The role of the ships of the Royal Navy during the New Zealand Wars was to sustain the British forces ashore, to transport military units around the coasts, and to provide fire support during engagements, either directly with gunfire from the ships or by landing sailors and guns to join the military forces ashore.
During the first period of conflict 1845-46, six Royal Navy warships were involved. They provided landing parties of Marines and sailors at Ruapekapeka, Kororareka and Whanganui; transported troops, and the Governor, and in the case of HMS CALLIOPE, supplied a crew and the weapons to fit out a long boat for action on Porirua Inlet.
This long boat incidentally was the first ship purchased by the New Zealand Government for combat duties, and was subsequently used on the Whanganui River in 1846.