- Yes - In the Tech Tree.
- Yes - Event/BP.
- Yes - Premium.
- No - I would not like to see HMS Puriri in game.
HMS Puriri in civilian service pre-war as the MV Puriri, ~ 1939
Description:
HMS Puriri was one of many civilian coastal trading vessels requisitioned by the New Zealand Government to be refitted into a minesweeper during the Second World War. She was acquired as to counteract potential minefields left by German raiders, as what had happened during the First World War.
As she would be commissioned and sunk before the creation of the independent Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) in October 1941, she would never be commissioned as HMNZS, instead being a part of the New Zealand Division within the Royal Navy, thus being HMS.
She was one of the shortest lived vessels to be commissioned, only lasting 25 days from commissioning to sinking. She was also the only military vessel to be lost due to the actions of an enemy within NZ waters during the entirety of the war.
MV Puriri sitting laid up for maintenance at Wellington Pre-war.
History:
Laid down by Henry Robb, at Leith, Scotland in late 1937, as a coastal trader for the Anchor Shipping and Foundry Company out of Nelson, New Zealand. She would be launched in October 1938. She would serve in this role until October 1940, when she would be requisitioned by the Royal New Zealand Naval Board (RNZB) for conversion to minesweeping duties.
She would sit at the naval base HMS Philomel for her conversion, however, before works could complete, she would be activated on the 27th of November 1940 as to assist the HMS Leander in searching for the raider reported by the SS Rangitane. The Rangitane, carrying passengers and cargo, would be sunk by the raiders Orion and Komet via gunfire. Leander and Puriri, although assisted by civilian passenger aircraft in their search, would not be successful.
Her conversion would be completed on the 9th of April 1941, and would commission on the same day into the Royal Navies New Zealand Division (the RNZN not yet created proper). Upon commissioning she would join the 25th Minesweeping Flotilla out of Auckland. From this conversion, her fore mast would be removed, replaced by a bandstand for the 4-inch gun, MGs placed in the Bridge, and had a depth charge and minesweeping gear fitted.
On her first mission, while steaming to find and destroy mines found in the nets of local trawlers along with another requisitioned trading vessel, the HMS Gale, off the Bream Heads. At 11:00am, on the 13th of May 1941 the Puriri struck a contact mine. As the vessels were steaming in line, and the Puriri was following the gale, the mine had thus bypassed the lookouts of the Gale and struck the Puriri.
The damage to the Puriri was severe, blowing in the forward hold completely. She would sink along with six of her crew, with 26 survivors making it out via swimming, as she went down so quickly the lifeboat could not be lowered. The wreck now lies at 35° 46′ 15″ S, 174° 43′ 0″ E, at a depth of 322ft. Those who died included Puriri’s CO, with the survivors being rescued by the Gale. She was only commissioned for 25 days.
Survivors of the sinking of the HMS Puriri recovered by HMS (later HMNZS) Gale.
The board of inquiry following her sinking placed blame on the senior officer of the searching ships, which was the commanding officer of the HMS Gale, in that an organised search was not carried out for the mines, and proper charge of Puriri was not taken. The HMS Gale’s sister ship, the M.V Breeze was commissioned to replace her.
Another vessel would be built to a modified version of Puriri’s plans post war. This vessel would launch in 1948, and would also be called the MV Puriri (II), with another sister, the MV Mamaku launching in 1949. There is a memorial to the original HMS Puriri at the Devonport Naval Base, Auckland.
| General Characteristics: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name: HMS Puriri | |||||
| Country: New Zealand | |||||
| Type: Minesweeper | |||||
| Class name: Puriri | |||||
| Year of commission: 1941 | |||||
| Refit: 1941 | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Dimensions: | |||||
| Length: 188ft 4in (57.4m) | |||||
| Beam: 35ft 1in (10.7m) | |||||
| Draught: 11ft 6in (3.5m) | |||||
| Displacement: 927t | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Propulsion: | |||||
| Powerplant: 2x 4cyl diesel engines producing 740bhp (551kW) ea across two shafts | |||||
| Speed: 10kt | |||||
| Endurance: 10 days, 32t of fuel, consuming 3t per day. | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Armament & sensors: | |||||
| Compliment: 32 | |||||
| Primary armament: 1x1 QF 4-inch Mk.V (High Angle) | |||||
| Secondary armament: 2x1 .303 Vickers | |||||
| Tertiary armament: 20 Depth Charges, one rail, Minesweeping gear | |||||
| Radar: -nil | |||||
| Sonar: -nil |
HMS Puriri’s 4-inch gun mount, April 1941
Sources:
G.Wright. (2015) HMS Puriri, 19th April - 14th May 1941.
Gillett, R. (1983). Australian and New Zealand Warships 1914-1945 (p.294)
HMS Puriri - Minesweeping Vessel — National Museum of the Royal New Zealand Navy
HMNZS Puriri - Wikipedia
https://nzhistory.govt.nz/new-zealand-minesweeper-sunk-near-hauraki-gulf
HMS PURIRI – RNZN Communicators Association