Diving the HMNZS Moa: A submarine killer

Moa was one of three bird class corvettes built for the New Zealand Navy in Scotland in 1939/41

October 4, 2022
HMNZS Moa's four-inch gun and turret still pointing for action
HMNZS Moa's four-inch gun and turret still pointing for action
Photographer:

Fifty-one metres long, with a crew of 35, top speed of 13-14 knots and armed with one four inch gun, two Oerlikon 20 millimetre cannons and a couple of .303 machine guns Moa was a fine ship of her class.

Leaving Greenock, Scotland in November 1941, Moa sailed to Canada, the Panama Canal and San Diego. When Pearl Harbor was attacked Moa left for New Zealand via Tahiti and Fiji reaching Auckland in April 1942. After some convoy protection and other duties she was detailed to protect another convoy from Noumea to Tulagi in the Solomons in December 1942. She was then immediately assigned to patrol work in the ‘Iron Bottom Sound’ between Guadalcanal and Tulagi in the Florida Group.

On the night of 2-3 January 1943 the Japanese made a large push down the ‘Slot’ between Savo Island and Guadalcanal. Eight of the Japanese ships offloaded their troops and cargoes to Kukum beach, while the darkened Moa, outnumbered and outgunned and barely a mile away, stayed silent and observed, clearly hearing the voices of the Japanese.

Later in the same month the Jap 2,135 ton Submarine L1, running on the surface off Kanimbo Bay, was detected by HMNZS Moa and HMNZS Kiwi. The L1, at 319 feet (97.22m) long, was one of the largest submarines of its time and armed with a deck gun and six torpedo tubes.

Divers on USS Kanawha- Tulagi Harbour
Divers on USS Kanawha- Tulagi Harbour

As the New Zealanders approached her the sub dived but her phosphorescent outline could clearly be seen. The Kiwi dropped six depth charges, then another salvo of six which forced the sub to the surface, commencing a surface gunfire fight. Kiwi rammed the L1 just aft of the conning tower and killed her Japanese commander with machine-gun fire. A second and third ramming by the Kiwi damaged both vessels. Moa took up the chase keeping up a steady fire with its four-inch gun. Pursuing the submarine for two miles the Moa forced it into driving on to a coral reef which was to become its final resting place, its bow high and dry on the reef.

The next night Moa spotted and attacked four Japanese landing craft, sinking two but losing the others as they got away in shallow water. Moa took a major four-inch hit from one of the LCs, injuring several of her crew.

On 7 April Moa was in Tulagi harbour refuelling from an oil barge when 18 Japanese Val dive bombers, with accompanying Zero fighters, attacked. Also in Tulagi were the 14,000 ton fleet replenishment ship the USS Kanawha, 15 torpedo boats, the transport USS Stafford and a number of smaller US Navy ships.

Moa took a direct bomb hit from the Vals and two very near misses, springing her plates and sinking her inside four minutes. Today she lies in 40 metres of water and is an excellent dive especially when the harbour water is clear, which because of her location up-harbour is not always the case. Her gun stands prominent and depth-charge racks are the first thing a diver sees as the ship comes into view.

Tulagi Harbour
Tulagi Harbour

Kanawha, further down the harbour and also sunk by the same attack, lies in 60 metres of much clearer water with her main deck at about 45-48 metres. At 476 ft long Kanawha is best treated as two separate dives, starting each from either the bow or the stern where submerged-buoy down-lines have been installed. Sitting upright, the ship offers the penetration diver plenty of scope with easy access to her interior.

Both the Moa and the Kanawha are ever-present reminders of the ferocity of the fighting in this theatre of the Pacific War and are great dives for visitors to Tulagi and the Solomons.

Read more from

Peter Fields

View Posts

Related Posts