HMS New Zealand (1911) 554587 222431888 2008-06-29T09:08:44Z Camerong 21968 added commissioning date {|{{Infobox Ship Begin}} {{Infobox Ship Image |Ship image= [[Image:HMS New Zealand.jpg|300px]] |Ship caption= }} {{Infobox Ship Career |Hide header= |Ship country= |Ship flag=[[Image:Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg|60px|RN Ensign]] |Ship name=HMS ''New Zealand'' |Ship namesake= |Ship ordered= 1909 |Ship builder= |Ship laid down= [[20 June]] [[1910]] |Ship launched=[[11 July]] {{ly|1911}} |Ship acquired= |Ship commissioned=[[23 November]] [[1912]] <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.navymuseum.mil.nz/history/time/interwar/nz.htm|title=RNZN Museum - HMS New Zealand|publisher=[[Royal New Zealand Navy]]|accessdate=2008-06-29}}</ref> |Ship decommissioned= |Ship in service= |Ship out of service= |Ship struck= [[19 December]] [[1922]] |Ship reinstated= |Ship honours= |Ship fate= Sold for scrap [[19 December]] [[1922]] |Ship motto= |Ship nickname= |Ship captured= |Ship status= |Ship notes= |Ship badge= }} {{Infobox Ship Characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption= |Ship class=[[Indefatigable class battlecruiser]] |Ship type= |Ship displacement=19,100&nbsp;tons (22,800&nbsp;tons fully loaded) |Ship length={{convert|590|ft|m|abbr=on}} |Ship beam={{convert|80|ft|m|abbr=on}} |Ship height= |Ship draught={{convert|27|ft|m|abbr=on}} |Ship depth= |Ship propulsion=Parsons turbines, {{convert|33000|ihp|abbr=on}}, four screws |Ship speed= {{convert|25.8|kn|km/h|1}} |Ship range= |Ship endurance= |Ship boats= |Ship capacity= |Ship troops= |Ship complement= 820–1,200 |Ship armament= 8 × {{convert|12|in|mm|0|sing=on}} guns<br/>16 × {{convert|4|in|mm|0|sing=on}} guns<br/>4 × 3-pounder guns<br/>3 × {{convert|18|in|mm|0|sing=on}} torpedo tubes |Ship armour= |Ship notes= }} |} {{otherships|HMS New Zealand}} '''HMS ''New Zealand''''' was a warship built as a [[Early naval vessels of New Zealand#Gift of battlecruiser|gift to Britain]] from the people of [[New Zealand]]. As [[United Kingdom|Britain]] was building up the strength of the [[Royal Navy]] at the start of the 20th century, the nations of the [[British Empire]] were invited to assist. The [[Prime Minister of New Zealand]] at the time, Sir [[Joseph Ward]], announced in 1909 that his country would fund a battleship as an example to other countries. The resulting vessel was a [[battlecruiser]] of the [[Indefatigable class battlecruiser|''Indefatigable'' class]], a sister ship to [[HMS Indefatigable (1909)|HMS ''Indefatigable'']], and to [[HMAS Australia (1911)|HMAS ''Australia'']], which was funded by the people of [[Australia]]. HMS ''New Zealand'' saw action against the [[Imperial Germany|German]] fleet in all three of the major [[North Sea]] battles, contributing to the sinking of two [[cruiser]]s. The keel of ''New Zealand'' was laid at [[Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering]]’s yard on the [[River Clyde|Clyde]] in June 1910 and she was completed in November 1912 at a cost of [[Pound sterling|£]]1,783,190. Although roughly the same size as the [[Battleship#The Dreadnought era|dreadnought]] battleships of the day, she, ''Australia'' and ''Indefatigable'', had lighter defensive armour but better manoeuvrability. ''New Zealand'' was taken on a cruise for a ten-month tour of the [[Dominion]]s in 1913 before joining the [[1st Battlecruiser Squadron (United Kingdom)|1st Batttlecruiser Squadron]] of the [[Grand Fleet]] in the [[Baltic Sea]] in 1914, where she took part in the [[Battle of Heligoland Bight]]. [[Walter Cowan]] was her Captain in 1914/1915. She became flagship of the [[2nd Battlecruiser Squadron (United Kingdom)|2nd Batttlecruiser Squadron]] of the Grand Fleet on [[15 January]] [[1915]] and the following week saw action in the [[Battle of Dogger Bank (1915)]]. She became the flagship of [[David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty|Admiral David Beatty]] when his flagship, [[HMS Lion (1910)|HMS ''Lion'']], was seriously damaged during the battle. During a sweep through the [[North Sea]] on [[22 April]] [[1916]] ''New Zealand'' and HMAS ''Australia'' collided in the fog. The latter suffered sufficient damage to be put out of action for several weeks, but ''New Zealand'' returned to the fleet on [[30 May]], a day before the start of the [[Battle of Jutland]], which was then the largest of the great battleship engagements. She fired 420 12&nbsp;in (305&nbsp;mm) shells (the most of any vessel in the battle) and was hit by an 11&nbsp;in shell that struck Turret X, without causing casualties or major damage. <!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: [[Image:HMS New Zealand (1911) superstructure.jpg‎|right|thumb| Superstructure of HMS New Zealand, photographed in 1919 when she visited [[Tabuaeran|Fanning Island]] as [[John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe|Admiral Lord Jellicoe]]'s flagship.]] --> During both Jutland and Dogger Bank the captain of HMS ''New Zealand'' wore a Māori grass skirt and greenstone Tiki presented during the tour of New Zealand to ward off evil,<ref>[http://www.navymuseum.mil.nz/exhibitions/current/default.htm RNZN Museum: Piu-piu Returns], accessed March 2008</ref> which no doubt helped to enhance her reputation as a lucky ship. She rejoined the 2nd Battlecruiser Squadron in September 1916, then underwent a refit at [[Rosyth]] in November 1916 before attachment to 1st Battlecruiser Squadron. She was involved in the [[second Battle of Heligoland Bight]] on [[17 November]] [[1917]]. Following the war, in 1919, [[Admiral Jellicoe]] took a Royal Navy fleet on another tour of the Dominions to give a report on their defences, and chose ''New Zealand'' as his flagship. She was particularly popular in New Zealand where crowds flocked to visit her as they had done in 1913, when it was estimated more than a third of the country’s population went aboard during the 11 weeks she was there. Jellicoe was popular too, and he later returned to New Zealand as [[Governor-General of New Zealand|Governor-General]], 1920-24. ''New Zealand'' was decommissioned in 1922 and broken up for scrap in 1923. A medal awarded to officers and crew in 1913 is now a rare collectors’ item. == See also == * [[Govan#Ships_built_at_Govan|More Ships Built in Govan]] == External links == {{reflist}} * [http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2Navy-a7.html Record of HMS New Zealand from RNZN History] * [http://www.teara.govt.nz/EarthSeaAndSky/OceanStudyAndConservation/LawOfTheSea/1/ENZ-Resources/Standard/3/en HMS New Zealand (with photo)] *[http://www.navymuseum.mil.nz/history/time/interwar/nz-im/default.htm HMS New Zealand Images] *[http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/great_britain/battleships/new_zealand_1911/hms_new_zealand_1911_page_1.htm MaritimeQuest photo gallery: HMS ''New Zealand''] {{Indefatigable class battlecruiser}} {{DEFAULTSORT:New Zealand (1911)}} [[Category:Battlecruisers of the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Indefatigable class battlecruisers]] [[Category:Royal New Zealand Navy]] [[Category:World War I battlecruisers of the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Clyde-built ships]] [[Category:Govan built ships]]