singapore on 12 November from where Philomel continued onto Port Said , escorting three French troopships. From late 1914, Philomel , needing maintenance and an update of equipment,

1800-512: The Mediterranean against the Turks . She later conducted patrols in the Red Sea and Persian Gulf . By 1917, she was worn out and dispatched back to New Zealand where she served as a depot ship in Wellington Harbour for minesweepers . In 1921 she was transferred to the Devonport Naval Base in Auckland for service as a training ship . Decommissioned and sold for scrap in 1947, her hulk

1875-481: The NZDF states its primary mission as: The intermediate outcomes of the NZDF are listed as: The role of the navy is to fulfil the maritime elements of the missions of the NZDF. The RNZN has a role to help prevent any unrest occurring in New Zealand. This can be done by having a presence in overseas waters and assisting redevelopment in troubled countries. For example, any unrest in the Pacific Islands has

1950-650: The Navy has policed New Zealand's territorial waters and exclusive economic zone for fisheries protection. It also aids New Zealand's scientific activities in Antarctica, at Scott Base . One of the best-known roles that the RNZN played on the world stage was when the frigates Canterbury and Otago were sent by the Labour Government of Norman Kirk to Moruroa Atoll in 1973 to protest against French nuclear testing there. The frigates were sent into

2025-614: The New Zealand government decided to fund the purchase of the battlecruiser HMS  New Zealand for the Royal Navy, which saw action throughout World War I in Europe. The passing of the Naval Defence Act 1913 created the New Zealand Naval Forces , still a part of the Royal Navy. The first ship given by the British government for the New Zealand Naval Forces was the cruiser HMS  Philomel , which escorted New Zealand land forces to occupy

2100-756: The Pacific Islands. A small motor boat, SMB Adventure , was operated from Resolution . Resolution carried some of the most advanced survey technology available. HMNZS Resolution was decommissioned at Devonport Naval Base on 27 April 2012. In October 2021 the Defence Force contributed HMNZS  Te Kaha to the UK Carrier Strike Group 's transit through the South China Sea . This deployment sought to reiterate New Zealand's support for free international passage through

2175-537: The Pacific as well. Naval forces were utilised in the Bougainville , Solomon Islands and East Timor conflicts of the 1990s. The RNZN often participates in United Nations peacekeeping operations. The hydrographic survey ship of the RNZN until 2012 was HMNZS  Resolution , succeeding the long-serving HMNZS  Monowai . Resolution was used to survey and chart the sea around New Zealand and

2250-622: The Pacific, and was working with the United States Navy (USN) when damaged by a Japanese bomb off New Georgia . Following repair, she served alongside the British Pacific Fleet until the war's end. The New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy became the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) on 1 October 1941, in recognition of the fact that the naval force was now largely self-sufficient and independent of

2325-563: The RNZN "was still very much part of the Royal Navy supported by New Zealand tax-payers. The officer corps and senior specialist ratings were very dependent on loan and exchange RN personnel, while our own [New Zealand] officers and senior ratings were almost exclusively trained in the UK. We simply borrowed the RN's administrative regulations and amended them to local conditions. The Empire was alive and well. Operationally we were still very strongly tied to

Devonport Naval Base - Misplaced Pages Continue

2400-698: The RNZN are liable for service in the Royal New Zealand Naval Reserve. The Reserve has an active and inactive list. RNZN personnel can choose to serve four years in the Reserve on discharge. The primary reserve component of the RNZN is the Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNZNVR), which is organised into four units based in Auckland (with a satellite unit at Tauranga), Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin: At present civilians can join

2475-492: The RNZN to undertake. Approximately 1,400 days at sea are required to fulfil these roles annually. Roles include patrolling the exclusive economic zone , transport to offshore islands, and support for the New Zealand Customs Service . The RNZN formerly produced hydrographic information for Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) under a commercial contract arrangement, however with the decommissioning of

2550-475: The RNZNVR in one of three branches: Administration, Sea Service (for service on inshore patrol vessels), and Maritime Trade Organisation (formerly Naval Control of Shipping). In addition ex-regular force personnel can now join the RNZNVR in their former branch and, depending on time out of the service, rank. HMS Philomel (1890) HMS Philomel , later HMNZS Philomel , was a Pearl -class cruiser . She

2625-540: The Royal Navy, volunteers were brought on board to bring the ship up to full strength and after stocking up with supplies, she departed for Auckland to await further instructions. On 15 August 1914 she formed part of the ocean escort for the New Zealand forces that were dispatched to occupy German Samoa (now Samoa ). The escort would have been unlikely to offer much resistance to the German cruisers SMS  Scharnhorst and SMS  Gneisenau that were known to be in

2700-667: The Royal Navy. The Prime Minister Peter Fraser reluctantly agreed, though saying "now was not the time to break away from the old country". Ships thereafter were prefixed HMNZS (His/Her Majesty's New Zealand Ship). HMNZS  Leander escorted the New Zealand Expeditionary Force to the Middle East in 1940 and was then deployed in the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, and the Indian Ocean. Leander

2775-615: The South Atlantic. Canterbury was herself relieved by Waikato in August. At the close of the Cold War the RNZN had an escort force of four frigates ( HMNZS  Waikato  (F55) , HMNZS  Wellington  (F69) , HMNZS  Canterbury  (F421) , and HMNZS Southland (F104) ). Due to the cost of replacing four ships, the force was downsized to two. However, there was considerable political debate at times during

2850-544: The South China Sea, which has been claimed by China as part of its territorial waters. In June 2023, HMNZS  Te Mana was confronted by two People's Liberation Army Navy frigates, helicopters, and four other vessels near the disputed Spratly Islands . In late September 2024, Defence Minister Judith Collins confirmed that the HMNZS Aotearoa had sailed through the disputed Taiwan Strait with

2925-435: The Southwest Pacific and Southern Ocean down to Antarctica as directed by government, and to meet New Zealand's responsibilities in its search and rescue area. Deployments further afield are conducted as required to meet the strategic intent of the Government of New Zealand. As of 30 June 2022, the RNZN consisted of 2,219 Regular Force personnel and 611 Naval Reserve personnel. All regular force personnel on discharge from

3000-463: The UK." Later the Navy return to Malayan waters during the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation . These operations were the RNZN's last large-scale operation with the Royal Navy. In a security crisis and threat to Malaysia and Sarawak and Brunei, two-thirds of the Royal Navy's operational warships were deployed from 1963 to the end of 1966 with Royalist , Taranaki , and Otago , heavily involved in boarding ships, shore patrols, presence, maintaining

3075-518: The area. Fortunately, the convoy did not encounter the German ships. Philomel then steamed for the Kingdom of Tonga to deliver news of the hostilities with Imperial Germany before returning to New Zealand. By now the main body of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force , formed for service overseas, were ready to embark from Wellington on a convoy for the Middle East . Philomel escorted the convoy as far as Western Australia. Then, along with Pyramus , she sailed northeastwards for Singapore in search of

Devonport Naval Base - Misplaced Pages Continue

3150-428: The best role for the RNZN in the Pacific was as part of the United States Navy , so operational control of the RNZN was transferred to the South West Pacific Area command , and its ships joined United States 7th Fleet taskforces. In 1943, the light cruiser HMS  Gambia was transferred to the RNZN as HMNZS Gambia . In November 1944, the British Pacific Fleet , a joint British Commonwealth military formation ,

3225-419: The coast of Africa. In 1896, she participated in the Anglo-Zanzibar War , during which rebels murdered the Sultan of Zanzibar and seized his palace. Along with the three gunboats and HMS  St George , she bombarded the palace fortress and the only ship of the Zanzibar Navy, HHS  Glasgow . This action lasted less than an hour and resulted in the routing of the rebels. The following year, Philomel

3300-409: The command of a British flag officer (seemingly Flag Officer Second in Command Far East Fleet ) and formed part of the US Navy screening force during the Battle of Inchon , performing shore raids and inland bombardment. Further RNZN Loch -class frigates joined these later – Rotoiti , Hawea , Taupo and Kaniere , as well as a number of smaller craft. Only one RNZN sailor was killed during

3375-434: The conflict – during the Inchon bombardments. The Navy later participated in the Malayan Emergency . In 1954 a New Zealand frigate, HMNZS Pukaki , carried out a bombardment of a suspected guerilla camp, while operating with the Royal Navy 's Far East Fleet – the first of a number of bombardments by RNZN ships over the next five years. Jack Welch , later to become Chief of Naval Staff decades later, wrote that in 1959,

3450-462: The control of Commander-in-Chief, China , after the Royal Navy forces in Australia came under Canberra's control in 1911. From 1921 to 1941 the force was known as the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy . The cruiser Chatham along with the sloop Veronica arrived in 1920, Philomel was transferred to the Division in 1921, as was the sloop Torch , HMS  Laburnum arrived in 1922 and then HMS  Dunedin in 1924. HMS  Diomede and

3525-509: The dedicated hydrographic survey ship HMNZS Resolution this has lapsed and the Navy now focuses on military hydrography. Hydrospatial information is still provided to LINZ but on an ad-hoc basis. Since 2001, both Anzac -class frigates have participated in the United States' Operation Enduring Freedom in the Persian Gulf and have conducted maritime patrol operations in support of American and allied efforts in Afghanistan . The RNZN routinely deploys within its primary area of operations of

3600-424: The defence of New Zealand, from German raiders , especially when the threat of invasion from Japan appeared imminent in 1942. Many merchant ships were requisitioned and armed for help in defence. One of these was HMNZS  Monowai , which saw action against the Japanese submarine  I-20 off Fiji in 1942. In 1941–1942, it was decided in an agreement between the New Zealand and United States governments that

3675-421: The effective fleet commander, the Maritime Component Commander are both located at Headquarters Joint Forces New Zealand adjacent to Trentham Military Camp in the Upper Hutt suburb of Trentham . Within the Royal New Zealand Navy many land-based facilities and services ensure support for ships and personnel when deployed. Shore based support is predominantly based at the Devonport Naval Base, Auckland, with

3750-444: The gathering in Parliament in Carl Berendsen 's room (including Peter Fraser ) could not follow Chamberlain's words because of static on the shortwave and waited until the Admiralty notified the fleet that war had broken out before Cabinet approved the declaration of war (the official telegram from Britain was delayed and arrived just before midnight). HMS  Achilles participated in the first major naval battle of World War II,

3825-431: The helicopters include: A number of non-commissioned auxiliary vessels are used for a number or littoral, support and training purposes. The RNZN operates a small number of autonomous underwater vehicles . The RNZN does not operate any ship-based unmanned aerial systems. However, according to a recent tender document, there exists some considerable scope for the acquisition of new systems. In its Statement of Intent,

SECTION 50

#1732780270350

3900-468: The mid-1990s about whether a third and fourth Anzac-class frigate should be procured. In the past three decades, the RNZN has operated in the Middle East a number of times. RNZN ships played a role in the Iran–Iraq War , aiding the Royal Navy in protecting neutral shipping in the Indian Ocean. Frigates were also sent to participate in the first Gulf War , and more recently Operation Enduring Freedom . The RNZN has played an important part in conflicts in

3975-461: The minesweeper HMS Wakakura arrived in 1926. Between World War I and World War II, the New Zealand Division operated a total of 14 ships, including the cruisers HMS Achilles (joined 31 March 1937) and HMS Leander , which replaced Diomede and Dunedin (replaced by Leander in 1937). When Britain went to war against Germany in 1939, New Zealand officially declared war at the same time, backdated to 9.30 pm on 3 September local time. But

4050-433: The more famous elements of the base is the Calliope Dock, a drydock built in 1888 and still in use. At that time, it was the largest in the Southern Hemisphere , and a strategic asset for the Royal Navy . It was named for Calliope Point, out of which it had been hewn by hand over three years. Coincidentally, one of the two first ships to enter it (as a show of her capacity) was HMS  Calliope . Administered at first by

4125-527: The national grid. The new converters were installed in the late 2000s for $ 10 million, and will offer significant savings over using diesel generators, or having the vessels use their own power systems while in port. The RNZN College is also situated at Devonport Naval Base. Navy training encompasses numerous disciplines, from Recruit Training Squadron, Junior Officer Common Training and Sea Survival Training Squadron to specialised training for Operational, Technical and Trade, and Support Logistics branches. One of

4200-399: The naval service, under the command of a series of officers from the Royal Navy including, for nearly six months in 1923, Commander Augustus Agar VC . Training armament was installed and in 1925, her boilers and engines were removed to create more accommodation space. Further accommodation, in the form of wooden cabins, was later constructed on her deck. In October 1941, on the creation of

4275-422: The now-independent states had become more distinctive. There was a growing wish and a need for separate identities, particularly if one Dominion was engaged in hostilities where another was not. Thus, in 1968, the RNZN adopted its own ensign, which retained the Union Flag in a top quarter but replaces the St George's Cross with the Southern Cross constellation that is displayed on the national flag. Since 1946

4350-540: The nucleus of the newly established New Zealand Naval Forces , which was a new division of the Royal Navy. This was in response to the desire of the New Zealand Minister of Defence at the time, James Allen , who wanted to establish a local naval force which would co-operate with the fledgling Royal Australian Navy . Philomel was recommissioned in October 1913 in Singapore and later sailed for New Zealand to join HMAS  Psyche and HMAS Pyramus , both Pelorus -class cruisers serving in New Zealand waters. Philomel

4425-554: The other clearance diving, and a logistics support group. Detachments from Matataua embarked on Manawanui when the ship was conducting survey and/or diving operations. Matataua was responsible for ensuring access to and the use of harbours, inshore waters and associated littoral zones through shallow water and coastal survey, mine-countermeasures and explosive ordnance disposal, beach survey and reconnaissance in support of amphibious operations, and underwater engineering. Matataua also provided underwater search and recovery support to

4500-399: The potential blast zone of the weapons, where both ships witnessed one airburst test each which forced France to then change to underground testing. In May 1982 Prime Minister Rob Muldoon seconded the frigate Canterbury to the Royal Navy for the duration of the Falklands War . Canterbury was deployed to the Armilla Patrol in the Persian Gulf , to relieve a British frigate for duty in

4575-420: The potential to affect New Zealand because of the large Pacific Island population. The stability of the South Pacific is considered in the interest of New Zealand. The navy has participated in peace-keeping and peace-making in East Timor , Bougainville and the Solomon Islands , supporting land-based operations. The 2002 Maritime Forces Review identified a number of roles that other government agencies required

SECTION 60

#1732780270350

4650-466: The sailors in the RNZN were involved in the mutinies. The resulting manpower shortage forced the RNZN to remove the light cruiser Black Prince , one of their most powerful warships, from service and set the navy's development and expansion back by a decade. Despite this impact, the size and scope of the events have been downplayed over time. RNZN ships participated in the Korean War . On 29 June, just four days after 135,000 North Korean troops crossed

4725-402: The use of seaways and support of the RN's amphibious carriers. The commitment, wrote Welch, "involved the whole fleet, as ships rotated though Pearl Harbor for workup with the USN before deploying on to the Far East to relieve ships on station." Until the 1960s the RNZN had, in common with other Dominion navies, flown the White Ensign as a common ensign. After 1945, the foreign policies of

4800-409: The war, she returned to Devonport and was paid off on 22 March 1902. She was laid up in the Firth of Forth for several years before a refit was carried out in 1907 at Haulbowline Dock in Ireland. During her tow to Ireland she went adrift for a night in the North Sea when the rope to the towing vessel, HMS  Hampshire , broke. Philomel was recommissioned in February 1908 for service with

4875-416: The wharf. After her fittings and parts were removed, she was towed out to sea and sunk in 100 fathoms near Cuvier Island on 6 August 1949, when sunk she was just 22 days shy of 59 years afloat. Much of the teak timber and some fittings went into a newly built coaster named Coromel , an amalgamation of Coromandel and Philomel. Her crest is mounted to the gate of the Devonport Naval Base and her builders plate

4950-481: Was scuttled in 1949. HMS Philomel was laid down on 9 May 1889 at HM Naval Dockyard in Devonport, Plymouth . Her name is derived from Philomela , in Greek mythology the daughter of Pandion I , King of Athens , and was the fifth ship to be so named. The ship had an overall length of 278 feet (84.7 m), a beam of 41 feet (12.5 m) and a draught of 17 feet 6 inches (5.3 m). She displaced 2,575 long tons (2,616 t). Propulsion

5025-419: Was berthed at Malta and underwent an overhaul. This was completed by late January 1915 and she then started operations in the Mediterranean against the Turks . On 8 February she landed an armed party in Southern Turkey where a large force of Turkish soldiers were encountered, resulting in three seamen being killed and three wounded. This action marked the first deaths in the war of New Zealanders serving with

5100-532: Was cancelled due to the political pressure surrounding defence expenditure following the New Zealand breakup of military relations with ANZUS in 1986. Both ships are based at the Devonport Naval Base in Auckland. HMNZS Te Kaha was commissioned on 26 July 1997 and HMNZS Te Mana on 10 December 1999. The specifications and armaments of the two ships are identical. Both ships completed refits in 2020 and 2022 respectively. The Patrol Force consists of two offshore and two inshore patrol vessels. The Patrol Force

5175-443: Was commissioned for New Zealand service on 15 July 1914, under the command of Captain Percival Hall-Thompson . Although mainly crewed by Englishmen, she was the country's first warship. Philomel was on a short shakedown voyage to Picton on 30 July 1914, prior to taking on its first complement of New Zealand cadets, when it was recalled to Wellington Harbour in anticipation of the outbreak of war. Largely crewed by personnel from

5250-489: Was formed, based in Sydney, Australia . Most RNZN ships, including Gambia and Achilles , were transferred to the BPF. They took part in the Battle of Okinawa and operations in the Sakishima Islands , near Japan. In August 1945, HMNZS Gambia was New Zealand's representative at the surrender of Japan . During April 1947 a series of non-violent mutinies occurred amongst the sailors and non-commissioned officers of four RNZN ships and two shore bases. Overall, up to 20% of

5325-399: Was required and rather than incur this cost for a ship which was nearly at the end of her operational life, the Admiralty decided to give her to New Zealand and dispatched her home to be paid off. She duly arrived in Wellington Harbour in March 1917. A large portion of her Royal Navy crew were returned to England to be assigned to other berths. Armament removed, Philomel was recommissioned as

5400-588: Was subjected to air and naval attack from Axis forces, conducted bombardments, and escorted convoys. In February 1941, Leander sank the Italian auxiliary cruiser Ramb I in the Indian Ocean. In 1943, after serving further time in the Mediterranean, Leander returned to the Pacific Ocean. She assisted in the destruction of the Japanese cruiser  Jintsu and was seriously damaged by torpedoes during

5475-489: Was the fifth ship of that name and served with the Royal Navy . After her commissioning in 1890, she served on the Cape of Good Hope Station and later with the Mediterranean Fleet . In 1914, she was loaned to New Zealand for service with what would later become the Royal New Zealand Navy . During the early stages of the First World War she performed convoy escort duties and then carried out operations in

5550-413: Was through 3-cylinder triple-expansion steam engines , driving two shafts, which produced a total of 7,500 indicated horsepower (5,600 kW) and gave a maximum speed of 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph). She was also rigged for sail and when installing the foremast, workmen noticed it was stamped "Devonport Dockyard 1757". Her main armament consisted of eight QF 4.7-inch (120 mm) guns with

5625-679: Was transferred to the West Africa component of the Cape of Good Hope Station and participated in the Benin Expedition . A refit was completed in 1898 after which Philomel returned to Cape of Good Hope Station. She served throughout the Second Boer War . Some of her complement of 220 men served in the field with the Naval Brigade. Two of her 4.7-inch guns were disembarked and used in the Battle of Colenso . After

#349650