# TSS Wahine

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/TSS_Wahine
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/TSS_Wahine.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TSS_Wahine
> Source revision: 1350607166
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

Passenger steamship (1912–1951)

For other ships with the same name, see [TEV Wahine](/source/TEV_Wahine).

In Wellington Harbour about 1936

**TSS *Wahine*** (meaning "woman" in Maori) was a [Union Steamship Company](/source/Union_Company) passenger [steamship](/source/Steamship) that was launched in Scotland in 1912 and wrecked in the [Arafura Sea](/source/Arafura_Sea) in 1951. She spent most of her career on inter-island [ferry](/source/Ferry) route between [Wellington](/source/Wellington) and [Lyttelton, New Zealand](/source/Lyttelton%2C_New_Zealand). She was a [minelayer](/source/Minelayer) in [World War I](/source/World_War_I), and a [troop ship](/source/Troopship) in World War I, [World War II](/source/World_War_II) and the [Korean War](/source/Korean_War).[1]

[William Denny and Brothers](/source/William_Denny_and_Brothers) built *Wahine* in [Dumbarton](/source/Dumbarton) as yard number 971. She was launched on 25 November 1912 and completed on 9 April 1913. Her registered length was 375.0 ft (114.3 m), her beam was 52.2 ft (15.9 m) and her depth was 23.7 ft (7.2 m). As built, her [tonnages](/source/Tonnage) were 4,436 [GRT](/source/Gross_register_tonnage) and 1,798 [NRT](/source/Net_register_tonnage). *Wahine* had three [screws](/source/Propeller), each driven by a [steam turbine](/source/Steam_turbine).[2] High-pressure steam powered her [port and starboard](/source/Port_and_starboard) turbines. Exhaust steam from them powered a low-pressure turbine that drove her middle screw. To help her berth at Lyttelton, *Wahine* had a rudder on her bow as well as one in the conventional place at her stern.[1]

As a minelayer in [dazzle camouflage](/source/Dazzle_camouflage) in 1917

The [UK Admiralty](/source/Admiralty_(United_Kingdom)) chartered *Wahine* in July 1915. She was a troop ship, including in the [Gallipoli campaign](/source/Gallipoli_campaign). In May 1916 she was converted into a minelayer. In March 1919 the Admiralty returned her to her owners, and in February 1920 she returned to the inter-island route.[1]

In November 1941 *Wahine* became a troop ship again. In January 1942 she was evacuating mostly women and children from [Fiji](/source/Fiji) to [Auckland](/source/Auckland) when a Japanese submarine tracked her. A US [Flying Fortress](/source/Boeing_B-17_Flying_Fortress) on escort duty sank the submarine with [depth charges](/source/Depth_charge).[3] On 19 December 1942 *Wahine* rammed and sank the minesweeping trawler *[South Sea](/source/Minesweepers_of_the_Royal_New_Zealand_Navy#Converted_trawlers)* inside [Wellington Harbour](/source/Wellington_Harbour). There was no loss of life.[4][5]

After World War II the Admiralty returned *Wahine* to her owners again. In 1946 she was refitted, and in February 1947 she was transferred to the [Trans-Tasman](/source/Trans-Tasman) Sea service between Wellington and [Sydney](/source/Sydney). She served this route until the end of 1948, when she returned to Wellington as the relief ship for the route to Lyttelton.[1]

In July 1951 the New Zealand Government chartered *Wahine* to take [New Zealand Army Service Corps](/source/Royal_New_Zealand_Corps_of_Transport) troops to Korea. On 2 August she left Wellington carrying 577 troops. She called at [Cairns](/source/Cairns), [Queensland](/source/Queensland) and [Darwin, Northern Territory](/source/Darwin%2C_Northern_Territory), where she left on 14 August. At 5:40 a.m. on 15 August she ran hard aground on the Masela Island Reef off Cape Palsu in the [Arafura Sea](/source/Arafura_Sea), being held as far aft as her engine room. In response to her distress call, [Standard Vacuum Oil Company](/source/Standard_Vacuum_Oil_Company) tanker *Stanvac Karachi* rescued all aboard. Salvage attempts were unsuccessful and the ship was abandoned as a total loss.[1]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-NZMR_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-NZMR_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-NZMR_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-NZMR_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-NZMR_1-4) ["T.S.S. Wahine 1913 – 1951"](https://web.archive.org/web/20220627115342/http://www.nzmaritime.co.nz/wahine1.htm). *The New Zealand Maritime Record*. New Zealand National Maritime Museum. Archived from [the original](http://www.nzmaritime.co.nz/wahine1.htm) on 27 June 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Wahine"](http://www.clydeships.co.uk/view.php?&ref=15463). *Scottish Built Ships*. Caledonian Maritime Research Trust. Retrieved 15 August 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** White, F (2020). "6: Fiji and War in the Pacific". *Miner with a Heart of Gold: biography of a mineral science and engineering educator*. Friesen Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-5255-7765-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-5255-7765-9).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["The South Sea scandal"](https://www.pressreader.com/new-zealand/taranaki-daily-news/20070414/282071977457986). *[Taranaki Daily News](/source/Taranaki_Daily_News)*. 14 April 2007.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["HMNZS South Sea (T08) (+1942)"](https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?194125). *Wrecksite*. Retrieved 27 May 2022.

v t e New Zealand inter-island and Cook Strait ferries Current Cook Strait Wellington-Picton ferries Kaiārahi Kaitaki MV Connemara MV Livia Former Cook Strait (Wellington–Picton) ferries Aratere Arahanga Arahura GMV Aramoana GMV Aranui MV Aratika Condor Vitesse Incat 046 MS Santa Regina Strait Feronia MV Straitsman (2005) MV Straitsman (1972) MV Suilven Former inter-island (Wellington–Lyttelton) ferries SS Penguin TEV Rangatira (1931) Rangatira (1971) TSS Wahine (1913) TEV Wahine (1966) Companies Bluebridge KiwiRail Union Company Services Interislander

v t e Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1951 Shipwrecks 7 Jan: HTMS Pratae 28 Jan: Castledore 29 Jan: USS Independence 2 Feb: USS Partridge 18 Feb: Nairana 13 Apr: Arab Trader 16 Apr: HMS Affray 27 Apr: RFA Bedenham 10 May: Marrawah 10 Jun: Maharashmi 1 Jul: HTMS Sri Ayudhya 15 Aug: Wahine 1 Sep: HMS Bagshot, Pelican 3 Sep: Imperial Hamilton 14 Sep: Allenwood 3 Oct: Saltfleet 7 Oct: U-2513 29 Oct: Morania #130 25 Oct: Blue Bird K4 30 Oct: Transpet 6 Nov: São Paulo 12 Dec: Jean Marie 25 Dec: Lilica Other incidents 16 Jan: George Washington 23 Feb: Etivebank 14 May: USCGC Cherokee, USS Sunbird, USS Valcour 18 May: Nancy Moller 29 May Barossa 19 Jul: RFA Wave Laird 20 Aug: Dromus, Prince Rupert 22 Aug: USS Wisconsin 10 Sep: Scillonian 22 Oct: Gripfast 6 Nov: Birgitte Skou 28 Dec: Flying Enterprise Unknown date: HMS Grenville 1950 1952

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [TSS Wahine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TSS_Wahine) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TSS_Wahine?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.