TSS Wahine

TSS Wahine (meaning "woman" in Maori) (1913–1951) was a 4,436 grt Union Steamship Company inter-island passenger ferry that ran between Lyttelton and Wellington, New Zealand. She served as a minelayer in World War I and as a troopship in World War II.[1]

Wellington Harbour circa 1936
Minelaying 1917

On an evacuation of mostly women and children from Fiji to Auckland in January 1942, the Wahine was tracked by a Japanese submarine; an American Flying Fortress on escort duty sank it with depth charges.[2] On 19 December 1942 the Wahine rammed and sank the mine sweeping trawler South Sea inside Wellington Harbour. There was no loss of life.[3][4]

At 5:40 a.m. on 15 August 1951 the Wahine ran hard aground on the Masela Island Reef off Cape Palsu in the Arafura Sea, being held as far aft as the engine room. In response to a distress call, all aboard were rescued by the Standard Vacuum Oil's tanker Stanvac Karachi. Salvage attempts were unsuccessful and the vessel was abandoned as a total loss.[5]

See also
  • TEV Wahine (1966–68), also an inter-island ferry between Lyttelton and Wellington

References
  1. "WAHINE 1913 - The New Zealand Maritime Record - NZNMM". www.nzmaritime.co.nz.
  2. Fiji and War in the Pacific. Chapter 6 in: White F. Miner with a Heart of Gold: biography of a mineral science and engineering educator. Friesen Press. 2020. ISBN 978-1-5255-7765-9 (Hardcover) 978-1-5255-7766-6 (Paperback) 978-1-5255-7767-3 (eBook)
  3. https://www.pressreader.com/new-zealand/taranaki-daily-news/20070414/282071977457986 Taranaki Daily News "The South Sea scandal" 14 April 2007
  4. https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?194125
  5. "TSS Wahine".
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