HMNZS Taranaki (F148)

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Career (New Zealand)

Laid down:	1960
Launched:	1960
Commissioned:	28 March 1961
Decommissioned:	18 June 1982
Struck:	2 July 1982
Fate:	sold and broken up
General characteristics
Displacement:	2144 tonnes
Length:	112 metres
Beam:	12 metres
Draught:	5 metres
Propulsion:	2-shaft double-reduction geared steam turbines
Speed:	30 knots (56 km/h)
Range:	400 tons oil fuel, 5,200 nautical miles (9,630 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h)
Complement:	originally 219, later 240
Armament:	2x4.5 in gun, 1x40 mm, Sea Cat missiles

HMNZS Taranaki (F-148) was a modified Rothesay class frigate in service with the Royal New Zealand Navy from 1960 to 1982. She along with her sister ship Otago formed a core part of the RNZN escort force through out the 1960s and 1970. She was named after the province Taranaki

1 Construction and Delivering
2 Service
3 The End
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Construction and Delivering

Taranaki first crew arrived in Cowes on the 27 March 1961 after a full military march from Plymouth and was officially commissioned on the 28th. She was formally handed over to the RNZN on the 29 March after completing her final sea trials.

[edit] Service

The first decade of Taranaki’s existence saw her take part in regular deployments to the Far East, to Hawaii, Australia and the Pacific for exercises with ships of other navies, and ‘show the flag’ tours.

Between 1974 and 1978 Taranaki was usually laid up due to a shortage of naval personnel. On the occasions that she was out she was mainly protecting New Zealand’s EEZ. On 23 January 1979 she was fully recommissioned after refitting for a training and fisheries role

By 1980 Taranaki was twenty years old and reaching the end of her effective life as a combat frigate. Replacement options were sought after and in October1981 the Government accepted an offer from the British Government to sell New Zealand two Leander class frigates. Taranaki was to be converted into a resources protection and training ship but this plan was cancelled after the Leander class purchase.

[edit] The End

On the 14 June 1982 Taranaki set out on her last voyage from New Plymouth (her home port and chief city of her name sake province) to Auckland for decommissioning. Between the 16-17 of June her ammunition was safely removed and her boiler ceremonially dowsed out. Taranaki was officially decommissioned on the 18 June 1982. She was sold to Pacific Steel Ltd in August 1983 and her breaking up was completed in March 1984