WAHINE’S WAR SERVICE

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26512, 29 August 1951, Page 10

WAHINE’S WAR SERVICE

DISPATCH SHIP AND MINELAYER

MALTA-MUDROS RUN AND NORTH SEA

When the Wahine left Wellington with troops for Korea, she entered her third period of war service. It was in. the First World War that she gave distinguished service, first as a dispatch shin during the Gallipoli campagin and later as a minelayer in the North Sea. In the last war her service was limited to two trips to the Pacific islands with troops. The Wahine was built ,by Denny Bros., Dumbarton, rad launched in 1913, being the second vessel to be built to the order of the Union Steam Ship Compapy specially for the interisland service. For some years she ranked among the fastest passenger ships in the world, with a speed of 214 knots to 22 knots. In October, 1913, the Wahine entered the service, replacing the Mararoa. She remained in the service until the middle of 1915, when she was requisitioned by the Admiralty for war service.

Commanded by Captain A. E. Edwin, the Wahine steamed from Port Chalmers (where she had been given a rapid overhaul and painted warship grey) to London. At the Millwall dock the vessel was fitted out as a dispatch ship, and armed with two four-inch guns which had originally been made for a Turkish warship. Manned by Royal Naval Reserve ratings, the vessel left London for Gibraltar and Malta, and became the dispatch ship to the Gallipoli forces, running between Malta and Mudros. In this service she became famous for her speed and the clock-like regularity of her running and even more so for her feats in speedy berthing and leaving harbour. On the evacuation of Gallipoli, the Wahine returned early in 1916 to England. At Millwall, she spent some weeks being converted into a minelayer. The whole of deck D was ripped out and became a mine-chamber. Mine-rails were laid along the deck from the bow to the stern. Part of deck C was ripped out and converted into a mine-room and workshops. For minelaying, the Wahine was manned by Royal Navy ratings, and was commanded by Captain Smythe, R.N., C.M.G., D. 5.0., until the end of 1916, when he was succeeded by Captain Thinne, R.N., C.M.G. The New Zealand engineers were retained, the chief engineer, Mr Profitt, being commissioned Engineer-Commander. R.N., and the second engineer, Mr E. E. Lowe, Lieutenant-Commander, R.N. The Wahine carried out 76 mining operations and laid 1J.378 mines. On 13 occasions, under cover of night, she laid mines in Heligoland Bight, near one of the enemy’s bases. Surrender of German Fleet The Wahine was one of the naval vessels present in the Firth of Forth when the German High Seas Fleet steamed in to surrender. After the war the Wahine was refitted in the yards of Denny Brothers. In December, 1919, she left the Clyde for New Zealand, arriving at Port Chalmers on February 20, 1920. A day or two later she resumed running in the inter-island sevice. In November, 1931, the Rangatira entered the service and the Wahine then replaced the Maori.

For his services in the Wahine during the war Mr Lowe was awarded the D.S.O.

The Wahine had her share of mishaps. In June, 1922, she collided with the tug Lyttelton in Lyttelton Harbour. The tug, which had an overseas ship in tow at the time, was damaged considerably. On June 5,1935, while sailing up Wellington Harbour in dense fog, the Wahine struck the Pipitea wharf and seriously damaged her bow. On that occasion the vessel was out of commission for three months. Just before entering the moles at Lyttelton on Sunday, April 18, 1935, the Wahine lost a propeller. She docked the same night to have a new propeller fitted, and sailed as usual the next day.