HMNZS Charles Upham (A02) was a sealift

Sealift

Sealift is a term used predominantly in military logistics and refers to the use of cargo ships for the deployment of military assets, such as weaponry, vehicles, military personnel, and supplies...

 ship operated by the Royal New Zealand Navy

Royal New Zealand Navy

The Royal New Zealand Navy is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force...

 (RNZN). The vessel, named after dual Victoria Cross

Victoria Cross

The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....

 winner Charles Upham

Charles Upham

Captain Charles Hazlitt Upham VC and Bar was a New Zealand soldier who earned the Victoria Cross twice during the Second World War: in Crete in May 1941, and at Ruweisat Ridge, Egypt, in July 1942...

, was commissioned into the RNZN in 1995. The ship was not successful, and was decommissioned in May 1998 and sold into civilian service in 2001.

Background

The New Zealand Military

New Zealand Defence Force

The New Zealand Defence Force consists of three services: the Royal New Zealand Navy; the New Zealand Army; and the Royal New Zealand Air Force. The Commander-in-Chief of the NZDF is His Excellency Rt. Hon...

 identified a need for a logistic support ship (LSS) in the 1970s. This ship was required to transport military equipment and supplies during operations in the South Pacific and United Nations

United Nations

The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...

 peacekeeping deployments around the world. The 1978 Defence Review stated that "the adaption of a suitable commercial ship [for the LSS role] ... is not discounted". Such a ship was not purchased at this time, but the 1987 Defence White Paper reiterated the need for it to quickly transport the New Zealand Army's

New Zealand Army

The New Zealand Army , is the land component of the New Zealand Defence Force and comprises around 4,500 Regular Force personnel, 2,000 Territorial Force personnel and 500 civilians. Formerly the New Zealand Military Forces, the current name was adopted around 1946...

 Ready Reaction Force in response to crises in the Pacific or Southeast Asia. The White Paper stated that the ship was "essential" and a converted merchant ship would probably be suitable. Studies for a purpose-built LSS with a displacement of up to 12,000 tons were conducted in 1988, but it was decided not to go ahead with this option because of its estimated expense (over NZ$ 240 million) and capabilities being greater than what was required.

The 1991 Defence White Paper again called for the acquisition of a LSS to transport troops around the Pacific and support peacekeeping operations. A review of the New Zealand Defence Force's (NZDF) air and sea transport needs subsequently concluded that a sealift capability was essential and that chartering ships when needed would not meet this requirement because of the time it would take for the vessels to arrive in New Zealand. The review team called for a ship which could deploy up to a company

Company (military unit)

A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...

 of troops and their equipment and transport supplies between New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. The team also suggested that the ship would only need to unload supplies at ports with working wharf facilities. The review concluded by recommending that the NZDF acquire a commercial roll-on/roll-off vessel "as a matter of priority".

From November 1991 the RNZN evaluated several different alternatives to fill the sealift requirement. A shipbroking firm was engaged in June 1992 to identify suitable second hand ships. This firm found that 33 ships from 20 different classes potentially meet New Zealand's requirements; New Zealand Defence Department staff later reduced this number to 21 ships from 10 classes. Shipyards in Korea, Poland and Spain were also asked to provide indicative quotes for the cost of building a new ship. In November 1992 a team of defence personnel inspected four different classes of ships and concluded that either a new-built ship or a second hand ship from the Mercandian 2-in-1 class would be suitable. Scoping for the suitability of converting a Mercandian 2-in-1 class ship to meet the RNZN's needs was undertaken during 1993, concluding that this was feasible but that the ship might suffer from uncomfortable motion at sea. According, in April 1993 Defence sought the Government's approval to purchase a Mercandian 2-in-1 class ship
. The Government decided to delay a decision on the matter, however, until it had considered the upcoming Defence Consolidated Resource Plan and suggested that the Navy consider the possibility of cooperating with Australia to acquire a sealift ship. In late 1993 the Australian Government offered the landing ship heavy to New Zealand as either a gift or at a low price. This offer was eventually rejected by the New Zealand Government in 1994 on the grounds of the ship's high operating costs and uncertain delivery date.

The New Zealand Government approved the purchase of a second hand ship on 28 November 1994. Negotiations conducted prior to this date by the New Zealand Defence Department had secured the Mercandian 2-in-1 class ship Mercandian Queen II, and she was duly purchased on 16 December for a cost of Danish Kroner 55 000 000 or NZ$14.15 million. Following her purchase she was modernised and fitted with naval communications equipment which cost an additional NZ$ 7 million. She arrived in New Zealand on 14 March 1995 and was delivered to the RNZN the next day. She carried a commercial cargo on her delivery voyage to offset some of the costs of her purchase.

Service

HMNZS Charles Upham was commissioned into the RNZN on 18 October 1995. While further modifications, including fitting the ship with a helicopter deck

Helicopter deck

A helicopter deck is a helicopter pad on the deck of a ship, usually located on the stern and always clear of obstacles that would prove hazardous to a helicopter landing...

, were planned, it was decided to operate the ship for several months first so that decisions on the ship were informed by operational experience. Accordingly, Charles Upham made two operational trips in RNZN service in 1995. The first was from Napier

Napier, New Zealand

Napier is a New Zealand city with a seaport, located in Hawke's Bay on the eastern coast of the North Island. The population of Napier is about About 18 kilometres south of Napier is the inland city of Hastings. These two neighboring cities are often called "The Twin Cities" or "The Bay Cities"...

 to Lyttelton

Lyttelton, New Zealand

Lyttelton is a port town on the north shore of Lyttelton Harbour close to Banks Peninsula, a suburb of Christchurch on the eastern coast of the South Island of New Zealand....

 and the second from Auckland

Auckland

The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...

 to Fiji

Fiji

Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...

, during which she carried a light load. She rolled so heavily during the voyage to and from Fiji that her captain feared for the ship's safety at times.

As a result of her captain's concerns, Charles Upham was taken out of service in August 1996 to be modified to improve both her stability and the reliability of her engines. She received ballast tank modifications and a STP was installed. Studies conducted after she was taken out of service showed that the ship required at least 3,500 tons of cargo or ballast to limit her motion to an acceptable level and that it might not be possible to operate helicopters from her as planned. No further work was undertaken on the ship, however, because of the NZDF's tight financial position, a review of New Zealand's operations requirements being underway and a Government audit of Charles Uphams suitability for her role. As a result, she remained tied up at Devonport Naval Base

Devonport Naval Base

Devonport Naval Base is the home of the Royal New Zealand Navy, located at Devonport, New Zealand on Auckland's North Shore. It is currently the only base of the navy that operates ships, and was a navy base from as far back as 1841...

 and did not make any further operational voyages. The 1997 Defence Review and Defence White Papers both identified a need for a LSS, but the Government decided in October that year to delay a decision on modifying the ship until 2000. Full conversion to the sealift role would have included accommodation for 65 soldiers and facilities for 150, a helicopter platform capable of operating two helicopters and improved seakeeping characteristics.

Funding shortfalls led to Charles Upham being leased to a commercial operator in 1998. In April that year the RNZN announced that it was unable to maintain the priority assigned to converting the ship due to the tight defence budget and that the ship would be leased. She left Auckland on 12 May that year under lease to a Spanish company which was to use her to transport citrus fruits between Mediterranean ports for a period of two years and two months. It was planned that the ship would receive the necessary conversion to operate in her military role once the lease was completed.

Disposal

The failure to introduce Charles Upham into service led to political controversy. The Alliance

Alliance (New Zealand political party)

The Alliance is a left-wing political party in New Zealand. It was formed in 1991, and was influential in the 1990s, but has since declined and has no representation in parliament. It suffered a major setback after Jim Anderton, the party's leader, left the party in 2002, taking several of the...

 political party released a pamphlet in June 1998 entitled The Biggest Lemon Ever To Leave Auckland which claimed that Charles Upham was "doing a passable imitation between a lemon and a white elephant". The Government subsequently released much of the documentation surrounding the decision to purchase the ship and the Defence Minister stated that "Charles Upham, once modified, is the right ship to meet New Zealand’s military sealift requirement". In July 1999 Cabinet gave in-principle approval to the ship's conversion, with this being scheduled to be complete by 2002. The unavailability of Charles Upham to support the deployment of New Zealand forces to East Timor

East Timor

The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...

 in late 1999 led to further controversy, and the opposition New Zealand Labour Party's

New Zealand Labour Party

The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially progressive and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....

 defence spokesman accused the Government of botching the ship's purchase.

A number of Defence reviews were held following the election of a Labour Party Government in 1999. The 'Sealift Review' was completed in November 2000 and indicated that New Zealand should acquire a limited capability to land troops and equipment across beaches as well as in ports by modifying Charles Upham. After considering alternatives to the ship such as chartering commercial shipping and buying a new purpose-built ship, the review recommended that Charles Upham was the most cost-effective option for meeting New Zealand's sealift requirements. The Sustainable Defence Review, which was completed in December 2000, recommended that the ship be sold, however. The Government agreed with this recommendation and decided to sell her on 2 April 2001. This decision was announced on 8 May 2001 and in July Charles Upham was sold to the Spanish company she was under charter to. She was subsequently renamed Don Carlos and remained in commercial service as of 2008. The Charles Upham s role has been replaced by the specially commissioned strategic sealift ship

Sealift

Sealift is a term used predominantly in military logistics and refers to the use of cargo ships for the deployment of military assets, such as weaponry, vehicles, military personnel, and supplies...

, which launched in 2006.