HMNZS ''Breeze'' (T02) was a coastal cargo boat which was requisitioned by the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) and converted into a minesweeper. ''Breeze'' was owned by the Canterbury Steam Shipping Company. She was taken up on 3 March 1942, under protest, to replace the which had sunk in a minefield. She was a sister ship to .

Operational history

''Breeze'' joined the 25th Minesweeping Flotilla at Tulagi in April 1943. On her arrival she was also formed, with and her sister ship , into the 9th Auxiliary Minesweeping group within the flotilla. They carried out night-time patrol and escort duties under COMSOPAC control. The Japanese were well north by this time, but occasionally made sudden attacks into American strongholds around

Guadalcanal Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the south-western Pacific, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomon Islands by area, and the seco ...

. In July 1943, prior to being fitted with radar, ''Breeze'' collided with off Guadalcanal while patrolling in a monsoon rainstorm. Grazing port to port, she had a boat wrecked. During convoy escort duty in Ironbottom Sound she was attacked, but not damaged, by dive-bombers. From time to time the flotilla boats would return to Auckland for refits, usually escorting freighters bound the same way. By the middle of 1944 the owners were demanding the return of ''Breeze'' and her twin ''Gale''. COMSOPAC released her on 10 November 1944.

Fate

She was sold to the Philippines in 1964 and renamed ''Balabac'' in 1966.

References

* McDougall, R J (1989) ''New Zealand Naval Vessels.'' Page 69-78. Government Printing Office.

External links

Picture of ''Breeze''

''Boiler cleaners''
Watercolour by Russell Clark {{DEFAULTSORT:Breeze, HMNZS Gale-class minesweepers Military history of New Zealand Ships built on the River Clyde 1933 ships

Operational history

Fate

See also

References

Further reading

External links