HMNZS Matai (T01)
HMNZS Matai (T01) was a Marine Department lighthouse tender which was requisitioned by the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) and converted into a minesweeper.
| History | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name: | HMNZS Matai (T01) |
| Commissioned: | 1 April 1941 |
| Decommissioned: | 25 April 1945 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 1,050 tons gross, 383 tons net |
| Length: | 66.8 m (219 ft) |
| Beam: | 10.7 m (35 ft) |
| Propulsion: | triple expansion steam reciprocating, 1,050 ihp, twin shaft, oil |
| Speed: | 10 to 13 knots (19 to 24 km/h; 12 to 15 mph) |
| Complement: | 81 |
| Sensors and processing systems: | asdic |
| Armament: | 1 × 4-inch gun, 2 × 20 mm Oerlikons, 2 machine guns, 40 depth charges, |
Operational history
Matai was the government's lighthouse tender servicing the marine lights around New Zealand and offshore islands, and had been used for cable laying in the 1930s. She was named after a native tree.
She was requisitioned on 3 March 1941 and handed over to a dockyard for conversion.
After commissioning on 1 April 1941, Matai took over as the flotilla leader of the 25th Minesweeping Flotilla from Muritai and the flotilla began clearing a German minefield in the Hauraki Gulf.
References
- McDougall, R J (1989) New Zealand Naval Vessels. Page 69–78. Government Printing Office. ISBN 978-0-477-01399-4
Further reading
- Harker, Jack (2000)The Rockies: New Zealand Minesweepers at War. Silver Owl Press. ISBN 0-9597979-9-8
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