Plans To Withdraw Frigates

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30737, 29 April 1965, Page 3

Plans To Withdraw Frigates

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, April 28. The frigate Pukaki is to be withdrawn from service. The acting-Minister of Defence (Mr Hanan) said today that an examination of her hull disclosed that the Pukaki could be kept in restricted service for another year, but the cost of maintaining her was not considered warranted in view of her limited life.

When the Pukaki was withdrawn one of the four Bath-urst-class minesweepers in reserve would be refitted for a combined training and operational role and would come into service in about five months.

The minesweeper would then take over the work of the frigate Rotoiti which would then be withdrawn.

“Essentially we have decided to refit a minesweeper instead of the Pukaki. This will produce a substantia] saving in cost and

will give us a ship that with normal refits and maintenance could continue to serve for several years,” said Mr Hanan.

“Most important the minesweeper will not have the same restrictions on her employment that would be necessary with the Pukaki.

Although it might appear two ships were being replaced by one, the decision to man two coastal minesweepers for service in Malaysia had already absorbed a substantial part of one complete ship’s company, he said. The Pukaki and the Rotoiti are the last of six Loch-class frigates taken over from the Royal Navy after the Second World War. With their withdrawal the Royal New Zealand Navy will consist of two Whitbyclass frigates—the Otago and the Taranaki—and the cruiser Royalist, which will also soon be withdrawn.

A third Whitby-class frigate, the Waikato, is being built in Britain and will come into service in 1967.

The Navy has several other vessels which fill a non-com-batant role, the main ones being H.M.N.Z.S. Endeavour, a supply ship, and H.M.N.Z.S. Lachlan, which is engaged in hydrographic work. There are are several launches engaged

in fisheries protection and survey work. Earlier this year the Chief of' the Naval Staff (RearAdmiral R. E. Washbourn) said the Royalist would be withdrawn next year. About the same time it was reported New Zealand was negotiating to borrow, hire,

or charter a Whitby-class frigate from the Royal Navy. The four minesweepers in mothballs are the Stawell, Inverell, Echuca and Kiama. Australian-built, they were given to New Zealand, by Australia in 1952. Each is of 845 tons. Two are serviceable.