HMNZS Awatere

Background
The vessel was ordered after the New Zealand government, facing a requirement for more minesweepers to operate in home waters, chose the Castle-class trawler design because it was simple enough to be built with the country's limited ship construction facilities at the time.

Operational history
Awatere was the second of the nine steel minesweepers constructed for the Royal New Zealand Navy and was commissioned on 28 July 1943. the others being HMNZS Aroha, HMNZS Hautapu, Maimai, Pahau, HMNZS Waiho, Waima, HMNZS Waipu, and Waikato (never commissioned). She served with the 95th Auxiliary Minesweeping Group, located at Wellington. On 27 July 1945, Awatere would ram the Maimai stern-to-stern at Shelly Bay, with minor damage. In March 1946, Awatere would be sold to Arthur. A. Murrel of Sydney along with Pahau. In October 1946, Awatere was brought by the Australian Commonwealth Government and was allocated to the UNNRA to rebuild the decimated Chinese fishing industry. She was last seen with the Pahau and Tawhai fishing at Formosa (now Taiwan).