In the second part of Matthew O’Sullivan’s series on RNZAF rescues from the notorious Minerva Reefs, a mystery ship is spotted.
In May 1971 No. 5 Squadron RNZAF was again involved in a search and rescue from Minerva Reef, the rescue of stranded Korean fishermen from the ship Nam Hae 238.
The No. 5 Squadron Unit History for 8 May 1971 records: “Whilst on a routine patrol flight to Nandi [sic], Flight Lieutenant B.K. Bassett and ‘Crew Six’ diverted to Minerva Reef in search of a Korean fishing vessel after an alerting signal was received. The crew found the vessel hard aground on the reef and in danger of swamping with the approach of high tide. All crew members of the vessel were observed to be safe. They had sought refuge in another wreck situated higher on the reef.”
The next day, the 9 May, reveals: “The aircraft returned to the scene the next day (the RCC [Rescue Coordination Centre] having been activated at Nandi) and provided a sister ship of the stranded vessel, which was waiting outside the reef, with directions to the passage through to the lagoon. This was done by means of a rough sketch dropped in a sonobuoy container. A letter was received by the Squadron, expressing the sincere thanks of the RCC for the assistance rendered.”
A Korean researcher, film maker and former Radio Operator on the sister ship, the Nam Hae 265, has been researching the incident, and the Air Force Museum of New Zealand has assisted by providing the photos taken by the Orion crew.
Among the pictures are several of another ship.
It was originally presumed that this vessel has been involved with the rescue, but evidence from Korea suggests that the mystery ship was, in fact, the ship Chukotka.
During the 1970s, when the Cold War was very cold, Chukotka was the Soviet Union’s ‘premier intelligence vessel’ in the region.
The Chukotka “…completely withdrew from the scene, unable to withstand the military pressure from a New Zealand Air Force reconnaissance aircraft.”
So No. 5 Squadron, going about its business in the South Pacific, not only assisted in the rescue of stranded sailors but brought the aircraft face to face with their Cold War foes.
In June 1992, No. 5 Squadron were again involved in an incident at Minerva Reef, finding and directing rescue vessels to the stranded yacht Santanaii.
See all the photos from this mission and over 55,000 other historic pictures on our online database https://airforcemuseum.co.nz/photographs/
No. 5 Squadron pilots during a patrol in 1981. Image: RNZAF Official. WhG2548-81
