4 Inch Guns HMS New Zealand

In front of the Auckland Cenotaph sit 2 4 Inch Naval Cannon from HMS New Zealand. HMS New Zealand was an Indefatigable class battlecruiser paid for by New Zealand and gifted to the Royal Navy. Although meant to serve in the Pacific area she was sent to the European theatre at the outbreak of WW1. She fought in the battles of Heligoland Bight, Dogger Bank and Jutland, sustaining just one hit by enemy fire with no casualties, some saying her luck was due to the captain wearing Maori gifts during battle.
She was placed into reserve in 1920 and scrapped in 1922 as part of the Washington Naval Treaty restrictions. Her 16 4 inch guns were stripped and used in gun batteries surrounding Auckland Harbour. 2 of these were then positioned outside the new Auckland War Memorial museum in 1929. At the outbreak of WW2these two were again returned to service, but only one was found to be serviceable. They were not returned until 1959.
New Zealand finally finished paying for the battlecruiser in 1944/45 more than 20 years after she was scrapped.
The Auckland War Memorial Museum has a large display on HMS New Zealand.

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Source

• Text: Sharky Ward
• Photos: Anthony (Sharky) Ward (1, 2, 3), Ernest Hopkins, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (4)