HMNZS Canterbury (F421)

HMNZS "Canterbury" (F421) was one of two broad beam Leander class frigates operated by the Royal New Zealand Navy from 1971 to 2005. HMNZS "Canterbury" was laid down on 12 June 1969 by Yarrow Shipbuilders and launched 11 months later on 6 May 1970.

Commissioned on the 22 October 1971, "Canterbury" went on to see operational service in much of Australasia and other regions like the Persian Gulf, undertaking operations like supporting UN sanctions against Iraq and peace-keeping in East Timor. In addition, "Canterbury" relieved the Royal Navy frigate HMS "Amazon" in the Indian Ocean during the Falklands War, and later relieved the frigate HMNZS "Otago" at Moruroa during anti-nuclear protests.

"Canterbury" was decommissioned in 2005 and after extensive works to remove potentially toxic materials, she was scuttled on 3 November 2007 at Deep Water Cove in the Bay of Islands to provide a dive wreck. She lies in 38 metres of water. [ [http://www.canterburywreck.co.nz Vital measurements] (from the 'canterburywreck.co.nz' website. Accessed 2008-03-03.)]

History

ervice

The last Leander-class frigate (and the last steam-driven warship) in service in New Zealand, the ship was built in Scotland and launched in 1970. During her time in service, the travelled about 960,000 nautical miles (44 circumnavigations of the Earth), and was temporary home of 559 officers and 3,269 ratings." [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/organisation/story.cfm?o_id=105&ObjectID=10113651 All hands on deck to farewell a grand dame] " - "The New Zealand Herald", Saturday 05 March 2005]

She was sent to Moruroa Atoll in 1973 as a symbolic protest of New Zealand against French nuclear testing. [ [http://medals.nzdf.mil.nz/news/articles/1999-2003/20020318.html New Zealand Special Service Medal] (from the New Zealand Defence Force website. Accessd 2008-09-12.)]

In April 1976, "Canterbury" and Australian destroyer HMAS "Brisbane" were assigned to escort the Australian aircraft carrier HMAS "Melbourne" during a five-month return trip to the United Kingdom for the Silver Jubilee Naval Review.Stevens et al., Page 231.]

She was also involved in patrolling the Persian Gulf during 1982-1983 and in 1996 was one of the ships tasked with enforcing the embargo against Iraq. She also was the first New Zealand Navy ship to visit China (in 1987), and has participated in a number of humanitarian and peace-keeping missions, for example to Samoa, Fiji or New Guinea.

In the early 2000s, it was becoming increasingly clear that the ship's technical systems were getting old, and mechanical faults were multiplying. In October 2003, a fire broke out in the auxiliary switchboard while the ship was off the Chatham Islands. The ship was saved through quick action from Dale Bradley and Bjorn MacRae (who received the New Zealand Order of Merit for his actions in the smoke-filled switchboard room), but it was considered that major damage or even ship loss had been only barely avoided. The repairs cost NZ$ 1 million, and the incident may have added to the decision to eventually decommission and replace her with newer multi-role vessels.

Final fate

After being decommissioned in 2005, there was talk of converting her into a floating hostel. However, during a 2004 inspection, corrosion of the ship's structure had been found to be too serious for her to stay afloat in the long term without very costly maintenance. Enthusiasts at the Bay of Islands Canterbury Charitable Trust proposed the idea of scuttling her as a dive wreck at Deep Water Cove in the Bay of Islands. The New Zealand Navy ships "Tui" and "Waikato" are already lying on the ground off the Tutukaka Coast, while the Greenpeace ship "Rainbow Warrior" was scuttled off Matauri Bay. It is hoped that the wreck, in addition to becoming an artificial reef enhancing biodiversity, will also provide additional options for the regions diving tourism." [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10414772 Frigate's final journey draws near] " - "The New Zealand Herald", Monday 11 December 2006] It is considered that removed scrap metal and equipment (such as ship's lockers or the propellor) will bring up to NZ$ 400,000 to offset the NZ$ 650,000 costs of cleaning up and scuttling her," [http://www.divewreck.co.nz/F69/Canterbury.php Frigate to find final resting place in October] (from the New Zealand Drivewrecks website, Monday 09 April 2007)] while the worth to the local economy could be in the millions. The ship itself had been sold to the trust for a symbolic NZ$ 1. [" [http://www.divewreck.co.nz/F69/Canterbury.php Last steam frigate sold for a dollar] " (from the New Zealand Drivewrecks website, Monday, 02 February 2007)] The turret of the frigate was removed and is to become part of the exhibits at a planned new navy museum in Auckland." [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10376845 Old warship unlikely to stay afloat as hotel] " - "The New Zealand Herald", Monday 10 April 2006]

It was expected that the ship would be able to be sunk late 2007, after potential contaminants and scrap materials had been stripped out, and the Department of Conservation had withdrawn its objections at the end of 2006. The intention was originally to sink her on Saturday 20 October 2007 - two days before its 36th commissioning anniversary. After some delays, on the 3rd November 2007 at 1430 hrsFact|date=March 2008 she was eventually sunk by imported plastic explosives placed at 12 locations around the hull (totalling only 14 kg in weight)."Old salt's heart to sink a little" - "The New Zealand Herald", Friday 05 October 2007, Page A11] The sinking was prepared by Norman Greenall, once Chief Petty Officer (shipwright) on the "Canterbury"," [http://www.cdnn.info/news/industry/i071104a.html HMNZS Canterbury New Zealand's Newest Diving Attraction] " - "CYBER DIVER News Network, 4 November 2007. Accessed 2008-06-30.] who has undertaken the scuttling of other New Zealand Navy ships (like the HMNZS "Wellington"). Greenall has a somewhat colourful reputation in the navy as the person who has "sunk more of our navy ships than the enemy did in the whole of the Second World War"" [http://www.divewreck.co.nz/F69/Canterbury.php Warship headed for the deep] " (from the New Zealand Drivewrecks website, Wednesday 04 April 2007)] - however, the actual sinking of the Canterbury was performed by UK company Cadre One. The HMNZS "Canterbury" now lies on the seabed in Deep Water Cove.

The Bay of Islands Canterbury Charitable Trust is currently in financial trouble, owing around NZ$100,000 unpaid fees incurred during the campaign of sinking the ship. The trust noted that the large amount was partly due to a major sponsor, ASB Trust, having withdrawn a promised amount of NZ$50,000-80,000 shortly before the sinking. The trust also noted that the ship was not as popular a dive attraction as the "Rainbow Warrior" lying in Matauri Bay, though the frigate offered good diving, especially when other places such as Matauri Bay were unavailable due to weather conditions. [" [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10497097 Creditors put heat on trust behind frigate dive attraction] " - "The New Zealand Herald", Monday 10 March 2008]

References

*

External links

* [http://www.diveplanet.co.nz/canterburywreck/index.asp (from the 'Dive Planet' website)
* [http://www.diveplanet.co.nz/canterburywreck/divecanter.asp (from the 'diveplanet.co.nz' website)
* [http://www.canterburywreck.co.nz/canterburywreck/f421specifications.asp (from the [Bay of Islands Canterbury Charitable Trust] website)