The Royal New Zealand Naval vessel KAHAWAI makes her way into Greymouth on the west coast of the South Island of NZ. Built in the USA as a HDML in 1943 and served in the Royal NZ Navy during WW2. She is seen here while on Fisheries Patrol during the late 1960’s.
Gray Harbour Ship Building Co – Aberdeen, Grays Harbour – Washington – (Contract Number D.A.N.O.B.S. 587)
The four built by this Company were shipped to Auckland N.Z. from Vancouver on the Mt Robson Park. They were Q1191, Q1192, Q1193, Q1194. They arrived in Auckland on the 25th August 1843, all these craft were commissioned together on the 28th September 1943
124th FLOTILLA AUCKLAND AREA
Because of the late commissioning of the Anti-Submarine Fixed Defenses at Worser Bay, the following H.D.M.L. were sailed to Auckland from Wellington on the 16th May 1943 via Gisborne, arriving in Auckland on the 20th May 1943.
Q1183, Q1184, Q1185, Q1186, Q1187 were the Five designated and they joined up with Q1191, Q1192, Q1193, Q1194, thus collectively making up the 124th Flotilla.
By December 1945 all 16 H.D.M.L. were in Auckland paying off and were subsequently laid up at the Greenhithe Trot, until the Lend Lease transactions were settled.
Ten H.D.M.L. retained by the R.N.Z.N. were,
Q1183, Q1184, Q1188, Q1190, Q1191, Q1192, Q1193, Q1194, Q1348, Q1350
These ten H.D,M.L. were reclassified as S.D.M.L. (Seaward Defense Motor Launch) in the mid 1950’s and were used in various roles.
Q1191 P3553 was laid up in Auckland as a spare launch
Q1191 Kahawai I (P3553) – Q1192 Maroro (P3554) – Q1349 Haku (P3565) – Q1183 Mako (P3551)
In 1966 Q1191, P3553 was refitted and converted into a Fisheries Protection vessel and commissioned as H.M.N.Z.S. KAHAWAI.
Left RNZN 1976. Said to be ashore at Kopu in 1984 for refitting
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