- Yes - In the Tech Tree.
- Yes - Event/BP.
- Yes - Premium.
- No - I would not like to see HMNZS Muritai in game.
HMNZS Muritai at sea, (n.d)
Description:
HMNZS Muritai was one of many requisitioned vessels transformed into minesweepers for the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) during the Second World War. However, unlike most of the other requisitioned vessels, she was already under government control by the time she was taken over, as she was acting as a ferry in Wellington, under the Eastbourne Borough Council.
This suggestion is for her 1941 refit.
HMNZS Muritai at sea, probably during trails, note lack of gunshield. (n.d)
History:
Laid down as the SS Matai by the Coaster Construction Company, Montrose, Scotland in early 1922 directly for use as a ferry by the Eastbourne Borough Council, and would be designed for use in Days Bay, with a capacity of 1,500 passengers. She would launch on the 10th of December 1922, with work still continuing through to February 1932 when she was completed. Due to poor weather however, her trails would have to be delayed for a few days. She would complete trials and leave Montrose on the 23rd of February 1932, only arriving in Wellington on the 16th of May.
Only a month after entering service, she would accidentally collide with the SS Naringa due to strong winds. She would re-enter service in October after inspections, and with new propellers she reached 13.5kt. On the 12th of February 1925, someone attempted to set her adrift in the harbour by cutting her mooring lines, this was done when the night watchman had temporarily left, and upon returning had found that the three bow lines had been cut, but the three aft lines were intact.
After routine inspections on the 17th of July 1925, it was found that she was taking on significant amounts of water astern due after coming off the slip’s cradle, and had to be hurriedly beached at Balaena Bay. Soon a diver was brought to the vessel as to inspect the damage, they found that a six-inch wide hole had been ripped open near the tailshaft. The hole was soon plugged and the water drained, however the Muritai had to be towed back to the patent slipway by the SS Duchess.
One of her rudder chains would be ripped away and she would be set adrift on the 4th of December 1925, however she would be soon repaired and set back on her way. Another rudder failure would occur on the 13th of January 1932, when the entire steering gear was destroyed, and she would drift until rescued by other vessels. She would also collide the scow Echo with no damage to either vessel.
With New Zealand’s declaration of War in September of 1939, she would not be initially pursued for conversion to minesweeper, as it was believed that her services as ferry were more beneficial overall than her services would be as a ferry. However she was short-listed for conversion should the need arise.
HMNZS Muritai (Centre) sitting at Devonport next to a USN Fletcher-class Destroyer (Left) and the HMNZS HMNZS Aroha (right) (n.d)
This would come in August 1940, as the minesweeping trawler HMNZS Nora Niven, built in 1907, had developed severe faults and had to be taken out of service. For this she would have to be fitted as a minesweeper. As part of her ‘new’ minesweeping gear, she would have two winches recovered from the SS Port Bowen, which had wrecked in 1939. She would also have a number of small changes made to her superstructure, including allowing the fitting of two .303 MGs to the bridge wings.
She would commission as the HMNZS Muritai on the 18th of September 1940, and would operate from the port of Wellington. In this port she would operate as a minesweeper and patrol vessel, participating in the search for the German raider Orion This would continue until December 1940, when she would move to the 25th minesweeping group out of Auckland. Upon her arrival to Auckland, she would finally have her 4-inch gun fitted. She would move back to Wellington sometime in mid 1941, until she would again move to Auckland, as to have Type 122 ASDIC fitted, the first vessel to do so in NZ.
She would move to Wellington once again in January 1942 as to act as a coastal escort. During her escort duties she would move to Suva, Fiji, with the HMNZS Rata, she would only return to NZ waters in June 1942, as to take up loop ASW guard duties with the HMNZS James Cosgrove. Later that year it was proposed that she be converted into a loop minelayer, where an electrical loop would be placed on the seabed as to detect any submarines passing overhead.
However, Auckland’s only drydock, the Calliope Dock, was too busy with work to begin her conversion, and a USN vessel was taken in to be repaired instead. As these works would no longer take place, she would move to the 7th Trawler Group, still in Auckland. During operations here she would be struck by the HMNZS Killegray, on the 27th and 30th of October 1943. She would be assigned to HMNZS Tamaki for training duty on the 1st of June 1944, but she still operated as a minesweeper of the 97th Auxiliary Minesweeping division. She would also serve as an accommodation ship during this time.
She would pay off on the 22nd of May 1946, being returned to the Wellington council for use as a ferry. She would be resold in July 1946 for use as a ferry in Auckland, from Auckland harbour to Waiheke Island. She would be again resold in October 1954 to the Waiheke shipping company.
She would be sold in December 1962, being stripped and hulked for parts. Her now empty hulk would be sunk as a breakwater off the Karamuramau Island jetty, remaining there until 1971, when she was raised and towed to Auckland for scrapping.
| General Characteristics: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name: HMNZS Muritai | |||||
| Country: New Zealand | |||||
| Type: Minesweeper | |||||
| Class name: Muritai | |||||
| Year of commission: 1940 | |||||
| Refit: 1941 | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Dimensions: | |||||
| Length: 172ft (52m) | |||||
| Beam: 30.11ft (9.2m) | |||||
| Draught: 11.3ft (3.4m) | |||||
| Displacement: 462t | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Propulsion: | |||||
| Powerplant: 1x coal fired boiler driving 2x triple expansion steam @ 180nhp overall | |||||
| Speed: 13kt | |||||
| Endurance: unknown | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Armament & sensors: | |||||
| Compliment: ~30 | |||||
| Primary armament: 1x1 QF 4-inch Mk.V on LA mount | |||||
| Secondary armament: 2x1 .303 Lewis | |||||
| Tertiary armament: Minesweeping gear, depth charges | |||||
| Radar: -nil | |||||
| Sonar: Type 122 |
HMNZS Muritai tied up at dock, (n.d)
Extra photos:
Sources:
Gillett, R. (1983). Australian and New Zealand Warships 1914-1945 (p.300)
Harker. J (2000). The Rockies, New Zealand Minesweepers at War (pp.40,62, 121-124)
SS Muritai - Wikipedia
Muritai - A New Zealand Veteran - Montrose Port Authority
Formation of the Royal New Zealand Navy - Page 2 of 3 - Naval Historical Society of Australia