Build Date
1943
Boat Builder
Stevenson and Cook
Length
135 Feet / 41 metres
Beam
23 Feet / 7 Metres
Pahau’s War Service
Pahau was launched on April 3rd, 1943 as the fifth of nine steel minesweepers built for the New Zealand Navy during World War Two. She had a single screw, triple reciprocating engine capable of 10 knots. Almost a year later Pahau was commissioned on the 12th February 1944 to serve in the 95th M/S Group located in Wellington.
During Pahau’s military service she was used to escort the dredge Whakaririre (along with Aroha) from Auckland to Napier after service as a Boom Gate Vessel in July 1944. One month later on the 5th August 1944 Pahau and the minesweepers Awatere, Hautapu, Maimai, and Waima used the hulk of Hinemoa for target practice. Out of 89 shots from all 5 minesweepers, only 2 hit Hinemoa, it was reported that the shooting was very erratic, and the results of the practice were unsatisfactory. Her service ended by the 4th September 1945 when Pahau left Wellington to travel to Auckland where she arrived and was paid off on the 7th September.
Draught
13 Feet / 4 Metres
Weight
290 GT
Official Number
T28 / Admiralty Number T351
Pahau Goes To Australia
In March 1946, Pahau was sold to Arthur Murrell of Sydney. She and Aroha were to be towed to Sydney by the Matai. The first attempt to tow her on May 8th, 1946, was a failure, with both ships breaking free twice before passing North Cape. She had to sail back to Auckland to replenish the supplies and towing gear, arriving on May 12th, 1946.
Matai sailed once again, but only with Pahau. On May 21st, when they were about 300 miles from Sydney, Pahau broke free in a southerly storm, and went adrift. She was found 5 days later about 200 miles off Port Macquarie. Pahau was finally towed into Sydney on the 28th of May.
Arthur Murell used Pahau for fishing charters, but she would only complete 6 of these fishing cruises before she and Awatere were sold in October 1946 to the Australian Commonwealth Government. Pahau like Tawhai was then allocated to the United Nations Relief & Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) to fish in Chinese waters. The aim was to help rebuild the fishing industry there that had been decimated during World War Two.
Pahau left Sydney on the 12th November 1946 as a parent ship of a 16 trawler convoy. All but one of the trawlers would arrive at Shanghai safely by February 1947. It is assumed Pahau was used for fishing here but she was last documented in October 1949. Interestingly, she was never removed from the Lloyds register, Unlike Awatere and Tawhai. Liam K was able to find her in the late 90’s editions of Lloyds register so for now her fate is unknown.
References
To research Pahau we used research from Liam K and Papers Past.
Related Posts
Tawhai – 135ft Seager Brothers Castle-Class minesweeper built for the NZ Navy in World War II.
Hinau – 57ft NZ Navy World War II Castle-Class minesweeper.
Manuka – 135.9ft NZ Navy World War II minesweeper built in 1941
Maimai – Coming Soon!