HMS Philomel (1890)

HMS "Philomel" was a "Pearl" class cruiser of the New Zealand Navy from 1914 to 1947.

In 1913 the Admiralty agreed to lend HMS "Philomel" to New Zealand as a seagoing training cruiser to form the nucleus of the newly formed NZ Naval Forces, which was a new division of the Royal Navy. "Philomel" was commissioned for New Zealand service on 15 July 1914. She was the country's first warship. According to Sydney D. Walters:

Described as the "Cradle of the Navy" "Philomel" was the foundation stone on which the Royal New Zealand Navy was laid. [Walters, Sydney David (1956) "The Royal New Zealand Navy: Official History of World War II", Page 544, Department of Internal Affairs, Wellington]

With the outbreak of war in August 1914 formed part of the ocean escort for the New Zealand Force which occupied German Samoa (now Western Samoa). Following this, the ship helped escort the main body of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force as far as Western Australia. The cruiser then sailed for the Middle East.

In 1915 "Philomel" operated in the Mediterranean. On 8 Feb she landed an armed party in Southern Turkey where a large force of Turkish soldiers were encountered, resulting in three seamen killed and three wounded. Subsequently "Philomel" was deployed in the Red Sea and in the Persian Gulf. Throughout these operations "Philomel" was operated as a New Zealand ship, at the cost of the New Zealand Government.

By 1917 the ship needed a refit and "Philomel" returned to New Zealand. Her armament was removed and fitted on New Zealand merchant ships. In April of the same year "Philomel" was re-commissioned as a depot ship at Wellington and supported minesweeping operations until May 1919.

In March 1921, on the creation of the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy, "Philomel" was re-commissioned as a training base and moored at Admiralty reservation, Devonport Dockyard, Auckland.

In October 1941, on the creation of the Royal New Zealand Navy, HMS "Philomel" was recommissioned as the training base HMNZS "Philomel". She was decommissioned in January 1947. After fittings and parts were removed, she was towed to Coromandel and ceremoniously sunk on 6 August 1949.

Notes

References

* Walters, Sydney David (1956) "The Royal New Zealand Navy: Official History of World War II", Department of Internal Affairs, Wellington [http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2Navy-a8.html Appendix VIII : Record of HMNZS Philomel]
* McDougall, R J (1989) "New Zealand Naval Vessels," Pages 11-13, 157-158, Government Printing Office. ISBN 9780477013994
* Other, A.N. [http://www.navyhistory.org.au/hmnzs-philomel/ HMNZS Philomel: The cradle of the Royal New Zealand Navy] , article in "Naval Historical Review", March 1983.

External links

* [http://www.navymuseum.mil.nz/history/time/ww1/hms-philomel.htm NZ Navy Museum] HMS PHILOMEL
* [http://www.navymuseum.mil.nz/history/time/49-2000/training/hmnzs-philomel.htm NZ Navy Museum] HMNZS PHILOMEL