Bird-class minesweeper

For the Lapwing/Bird class minesweeper, see Lapwing class minesweeper.

"Bird-class" redirects here. For the taxonomic class for birds, see class aves.

Bird class

300px HMS Blackbird (1943)
Class overview
Builders:	Henry Robb Ltd, Leith, Scotland.
Succeeded by:	Isles-class Naval trawler
Completed:	45
General characteristics
Type:	Minesweeper
Displacement:	607 standard, 923 full load
Length:	168 ft (51 m) overall 157.5 ft (48.0 m) keel
Beam:	30 ft (9.1 m)
Draught:	15.3 ft (4.7 m)
Propulsion:	1,100 ihp (820 kW) oil
Speed:	13 knots (24 km/h)
Complement:	33-35
Sensors and processing systems:	asdic
Armament:	1 × 4 inch gun, 2 × 1 Hotchkiss, twin Lewis, 40 depth charges

The Bird-class minesweeper was a naval trawler built to Admiralty specifications so it could function as a minesweeper. Forty-five were built. The RNZN ships were also referred to as corvettes.

The Bird class evolved from the experimental MS trawler HMS Basset, 1935, followed by HMS Mastiff, 1938, both built by Henry Robb Ltd. They were slightly larger and more powerful than these prototypes of what ultimately became the Isles' class.

Royal New Zealand Navy ships

• HMNZS Kiwi (T102)
• HMNZS Moa (T233)
• HMNZS Tui (T234)

Second World War

On 29 January 1943, in a classic duel, Kiwi and Moa rammed and wrecked the Japanese submarine I-1. On 19 August 1943 Tui and some US Kingfisher float-planes jointly sank the Japanese submarine I-17.

See Also

• List of ships of the Second World War
• List of ship classes of the Second World War

References

• McDougall, R J (1989) New Zealand Naval Vessels. Page 59-61. Government Printing Office. ISBN 978-0-477-01399-4