Maritime Carol

Unknown to most historians, six local lads were responsible for stopping the Japanese invading NZ in the Second World War.    Forget the military forces, the Home Guard battalions, armed horsemen and territorial army, it was a fleet of small boats on Hellyers Creek that had the most impact.     "We patrolled our creek most weekends and were definitely responsible for stopping the Japanese invading New Zealand."  said two of the original Mosquito Fleet crew - Doug Day & Lloyd Mumme (both now deceased)  One of the Mosquito Fleet's boats was a seven foot canvas canoe known as MYSTERY.  She had been brought for fifteen shillings ($1.50) from Scratchy Taylor and came with a sail, rudder and centre board.  While anti aircraft batteries conducted constant aerial patrols around the coast, the Mosquito Fleet were on patrol on Hellyer's Creek.   Their regular patrol included Whidifod's Hill, past the lonesome dead pine and the wharf piles, ...

German warships were already at sea when the Second World War was declared in 1939.   The A DMIRAL G RAF S PEE, was the first German ship equipped with radar.   Cruising at a top speed of 28.5 knots, this 186 m ship immediately attacked British & French shipping. Nine merchant ships were sank by A DMIRAL  G RAF  S PEE  during the first three months. Furious at loosing so many ships, the British and French mustered a fleet of battle cruises, aircraft carriers and cruises to capture the raider and her sister ship. Between Argentina and Uruguay, A DMIRAL G RAF S PEE was caught in what is now known as the Battle of the River Plate.    This was the first naval battle of the Second World War.   The ship was badly damaged with thirty six killed and sixty wounded.   She'd been hit over seventy times. A DMIRAL  G RAF  S PEE  limped into neutral Montevideo harbour. With the ship safely docked, the wounded in...