Samoa Police patrol vessel Nafuana III 04 2023-

Royal Australian Navy 125 Anniversary International Fleet Review at Sydney, Australia March 2026

Clinton J Down Photography, Shellharbour, New South Wales, Australia

Thanks for allowing us to republish

Samoa-flagged, homeport Apia, IMO 4734271, MMSI 561006007 and call sign 5WDI. Of the Samoa Police Service. Promised in June 2022, ordered on 2 November 2022, acquired on 22 November 2023 and commissioned in 2024. Built by Austal Australia with yard number 542 as a Guardian-class patrol boat under the Pacific Maritime Security Program

Searchlights seen from Samoa according to the U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary dated 4 January 1942

An item reported that on several occasions searchlights were seen from Samoa.

Source

Map Room Papers (Roosevelt Administration), 1942 - 1945. U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary No. 25 dated 4 January 1942 

Japanese naval force in Marshall Islands suitable for invading small islands according to the U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary dated 14 January 1942

An item referred to Australian sources reporting that the Japanese naval force in the Marshall Islands numbered 20 warships and 20 supply vessels. The force was just strong enough for invading small islands like Canton and Palmyra. British and New Zealand authorities believed that Samoa or Fiji was the target.

Source

Map Room Papers (Roosevelt Administration), 1942 - 1945. U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary dated 14 January 1942 No. 35. 

Japanese submarines active in the Canton-Suva-Samoa area according to the U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary dated 21 January 1942

An item reported an increased Japanese submarine activity in the Canton-Suva-Samoa area which could be the Japanese navy intending to operate in that area. One submarine was sighted in the Union Island Group on the position 90 south latitude-172 west longitude.

Source

Map Room Papers (Roosevelt Administration), 1942 - 1945. U.S. Joint Intelligence Committee. Daily summary No. 42 dated 21 January 1942

American whaler Potomac visited Navigator’s Islands according to the newspaper The Polynesian dated 13 November 1852

Biodiversity Heritage Library

An item referred to master C. Bell who reported the presence on 10 June at Apia, Navigator’s Islands the American whaler Potomac master Grant of Nantucket 33 months out 1,900 barrels sperm oil to cruise 

American whaler Phocion visited Navigator’s Islands according to the newspaper The Polynesian dated 13 November 1852

Biodiversity Heritage Library

An item referred to master C. Bell who reported the presence on 10 June at Apia, Navigator’s Islands the American whaler Phocion master Nichols of New Bedford 31 months out 2,300 barrels sperm oil bound home

American whaling barque Smyrna visited Navigator’s Islands according to the newspaper The Polynesian dated 13 November 1852

Biodiversity Heritage Library

An item referred to master C. Bell who reported the presence on 10 June at Apia, Navigator’s Islands the American whaling barque Smyrna master Tobey of New Bedford 29 months out …. barrels sperm oil to cruise on the line 

American whaler Lion visited Navigator’s Islands according to the newspaper The Polynesian dated 13 November 1852

Biodiversity Heritage Library

An item referred to master C. Bell who reported the presence on 10 June at Apia, Navigator’s Islands the American whaler Lion master Nichols of Providence 30 months out 1,… barrels sperm oil to cruise on the line 

American whaler Emily visited Navigator’s Islands according to the newspaper The Polynesian dated 13 November 1852

Biodiversity Heritage Library

An item referred to master C. Bell who reported the presence on 10 June at Apia, Navigator’s Islands [Samoa] the American whaler Emily master Vincent (of New Bedford?) 35½ months out 2,000 barrels sperm oil 

American whaler Ganges visited Navigator’s Islands according to the newspaper The Polynesian dated 13 November 1852

Biodiversity Heritage Library

An item referred to master C. Bell who reported the presence on 10 June at Apia, Navigator’s Islands [Samoa] the American whaler Ganges master Coffin of Nantucket 32 months out 1,250 barrels sperm oil to cruise on the line 

American whaler William and Henry visited Navigator’s Islands according to the newspaper The Polynesian dated 13 November 1852

An item referred to master C. Bell who reported the presence on 10 June at Apia, Navigator’s Islands [Samoa] the American whaler William and Henry master Mayhew of Fairhaven 6 months out clean 

Samoan landing craft Lady Samoa II 1988-still existing 2015?

Launched at the Yokohama Yacht shipyard, Yokohama, Japan on 28 July 1988. Just a small craft used to transport local cargo and persons. Also called a passenger annex ro-ro cargo ship owned and managed by Samoa Shipping Corporation Ltd. , Apia, Samoa. IMO 8802246, callsign 5WCK. Gross tonnage 867 tons, net tonnage 261 tons, summer deadweight 200 tons and as dimensions 43,40 (over all) x 13,00 x 2,36 metres.

Establishing British coal bunker station in the Cook Islands proposed according to the Dutch newspaper De Sumatra Post dated 16 January 1903

An item reported that the British governor of Fiji proposed to found a coal bunker station on the island Soewarrow [Suwarrow, Cook Islands?] which would become of importance after the Panama Canal was completed. The islands was lying east of Samoa and north of the Cook Islands and was in the past property of the firm Henderson&Macfarlane, Auckland, New Zealand. The British consul of the Vriendschapseilanden [Tonga] Hamilton Hunter visited the island with the warship Forch for surveying purposes. The intention was to contract more as 700 British-Indies coolies for 3 year. They all would get an own piece of land for their subsistence until the station was completed.

British gunboat HMS Goldfinch visited the Dutch East in 1899

An item reported that the British cruiser 3rd class HMS Goldfinch (1) visited Batavia, Dutch East Indies between 31 August-2 September 1899.(2)

Notes
1. Part of the Redbreast-1st class gunboats, launched by the Sheerness Dockyard on 18 May 1889, stationed at Australia between March 1890 and August 1899  and sold to be broken up on 14 May 1907.
2. The Dutch newspaper De Sumatra Post dated 18 April 1899 published an item dated London, England dated 13th reporting that she and the Wallaroo were to leave Sydney, Australia with as destination Samoa regarded the German support of Mataafa as pretender to throne in stead of Malietoa supported by England and the USA. Another Dutch newspaper De Locomotief dated 5th September reported her departure on 2 September from Batavia, Dutch East Indies towards Singapore. Commanding officer Legall.

Source
Jaarboek van de Koninklijke Nederlandsche Zeemacht 1898-1899. 

Dutch stern trawler Ariadne (SCH 303) 1982-2014 and Dzintarjura 2015-

Build in 1982 at the Yvc Ysselwerf, Capelle aan den IJssel, Netherlands. With a gross tonnage of 3,938 tons and the dimensions 89,32 (over all) x 12,50 x x 5,5 x 8,00 (hold) metres. Owned and managed by A. v.d. Zwan/Van der Zwan Zonen. Homeport Scheveningen. IMO no. 8107050, MMSI no. 244453000 and call sign PCTO. Holding capacity 1,700 tons and a freezing capacity of 130 tons in 24 hours. Main horsepower 3,600 hp. Build in 1982. Renamed in 2014 Dzintarjura. In 2013 Denmark flagged, in 2018 Samoa, anno 2019 Guinea-Bissau-flagged, MMSI 630123060 and call sign J5MK2, homeport Thyboron, owned by Nordic Pelagic and managed by tamme Bolt, both of Thyboron, Denmark. In 2015 purchased by Latvian buyers. Saint Kitts&Nevis-flagged, MMSI 341899000 and cal siign V4FJ3. Wasn in 2015 active in Mauritian waters.

Scheveningen, Netherlands 24 December 2011

British screw steam corvette HMS Royalist visited the Dutch East Indies in 1899

An item reported that the British cruiser 3rd class HMS Royalist (1) visited Batavia, Dutch East Indies between 3-6 August 1899.(2)

Notes
1. Part of the Satellite-class composite screw steam sloops, laid down by Devonport Dockyard, England on 27 April 1881, launched on 7 March 1883, reclassified as corvette in 1884, commissioned on 14 April 1886, depot ship at Queenstown, Ireland since 1900, renamed Colleen on 1 December 1913, handed over to the Irish Free State on 19 February 1923 and broken up in 1950.
2. The Dutch newspaper De Preanger-bode dated 5 August 1899 presented an item dated Bandung 4th reported the arrival in the evening two days earlier at Tandjong Priok coming from Sydney, Australia and bound via the Seychelles towards England. Armed with 12 guns and a crew numbering 175 sailors and marines. Another Dutch newspaper De Locomotief dated 10 August reported from Batavia on 6 August towards the Seychelles. The edition dated 17 May reported that she transported 2.000 soldiers from Malietoa taken prisoners of war by Mata’afa in the crown affaire of Samoa in which she also bombarded villages along the coastline. The Second Samoan Civil War 1898-1899.

Source
Jaarboek van de Koninklijke Nederlandsche Zeemacht 1898-1899

German gunboat SMS Adler did not bombard the town Apia, Samoa according to the Dutch newspaper De Maasbode dated 17 November 1888

An item dated Sydney, Australia 15th referred to tidings from Samoa reporting that the German gunboat Adler (1) did not bombard the town Apia but just fired at a war prow from Matasa (2) approaching Apia.(3)

Notes
1. Laid down by Kaiserliche Werft, Kiel, Germany in 1882, launched on 3 November 1883, commissioned on 27 May 1984 and stranded in a hurricane off Apia, Samoa on 16 March 1889.
2. The Mataáfa Iosefo (1832-6 February 1912), a Paramount Chief of Samoa who was on the three candidates for the kingship of Samoa? He attacked Tamase who was supported by Germany even by a gunship when Tamase was forced to retreat.
3. Apia is the capital city of Samoa and between 1900-1919 the capital of German Samoa. 

German screw steam corvette SMS Olga arrived at Batavia, Dutch East Indies coming from Zanzibar according to the Dutch newspaper Java-bode dated 27 October 1888

Source U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph photo NH88777. The German corvettes SMS Olga and Olga in the Albert Drydock, Tanjong Tagar, Singapore in the 1880s. Original link

An item dated Batavia, Dutch East Indies 27th reported the arrival of the German steam warship Olga coming from Zanzibar.(1)

Note
1. Launched as the Ersatz Augusta at Stettin, Germany on 11 December 1880, part of the Carola-class. Commissioned 1881, converted into a training ship after being heavily damaged at Samoa during a hurricane in 1889, sold in March 1906 and broken up in 1908. Armament consisted of 2-8,8cm l/30 quick firing guns and 12-3,7cm revolver guns. Crew numbered 295 men. Displacement 2.147 (standard)-2.424 (maximum) and as dimensions 70,6 (waterline)-76,35 (over all) x 14 x 5,80 metres. The 8 coal-fired cylinder boilers and 1 horizontal 3-cylinder 2-stroke expansion steam engine supplied 2.367 hp allowing via one 2-bladed screw a speed of 1 2 knots and with a speed of 10 knots a range of 3.420 nautical miles.

Samoan patrol boat Nafuana (04) 1987-

Laid down at the shipyard of Transfield-ASI (Australian Shipbuilding Industries), South Coogie, Australia on 20 May 1987, launched on 18 February 1988, commissioned on 3 March and completely refitted at Cairns, Australia in 2013. With a displacement of 165 tons (full load) and as dimensions 28,6 (waterline)-31,5 x 8,1 x 2,12 metres or 103‘ x 27‘ x 5,9‘. The armament consists just of small arms. Her crew numbers 17 men. With a speed of 12 knots is her range 2.500 nautical miles. Speed maximum 20 knots. Fuel bunker capacity 20 tons. In police service. Like her sister ships was she built under the Australian Defence Corporation Program [Pacific Patrol Boat Program] ordered on 3 October 1985. Of the ASI 315 class also called Pacific or Pacific Forum-class. Of the Samoa Police Maritime for patrol duties in the Economic Exclusion Zone.

American whaler Sea Shell lying in August 1858 at Upolu, Samoa according to the Whalemen’s Shipping List dated 21 June 1859

An letter written by captain Ware on board of the bark Sea Shell, Warren at Upolo, Navigator Islands [Upolu, Samoa] in August 1858 with a cargo of 475 barrels sperm oil. Disembarked the sick seaman Emery S. Tripp and now destined for Horn Island for recruiting and from there to Bouka Bay for cruising. Tonnage 331 ton. Agent R.B. Johnson. Departed 28 October 1856 bound for the Pacific.