| Career (New Zealand (RNZN)) | |
|---|---|
| Name: | HMNZS Taranaki |
| Namesake: | Taranaki Province |
| Builder: | J. Samuel White & Co Cowes, Isle of Wight |
| Launched: | 19 August 1959 [1] |
| Commissioned: | 28 March 1961 |
| Decommissioned: | 18 June 1982 |
| Struck: | 2 July 1982 |
| Fate: | sold and broken up |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Modified Rothesay class frigate |
| Displacement: | 2,144 tonnes |
| Length: | 112 m (367 ft) |
| Beam: | 12 m (39 ft) |
| Draught: | 5 m (16 ft) |
| Propulsion: | 2-shaft double-reduction geared steam turbines |
| Speed: | 30 knots (56 km/h) |
| Range: | 400 tons oil fuel, 5,200 nautical miles (9,630 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h) |
| Complement: | originally 219, later 240 |
| Armament: | 2x 4.5 inch guns, 1 x 40 mm gun, Sea Cat missiles |
HMNZS Taranaki (F148) was a modified Rothesay class frigate in service with the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) from 1960 to 1982. She, along with her sister ship Otago, formed a core part of the RNZN escort force throughout the 1960s and 1970s. She was named after Taranaki Province.
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Taranaki’s first crew arrived in Cowes on 27 March 1961 after a full military march from Plymouth, with the ship officially commissioned into the RNZN a day later. She was formally handed over on 29 March after completing her final sea trials.
The first decade of Taranaki’s existence saw her take part in regular deployments to the Far East, to Hawaii, Australia and the Pacific for exercises with ships of other navies, and ‘show the flag’ tours.
Between 1974 and 1978, Taranaki was usually laid up due to a shortage of naval personnel. On the occasions that she was out she was mainly protecting New Zealand's Economic Exclusion Zone. On 23 January 1979, she was fully recommissioned after refitting for a training and fisheries role.
By 1980, Taranaki was twenty years old and reaching the end of her effective life as a combat frigate. Replacement options were sought after and in October 1981 the Government accepted an offer from the British Government to sell New Zealand two Leander class frigates. Taranaki was to be converted into a resources protection and training ship, but this plan was cancelled after the Leander class purchase.
On 14 June 1982, Taranaki set out on her last voyage from New Plymouth (her home port and chief city of her namesake province) to Auckland for decommissioning. During 16-17 June, her ammunition was safely removed and her boiler ceremonially doused out.
Taranaki was officially decommissioned on 18 June 1982. She was sold to Pacific Steel Ltd in August 1983 and her breaking up was completed in March 1984.