in the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, and the Indian Ocean, where she was subjected to air and naval attack from Axis forces, conducted bombardments and escorted convoys, and sank the . After serving in the Mediterranean she returned to the Pacific in 1943, assisting in the destruction of the and being seriously damaged by torpedoes during the Battle of Kolombangara. There was a plan in 1941 for to become New Zealand's third light cruiser. To that end, it was partially crewed with New Zealanders. On 19 December, New Zealand's worst naval loss occurred when 150 of the New Zealand crew died after the ship hit mines and sank off the coast of Libya. As the war progressed, the size of the RNZN greatly increased, and by the end of the war there were over 60 ships in commission. These ships participated as part of the British and Commonwealth effort against the Axis in Europe, and against the Japanese in the Pacific. They also played an important role in the defence of New Zealand, from German raiders, and especially when the threat of invasion from Japan appeared imminent in 1942. Many merchant boats were requisitioned and armed for help in defence. One of these was , which saw action against a Japanese submarine off Fiji in 1942. In 1941–1942, it was decided in an agreement between the New Zealand and United States government that the best role for the RNZN in the Pacific was as part of the United States Navy, so operational control of the RNZN was transferred to the South West Pacific Area command, and its ships joined United States 7th Fleet taskforces. In 1943, the light cruiser was transferred to the RNZN as HMNZS Gambia. In November 1944, the British Pacific Fleet (BPF), a joint British Commonwealth taskforce, was formed, based in Sydney, Australia. Most RNZN ships were transferred to the BPF, including Gambia and Achilles. They took part in the Battle of Okinawa and operations in the Sakishima Islands, near Japan. In August 1945, Gambia was New Zealand's representative at Japan's surrender. Altogether, 561 New Zealanders died during World War II while in naval service. The end of the war saw massive cutbacks. Mutinies During April 1947 a series of non-violent mutinies occurred amongst the sailors and non-commissioned officers of four RNZN ships and two shore bases. Overall, up to 20% of the sailors in the