| Navy | The Royal New Zealand Navy |
| Type | Armed Merchant Cruiser |
| Class | [No specific class] |
| Pennant | F 59 |
| Built by | Harland & Wolff Ltd, Greenock |
| Ordered | |
| Laid down | |
| Launched | 16 Oct 1924 |
| Commissioned | 30 Aug 1940 |
| End service | 18 Jun 1943 |
| History | Built as Razmak for P&O S.N. Co, London. Built with deck strengthening to carry guns as an armed merchant cruiser. On 30 November 1930 she was sold to the Union Steamship Company of New Zealand Ltd. and renamed Monowai for the trans-Pacific route. On 23 October 1939 the passenger ship Monowai of the Union SS Co of New Zealand Ltd, Wellington was requisitioned by the Admiralty and converted to an armed merchant cruiser. Conversion was completed on 30 August 1940. Displacement: 10852 BRT Career:
From June 1943 to February 1944 converted to a landing ship LSI(L). From 1944 to September 1946 used as troopship. On 31 August 1946 she was returned to her owner. She resumed merchant service in January 1949. In 1960 she was sold for breaking up in Hong Kong. |
Commands listed for HMNZS Monowai (F 59)
Please note that we're still working on this section
and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.
| Commander | From | To | |
| 1 | A/Capt. Hubert Victor Perry McClintock, RN | 30 Aug 1940 | 28 Nov 1941 |
| 2 | A/Capt. George Robert Deverell, RN | 28 Nov 1941 |
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Notable events involving Monowai include:
16 Jan 1942
The New Zealands Navy armed merchant cruiser HMNZS Monowai (Captain George Robert Deverell, RN) was attacked by the Japanese submarine I-20 (offsite link) off Suva, Fiji Islands. The submarine was driven off by gunfire.