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| Royal New Zealand Navy Bird class minesweeper 607 Tons (standard) 923 (full load) 168' x 30' x 15.3' 1 x 4" gun 2 x 7.7mm Lewis MG 40 depth charges  RNZN 1943 |
Ship History Built by Henry Robb Ltd at Leith Shipyards in Leith, Scotland. Ordered September 26, 1939 as one of three ship order for the Royal New Zealand Navy (HMNZN). Laid down March 22, 1940. Launched May 15, 1941 as HMNZS Moa (T233) named for the Moa bird of New Zealand sponsored by Lady Ferguson, wife of former governor-general Sir Charles Fergusson. Commissioned August 12, 1941 in the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN). Wartime History During December 1942, one of four ships of the 25th Minesweeping Flotilla deployed to the Solomon Islands including HMNZS Matai (T01), HMNZS Kiwi (T102), HMNZS Tui (T234) and HMNZS Moa (T233). On January 29 1943 during the night, Moa and Kiwi were patrolling one mile apart off Kamimbo Bay on the northwest coast of Guadalcanal. The pair made sonar contact with a target 3,000 yards away and Kiwi at once altered course toward the enemy and increased to full speed to attack with depth charges while the Moa kept her course and acted as the sonar directing vessel. Sinking History On April 7, 1943 Moa was being refueling from USS Erskine M. Phelps (YON-147) in Tulagi Harbor. At 3:00pm a Japanese air raid commenced with Type 99 Carrier Bomber Kanbaku / D3A2 Vals from Zuikaku scored a direct bomb hit that passed through the upper deck out the hull before exploding plus two near misses that caused the ship to sink in four minutes. Aboard, five were Killed In Action (KIA) and several wounded. Alongside, USS Erskine M. Phelps (YON-147) was damaged and sank settling on the bottom but was later raised. Shipwreck In 1975 a typhoon hit the area, and a fishing boat moored at Tulagi dragged its anchor across the deck of the ship, destroying the superstructure. The debris field from the 1975 anchor incident is scattered along the nearby seafloor. The Moa is dived by Tulagi Dive, but due to higher silt concentrations is not visited as often. At the bow is the 4" gun and at the stern are depth charge racks. References Torpedo Bay Navy Museum - Kiwi & Moa X Attack of I-Operation by Richard Dunn pages 30-31 South Pacific Air War: The Role of Airpower in the New Guinea and Solomon Island Campaigns, January 1943 to February 1944 (2024) by Richard Dunn pages 50 (January 29 1943), 219 (April 7, 1943), 590 (index Moa) Thanks to Neil Yates / Tulagi Dive for additional information Contribute
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