- Yes - In the Tech Tree.
- Yes - Event/BP.
- Yes - Premium.
- No - I would not like to see HMNZS Futurist in game.
HMNZS Futurist at port soon after commissioning.
A special thanks to those in the German Tech Tree Resources Discord for helping me in researching her German service history, without them this suggestion would be far less accurate.
Description:
HMNZS Futurist was one of many requisitioned fishing trawlers used by the Royal New Zealand Navy during the Second World War, following the trend of these vessels she was initially refitted as a minesweeper, then later refitted as a dan-layer.
She was an unusual vessel amongst the vessels of the RNZN, being originally German built, in a fleet where most vessels were either British or locally built.
F.V Futurist while at port ~ 1925.
History:
Originally laid down as the Papenberg, by J.L. Meyer, in Papenberg, Germany ~ 1917, to be completed as an Armed Trawler patrol vessel, however her construction was paused in 1919 due to the Treaty of Versailles. Later that year construction would restart, but she was to be completed as a civilian trawler. Construction would complete in 1920, soon after she would be ceded to the UK as reparations.
If she were completed with her original armament, she would have minesweeping gear, depth charges, and a single 8.8cm SK/30 on a high angle mount fore. Her crew would’ve also had small arms such as machine guns.
When she arrived in the UK she would sit laid up waiting for a civilian buyer until 1922, where she would be sold to the Napier fishing company of Napier New Zealand, and renamed to the F.V. Futurist. She would fish off Hawkes Bay until mid 1930, where she was purchased by NZ Fisheries out of Wellington.
This would be her standard area of operations until the the 20th of June 1940, when she would be listed by the New Zealand Naval Board as ideal for requisition and conversion into a minesweeper. These works would complete by August, when she would commission on the 31st. She would be not only fitted with minesweeping gear, but also given a QF 4-inch MK.V gun, MGs, ASDIC, and depth charges. Her engines were also rebuilt.
F.V Futurist while under inspection for sale ~ 1930.
On the declaration of war, the Futurist and another trawler, the South Sea, were seen as incredibly
important to the fishing economy, with Futurist providing 30% of all fish to Wellington, and the South Sea, who’s entire catch is exported to Australia earning a significant portion of all marine earnings. As they were incredibly important to the local economy, a compromise was reached.
They would have minesweeping gear fitted at cost to the Admiralty, but continue fishing, then they would commission when the need for their services arrived. This would come with the sinking of the SS Niagara due to mines off Bream Head. These vessels would commission the same day as the sinking.
Upon commissioning she became the HMS Futurist, joining the Second Port Minesweeping group. She would be based out of her home port of Wellington. Her work would consist of mostly uninteresting ASW patrols around Wellington, with the occasional visit to Lyttleton, as to support the vessels in that port. Upon the creation of the Royal New Zealand Navy in October 1941, she would transfer into this new force, and be commissioned as the HMNZS Futurist.
In December 1941, the minesweeping groups would be reorganised, such that all minesweepers in NZ waters would join the 25th Minesweeping Flotilla. The HMNZS Futurist would be part of the 95th Auxiliary Minesweeping Group along with the HMNZS Rata, Kaiwaka, and Coastguard. During this time her operations expanded, now also laying nets across the entrances to the harbour, however her general operations would stay about the same.
On the 26th of June 1941, while on patrol in the Wellington Harbour an unknown and suspicious vessel was spotted, so the Futurist flashed a challenge, with the unknown vessel responding as another port minesweeper based out of Wellington, the HMNZS Nora Niven, leading the Futurist to disengage. However things were not as it seems, as the vessel was actually the German Raider Adjutant laying mines.
A year later on the 20th of June 1942, HMNZS Futurist would report a suspicious object that resembled a submarine six miles south of Island Bay. Due to this signal, shore defenses would stand to and all lights in the harbour were extinguished. An ASW escort for all ships entering and leaving the harbour were provided through to the 27th, when the defenses were stood down.
By late 1943 she was converted into a danlayer, having her minesweeping gear and some of her depth charges removed. Her duties were still based out of Wellington, but now managing that ports boom gate instead of managing it’s minefields. She would see out this service until the end of the war 1945 when she was returned to her owners.
Back in Civilian hands, she would run aground near Cape Campbell on the 19th of March 1947, becoming a total loss.
| General Characteristics: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name: HMNZS Futurist | |||||
| Country: New Zealand | |||||
| Type: Minesweeper | |||||
| Class name: Papenburg-class | |||||
| Year of commission: 1942 | |||||
| Refit: 1942 | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Dimensions: | |||||
| Length: 128.8ft (39.3m) | |||||
| Beam: 23.4ft (7.1m) | |||||
| Draught: 10.1ft (3.1m) | |||||
| Displacement: 234t | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Propulsion: | |||||
| Powerplant: 1x coal fired boiler, single screw reciprocating steam @ 550 ihp (410kW) | |||||
| Speed: 10kt | |||||
| Endurance: Unknown | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Armament & sensors: | |||||
| Compliment: 24 | |||||
| Primary armament: 1x1 QF 4-inch Mk.V (High Angle) | |||||
| Secondary armament: 2x1 .303 Vickers | |||||
| Tertiary armament: 4x Depth Charges, 1 rail | |||||
| Radar: -nil | |||||
| Sonar: ASDIC |
The Wreck of the F.V Futurist in 1947.
Sources:
Harker. J (2000). The Rockies, New Zealand Minesweepers at War (p.218-219)
Gillett, R. (1983). Australian and New Zealand Warships 1914-1945 (p.294)
Waters. S.D (2003) The Royal New Zealand Navy, (pp.256-257, 259-261, 264, 267, 275, 309, 320-321, 395)
Lloyd’s Register of Shipping 1930-31
https://www.shipsnostalgia.com/media/f-v-futurist.89114/
RNZN Ship Of The Week - Page 6 - World Naval Ships Forums
HMNZS Futurist – Built: J.L. Meyer, Germany, 1917 – JCs Royal New Zealand Navy Ships and New Zealand Defence, Also other World Defence Updates
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