Trolls have attacked the New Zealand Navy captain after a $100 million ship sank under her command, forcing the country’s Defense Minister to criticize “armchair admirals” and emphasize that her gender was not to blame.
HMNZS Manawanui, the Royal New Zealand The Navy’s specialized hydrographic and diving vessel was conducting a reef survey south of the Samoan island of Upolu when it ran aground on Saturday.
All 75 crew and passengers had to abandon ship in lifeboats and were taken to safety by Australian and Samoan lifeguards in rough seas.
The HMS Manawanui, which in Maori means “steady” or “big-hearted”, burst into flames before capsizing and sinking at 9am on Sunday.
It is the first time in peacetime that the New Zealand Navy has lost a ship and a court of inquiry has been launched to determine what went wrong.
Many online trolls have targeted Commander Yvonne Gray, who has been in command of the ship since 2022, her first ship command.
Commander Gray, originally from Yorkshire in the UK, moved to New Zealand in 2012 with her wife Sharon after falling in love with the country during a caravan holiday.
Critics accused Commander Gray of having been appointed to the position because of her gender and/or sexuality rather than her qualifications.
The HMNZS Manawanui (pictured), the Royal New Zealand Navy’s specialist diving and hydrographic vessel, was conducting an offshore reef survey from the Samoan island off the south coast of Upolu before running aground on Saturday.
The blame game soon began after the sinking, with many online trolls pointing fingers at Commander Yvonne Gray (pictured), who has been in command of the ship since 2022, her first ship command.
The HMS Manawanui, which is Maori for “steady” or “big-hearted”, burst into flames before capsizing and sinking on Sunday morning at 9am. It is the first time in peacetime that the New Zealand Navy has lost a ship
The commanding officer, Commander Yvonne Gray, was hired by the DEI. Her qualities: woman and lesbian,” wrote an X user.
Another sarcastically commented that Commander Gray “might be the only one in world history among all naval officers.”
‘He sank 12 percent of his country’s fleet in one day, without confrontation or enemy storm. Diversity is our strength!’, they added.
Another joked: “At least he sank with pride.”
John McLean, author of A Mission of Honor: A History Of The Royal Navy In The Pacific 1769-1997, said the ship’s sinking “raises the question of whether the Navy is excessively promoting women beyond its ability to satisfy gender and sexuality needs. orientation objectives’.
But Judith Collins, New Zealand’s first defense minister, dismissed such claims on Thursday, describing them as coming from “armchair admirals”.
“People who will never have to make decisions that mean the life or death of their subordinates,” he added.
Online trolls jumped on Commander Gray’s identity to suggest she had been chosen to captain the $93 million Navy ship because of her gender and sexuality, rather than her qualifications.
“A court of inquiry has been set up to determine what caused this terrible incident,” Ms Collins added.
‘The only thing we already know that didn’t cause this is the sex of the ship’s captain.
‘Seriously, in 2024, what the hell is going on here with people sitting on their couch wielding a keyboard making comments about people they don’t know, about an area they don’t know, and are just vile?’
‘Where’s some decency?’
He added that women in uniform had been abused in the street after the sinking.
“This is outrageous behavior and New Zealand is not known for this and we are better than that,” he added.
At a news conference at Devonport Naval Base on Sunday, Ms Collins said the fact that no one died was “frankly something of a triumph, given the very, very difficult circumstances”.
Fighting back tears, she added: “This could have been a really terrible day.”
Collins suggested the ship had run aground because it “lost power,” but investigators are still working to establish an official cause for the sinking.
The criticism of Commander Gray came despite her three-decade career in the British and New Zealand Navy.
He took command of HMNZS Manawanui in 2022 after then-Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern gave a speech before releasing a bottle of champagne to dip the bow at the ship’s commissioning.
Commander Gray, who lists her pronoun as “she/her” on LinkedIn, said the sinking of the ship was when “her worst imagination came true.”
She said her team “responded exactly the way I needed.”
“They acted with commitment, with camaraderie and, above all, with bravery,” he said in a Defense Forces statement on Tuesday night.
Navy chief Rear Admiral Garin Golding said Commander Gray had “made the right decision” in abandoning ship.
Judith Collins, New Zealand’s first defense minister (pictured), dismissed these claims on Thursday, describing them as coming from “armchair admirals, people who will never have to make decisions that mean life or death for their subordinates.” “.
Online, the crew’s family thanked local rescuers for returning the 75 crew members to Samoa.
Samoan police and emergency teams reportedly worked with Australian Defense personnel to bring the ship’s crew to safety.
“It’s a testament to his experience and skill as a commander,” he said.
A local media image showed the $93 million Navy ship listing as the ship took on water and thick black smoke clouded the sky above it.
The P-8A Poseidon anti-submarine aircraft was also deployed to assist in rescue efforts.
But rescuers battled strong currents and winds drove life rafts and sea boats containing the 75 crew toward the reefs.
The high waves only made rescue efforts more challenging.
“We are very grateful for the assistance of everyone involved, from RCCNZ who coordinated the rescue efforts, to the ships who responded and took our crew and passengers from Manawanui to safety,” said New Zealand Maritime Component Commander , Commodore Shane Arndell.
Commander Gray took the helm of HMNZS Manawanui in 2022 after then-Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern gave a speech before releasing a bottle of champagne to dip the bow at the ship’s commissioning (pictured: Ms Ardern with his then partner Clarke Gayford and their 11-month-old daughter Neve at the official ceremony at Devonport Naval Base)
The Samoa Fire and Emergency Services Authority said its rescue team worked through the night and morning to recover and treat the crew of the HMNZS Manawanui.
‘Fortunately no one was seriously injured and no lives were lost. “We are proud to say we saved them,” a spokesperson said.
Two crew members were subsequently hospitalized: one with a dislocated shoulder and the other with back pain.
Another dozen crew members suffered minor cuts and pain.
