HMNZS Gale (T04)
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| Career (NZ) |  Royal New Zealand Navy |
|---|---|
| Name: | HMNZS Gale (T04) |
| Builder: | Scott and Sons, Glasgow |
| Launched: | 1935 |
| Commissioned: | 3 April 1941 |
| Decommissioned: | 26 October 1944 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 622 tons gross, 317 tons net |
| Length: | 53.4 m (175.1 feet) |
| Beam: | 8.2 m (30.1 feet) |
| Propulsion: | diesel, 725 bhp, one shaft |
| Speed: | 11/10 knots |
| Complement: | 42 |
| Sensors and processing systems: |
asdic, radar |
| Armament: | 1x4 inch gun, 2x20mm Oerlikons, 2 Lewis MGs, 50 depth charges, |
HMNZS Gale (T04) was a coastal cargo boat which was requisitioned by the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) and converted into a minesweeper. She was the first New Zealand vessel to go into action against Japan.
Gale was owned by the Canterbury Steam Shipping Company. She was one of four ships requisitioned as a consequence of the Orion minefield and the loss of the liner Niagara, the others being Matai, Puriri and Rata. She was taken over on 10 October 1940 and handed to the dockyard for conversion. She was a sister ship to Breeze.
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[edit] War career
Gale joined the 25th Minesweeping Flotilla in April 1941, sweeping for German mines in the Hauraki Gulf.
On 14 May 1941 she rescued the survivors of the Puriri sinking.
Later in 1941 the flotilla swept susceptible minefield areas such as near Cuvier Island and Farewell Spit.
In December 1941 Gale detached to relieve Viti in Fiji. and returned to refit in February 1942.
In June 1942 Gale was deployed to Noumea for port minesweeping duties where she was the first New Zealand vessel to deploy with
COMSOPAC, the United States Navy's South Pacific Command, then taking over command of the 25th Minesweeping Flotilla
On 5 August 1942 Gale located a missing US amphibian aircraft, rescued the crew, and towed it back to Noumea. This earned her a US commendation.
She sailed back to New Zealand on 30 October 1942 and was a port miesweeper at Wellington with the Second Minesweeping Group.
In February 1943 she rejoined the 25th Minesweeping Flotilla at Tulagi in the Solomons. In April 1943 her sister ship Breeze arrived at Tulagi On her arrival Gale and Breeze plus Matai were formed into the 9th Auxiliary Minesweeping group within the flotilla. They carried out night-time patrol and escort duties under COMSOPAC control. The Japanese were largely well north by this time, but occasionally made sudden attacks into American strongholds around Guadalcanal.
From time to time flotilla boats would return to Auckland for refits, usually escorting freighters bound the same way.
By mid 1944 the owners were demanding the return of Gale and her twin Breeze. COMSOPAC released her on 20 September 1944.
[edit] Fate
Gale was sold to a Malayan buyer in 1962 and renamed Jasa of Hong Kong, later Panama. Reported in 1970 as broken up.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- McDougall, R J (1989) New Zealand Naval Vessels. Page 69-78. Government Printing Office. ISBN 9780477013994
[edit] Further reading
- Harker, Jack (2000)The Rockies: New Zealand Minesweepers at War. Silver Owl Press. ISBN 0959797998
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