 was being prepared for transfer to the Royal New Zealand Navy when she sank after hitting an enemy minefield in the Mediterranean on 19 December 1941 with the loss of all but one man, including all 150 of the New Zealanders who had already joined the ship.Initially established as a division of the Royal Navy in the early 1900s, it was not until 1 October 1941, that His Majesty King George VI approved the designation “Royal New Zealand Navy” for the regular element of the New Zealand Naval Forces; including Reserve and Volunteer Reserve elements.On 22 January, the Devonport Naval Base was opened to the public for the first time in two years.