of Japanese submarines and estimates of their future employment indicate immunity from the submarine menace in New Zealand waters". He proposed that the New Zealand Fairmile motor launches should be employed in the Solomon Islands, relieving American destroyers and patrol vessels for duty elsewhere. The twelve Fairmiles were refitted for service in tropical waters and formed into the 80th and 81st Motor Launch Flotillas. The 80th Flotilla consisted of MLs 401 to 406 and the 81st Flotilla of MLs 407 to 411. The flotillas were based at Renard Sound in the Russell Islands. The base was named Kahu and for administrative purposes ML400 was commissioned on 1 April 1944 as HMNZS Kahu. During the seventeen months of their service in the Solomons, from March 1944 until June 1945, the twelve Fairmiles logged on anti-submarine screen patrols and on escorting ships. They had no encounters with Japanese forces. RNZN Fairmiles post war All the fairmiles returned to Auckland in July 1945. In 1946-47 all but Q 411 were sold to private buyers who used them for passenger and/or cargo service or as pleasure craft. Q 411 was sold in 1965. Q 409 was repurchased by the navy in 1953 and resold in 1963 to become the Auckland-Waiheke ferryIris Moana. Two other former Fairmiles were renamed the Ngaroma and the Colville and used as the main ferries between Auckland and Great Barrier Island. They were skippered by Len Sowerby and his son Lester. RNZN Harbour Defence Launches Sixteen Harbour Defence Motor Launches (HDMLs) purchased in the United States were commissioned between March 1943 and March 1944. The launches were long, displaced 54 tons and had a complement of 10. Twin Diesels generated on each of two shafts for a speed of . They were armed with one 20mm Oerlikons, three Vickers K machine guns and six depth charges. They operated as the 124th and 125th Motor Launch Flotillas, based on Auckland and Wellington respectively. They maintained anti-submarine patrols inside indicator loops. Though they were not tested by enemy action, the anti-submarine fixed defences at Wellington and Auckland attained a high degree of efficiency. After the war, twelve were retained, three were sold and one was transferred to the Army. The remaining boats were refitted and re-engined with Foden diesels. These were subsequently used as fishery protection, survey and reserve training boats. All remaining boats were named and given new pendant numbers in