HMNZS Hautapu (T26)(T340)

HMNZS Hautapu - New Zealand minesweeper from the period of World War II , one of the thirteen built units of type Castle . The ship was launched on November 18, 1942 at the Stevenson & Cook shipyard in Dunedin , and entered the Royal New Zealand Navy in February 1944. The unit was withdrawn from service in 1950. Served in Lytteton

Hautapu served in the RNZN for only a few years, initially marked with a side mark T26, then changed to T340 [2] . It was written from the fleet list in 1950 and then sold to the fishing sector

https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMNZS_Hautapu

HMNZS Hautapu

our history is who blew up a 41m steam trawler alongside a wharf in Wellington's Shelly Bay on 2 June 1966? Maritime

SHIPWRECK SAGA- the sinking of the HAUTAPU |

HAUTAPU shortly after she was sunk by an explosion at a Shelly Bay, Wellington, wharf: Picture IAIN LOVIE COLLECTION

SHIPWRECK SAGA

Sinking of the Hautapu

Lynton Diggle is co-author of the 8th edition of the New Zealand Shipwreck’s book, recently released.

He is working on the supplement.

One of the great mysteries of our maritime history, is who blew up the Hautapu, on the 2nd of June

1966. Lynton is anxious to contact anyone who was crew on HMNZS Inverell, at that time,

particularly the armourers, the ‘cracker stackers’. Anyone who can help, phone Lynton on 09-

8179001. Write to 3 Ngaio Rd. Titirangi, or email: diggle@words-worth.co.nz

After her rudder was badly damaged by striking an unidentified object off the northern Kaikoura Coast

on the night of November 2, 1963, the Hautapu, a 41m. steam trawler, ex minesweeper, was beached

in Ward Bay, between Chancet Rocks and Long Point, seven and a half miles south of Cape Campbell.

With heavy seas pounding her, she listed heavily to starboard and quickly filled with water. The

eight-man crew got ashore through heavy surf.

The Hautapu lay on the beach for several months, at the mercy of the sea and vandals, both causing

extensive damage. Salvage efforts were slow, but during April 1964 several attempts were made.

These culminated in her being towed off the beach by the Perano’s whaling tender Tuatea on April 29,

1964. The Hautapu was towed into Wellington next day where, on slipping and inspection, was

found to be a constructive total loss and was laid up. For two years she lay there, until May 1966

when her owners gave her to the Royal New Zealand Air Force for use as a target. May 31 was set

for the exercise in which she was to be sunk 20 miles south of Cape Palliser by Air Force Vampires,

Canberras and a Sunderland. However, the ship that was to tow the Hautapu to sea, H.M.N.Z.S.

Inverell, was diverted to search for the collier Kaitawa sunk off Cape Reinga, on the 23rd May, and so

the exercise was postponed and the Hautapu remained at the Air Force base at Shelly Bay. In the

early hours of Thursday June 2, 1966, a scuttling charge placed in the Hautapu’s engine room by

Navy, ‘cracker stackers,’ exploded and she sank stern first at her berth, bow still afloat. The charge

was designed to be remotely fired in case the Air Force missed their target. The Air Force would

have still looked good. No one has ever been charged with the sinking.

More here -https://rnzncomms.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/hautapu-story.pdf