HMAS Westralia (F95)

Last updated

HMAS Westralia (AWM 301717).jpg
HMAS Westralia after conversion to an LSI in 1944
History
Name
  • Westralia (1929–59)
  • Delfino (1959–1960)
  • Woolambi (1960–1961)
Owner
  • Huddart Parker, Melbourne (1929–1959)
  • Asian & Pacific Shipping Company, Fiji (1959–1961)
Builder Harland and Wolff, Govan
Yard number843
Launched25 April 1929
Completed1929
Identification
FateSold for scrap in 1961
History
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svgAustralia
NameWestralia
Acquired1939
Commissioned17 January 1940
DecommissionedSeptember 1946
Reclassified
  • Armed merchant cruiser (1940–1943)
  • Landing Ship Infantry (1943–1946)
  • Troop transport (1946–1951)
  • Civilian ship (1951–1961)
Motto"Faithful and Bold"
Honours and
awards
FateReturned to owners
General characteristics
Tonnage8,108 tons gross, 4,717 tons net in 1931 [1]
Length445 ft (136 m)
Beam60 ft (18 m)
Draught22 ft 6.5 in (6.871 m)
Propulsion2 Harland and Wolff oil engines, twin screws, 1,750 horsepower
Speed14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph)
Capacity1,004 troops (as landing ship)
Complement541
Armament
  • (as AMC):
  • 7 × 6-inch guns
  • 2 × 3-inch anti-aircraft guns
  • 1 × Seagull V amphibian
  • (as LSI):
  • 1 × 6-inch gun
  • 2 × 3-inch anti-aircraft guns
  • 12 × 20 mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns

HMAS Westralia (F95/C61) was an auxiliary cruiser of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Built by Scottish shipbuilder Harland and Wolff and completed in 1929, Westralia was operated by the Huddart Parker company until 1939, when she was requisitioned for service with the RAN as an Armed Merchant Cruiser (AMC). Fitted with guns and commissioned in early 1940, Westralia was initially used to escort convoys in the Pacific and Indian oceans. In November 1940, the largest mutiny in RAN history occurred aboard the ship, with 104 men charged.

Contents

In 1943, Westralia was converted into a Landing Ship, Infantry (LSI). The ship was used to transport units of the United States Army and United States Marine Corps, and took part in numerous amphibious landings. After being used to repatriate personnel at the end of the war, Westralia was decommissioned in 1946. Before she could be returned to her owners, the vessel was requisitioned again, this time for use as a troop transport supporting the British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF). Westralia was not commissioned again, and operated by a merchant navy crew until 1951, when she was returned to Huddart Parker. In 1959, the ship was sold to the Asian and Pacific Shipping Co Ltd for use as a livestock carrier. Initially operated as Delfino, she was renamed Woolambi in 1960, before being sold for scrap in 1961.

Construction and acquisition

Westralia was built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Govan for the Huddart Parker company as a twin screw motor vessel. [2] [3] Assigned the yard number 843, Westralia was launched on 25 April 1929, and completed later that year. [3] [4]

Westralia was requisitioned for war service by the Australian government on 2 November 1939 as an armed merchant cruiser (AMC). [2] She was fitted with seven 6-inch (150 mm) guns and two 3-inch (76 mm) anti-aircraft guns. [2] The ship was commissioned into the RAN on 17 January 1940, and assigned the pennant number F95. [3] [5]

Operational history

Westralia in her pre-war configuration, on the Brisbane River StateLibQld 1 100632.jpg
Westralia in her pre-war configuration, on the Brisbane River

Westralia's time as an AMC was spent escorting convoys in the Pacific and Indian oceans, primarily from Australia and New Zealand. In early November, the ship escorted a floating dock from Brisbane to Darwin, then commenced patrols of the Arafura Sea. [6] Departing on the morning of 10 December 1941 Westralia with 445 troops aboard escorted SS Zealandia with another 957 troops of Sparrow Force from Darwin to Timor. The ships arrived Koepang without incident on 12 December. [7] The two ships returned to Darwin on 16 December, then were instructed to make for Cairns; Westralia arrived on 25 December, with 117 soldiers aboard. [8]

The calls to transport troops had come at short notice, and feeding the soldiers had put a significant dent in Westralia's supplies, with the sailors spending most of December on short rations. [9] After sailing to Cairns for replenishment (most of the commissaries in Darwin had been drained to supply Australian and Dutch forces securing the Dutch East Indies against a pending Japanese invasion), the sailors had to work all day to disembark the troops, and when the planned evening departure was cancelled because the ship's floatplane could not be reembarked, shore leave was not granted. [9] At midnight, the change of watch did not occur, as the sailors meant to start work did not report for duty. [10] At around 01:50, the deck officer noticed around 100 sailors gathered near the anchor winches, blocking them from use. [10] After the sailors disobeyed orders to disperse, Westralia's captain ordered the bridge machine guns trained on the men, then took the ship to Action Stations and noted who did not report for duty. [10] The ship's master-at-arms was ordered to arrest those refusing to report for duty; 104 men were arrested and charged with mutiny (the largest number in RAN history), with the ringleaders confined in cells, and the rest agreeing to resume duties. [10] Westralia arrived in Darwin on 30 December, then was ordered to Sydney so an inquiry into the incident could be held: the records relating to the legal proceedings and punishments have been lost. [10]

During May 1942, Westralia was present in Sydney Harbour during the Japanese midget submarine attack. [11]

Between February and May 1943, Westralia was converted into a Landing Ship, Infantry (LSI). [3] She was recommissioned with the pennant number C61. [5] In this role, Westralia had a capacity of 933 soldiers, and was used primarily to transport units of the United States Army and Marine Corps. [2] [3] The ship was assigned to Port Stephens for use as an accommodation ship while the combined operations training school (later commissioned as HMAS Assault) was developed. [12] The ship took part in landings at Cape Cretin, Hollandia, Leyte Gulf, the Philippines, Borneo. [2]

After the end of the war, Westralia was one of the ships at Ambon on 22 September 1945 for the surrender and occupation of the island where the 164 survivors of Gull Force prisoners had already been taken off on 10 September. [13] She was later used for the repatriation of Australian troops, before being paid off in September 1946. The ship earned five battle honours for her wartime service: "Pacific 1941–45", "New Guinea 1943–44", "Leyte Gulf 1944", "Lingayen Gulf 1945", and "Borneo 1945". [14] [15]

Westralia sailed from Japan via Rabaul for Brisbane, due about 17 July 1946, and thereafter Sydney where she was to be converted to coastal passenger service. [16] However, as she was being refitted for a return to civilian service, Westralia was taken up again for use as a troop transport between Sydney and Kure for the British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF). [2] She was not commissioned into the RAN in this role, and operated with a merchant navy crew. [2] She ended her time with the BCOF in April 1949, then was chartered as a troop carrier by the British Ministry of Transport, and served in the Mediterranean until March 1950. [2] Westralia was finally reconverted and returned to her owners on 27 March 1951. [2] [3] Westralia was sold to the Asian and Pacific Shipping Co Ltd in 1959, serving as a livestock carrier. [5] Initially operated as Delfino, she was renamed Woolambi in 1960, before being sold for scrap and towed to Japan for breaking up in December 1961. [5]

Citations

  1. ↑ Lloyd's Register WES–WHI, PortCities Southampton-Plimsoll Ship Data
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Royal Australian Navy, HMAS Westralia (I)
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Armed Merchant Cruiser HMAS Westralia". uboat.net. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
  4. ↑ "MV Westralia". Clyde built ships. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 17 May 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. 1 2 3 4 Bastock, Australia's Ships of War, p. 220
  6. ↑ Frame & Baker, Mutiny!, p. 158
  7. ↑ Gill, G. Hermon (1957). Royal Australian Navy 1939–1942. Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 2 – Navy. Vol. 1. Canberra: Australian War Memorial. p. 487. Archived from the original on 25 May 2009. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  8. ↑ Frame & Baker, Mutiny!, pp. 158–9
  9. 1 2 Frame & Baker, Mutiny!, p. 159
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 Frame & Baker, Mutiny!, p. 160
  11. ↑ Jenkins, Battle Surface!, pp. 193–4
  12. ↑ Mallett, Ross (2007). "Together Again for the First Time: The Army, the RAN and Amphibious Warfare 1942–1945". In Stevens, David; Reeve John (eds.). Sea Power ashore and in the air. Ultimo, NSW: Halstead Press. p. 121. ISBN   9781920831455. OCLC   271328006.
  13. ↑ Gill 1968, p. 698.
  14. ↑ "Navy Marks 109th Birthday With Historic Changes To Battle Honours". Royal Australian Navy. 1 March 2010. Archived from the original on 13 June 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
  15. ↑ "Royal Australian Navy Ship/Unit Battle Honours" (PDF). Royal Australian Navy. 1 March 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 June 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
  16. ↑ The Argus Westralia's Last Trip as Troop Transport.

Related Research Articles

HMAS <i>Nizam</i> (G38)

HMAS Nizam (G38/D15) was an N-class destroyer of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). The destroyer, named after Osman Ali Khan, the last Nizam of Hyderabad, was commissioned into the RAN in 1940, although the ship remained the property of the Royal Navy for her entire career.

<i>Bathurst</i>-class corvette Class of corvette in use by Royal Australian Navy

The Bathurst-class corvettes were a class of general purpose vessels designed and built in Australia during World War II. Originally classified as minesweepers, but widely referred to as corvettes, the Bathurst-class vessels fulfilled a broad anti-submarine, anti-mine, and convoy escort role.

HMAS <i>Pirie</i> (J189)

HMAS Pirie (J189/B249/A123), named for the city of Port Pirie, was one of 60 Bathurst-class corvettes constructed during World War II and one of 20 built on Admiralty order but manned by personnel of and commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

HMAS <i>Platypus</i> (1917)

HMAS Platypus was a submarine depot ship and base ship operated by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) between 1919 and 1946. Ordered prior to World War I to support the Australian submarines AE1 and AE2, Platypus was not completed until after both submarines had been lost, and she was commissioned into the Royal Navy from 1917 to 1919.

HMAS <i>Sydney</i> (D48) Australian World War II warship

HMAS Sydney, named for the Australian city of Sydney, was one of three modified Leander-class light cruisers operated by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Ordered for the Royal Navy as HMS Phaeton, the cruiser was purchased by the Australian government and renamed prior to her 1934 launch.

HMAS <i>Hobart</i> (D63) 1936-1962 modified Leander-class light cruiser of the Royal and Royal Australian Navies

HMAS Hobart was a modified Leander-class light cruiser which served in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) during World War II. Originally constructed for the Royal Navy as HMS Apollo, the ship entered service in 1936, and was sold to Australia two years later. During the war, Hobart was involved in the evacuation of British Somaliland in 1940, fought at the Battle of the Coral Sea and supported the amphibious landings at Guadalcanal and Tulagi in 1942. She was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in 1943, then returned to service in 1945 and supported the landings at Tarakan, Wewak, Brunei, and Balikpapan. Hobart was placed in reserve in 1947, but plans to modernise her and return her to service as an aircraft carrier escort, training ship, or guided missile ship were not followed through. The cruiser was sold for scrapping in 1962.

HMAS <i>Australia</i> (1911) Indefatigable-class battlecruiser

HMAS Australia was one of three Indefatigable-class battlecruisers built for the defence of the British Empire. Ordered by the Australian government in 1909, she was launched in 1911, and commissioned as flagship of the fledgling Royal Australian Navy (RAN) in 1913. Australia was the only capital ship ever to serve in the RAN.

HMAS <i>Australia</i> (D84) County-class Royal Australian Navy cruiser

HMAS Australia (I84/D84/C01) was a County-class heavy cruiser of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). One of two Kent-subclass ships ordered for the RAN in 1924, Australia was laid down in Scotland in 1925, and entered service in 1928. Apart from an exchange deployment to the Mediterranean from 1934 to 1936, during which she became involved in the planned British response to the Abyssinia Crisis, Australia operated in local and South-West Pacific waters until World War II began.

HMAS <i>Perth</i> (D29) Light cruiser used by the Australian navy during WWII

HMAS Perth was one of three modified Leander-class light cruisers used by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) during the early part of World War II. She was built for the Royal Navy (RN) in the mid-1930s and was commissioned as HMS Amphion in 1936. The ship spent the next several years as flagship of the Commander-in-Chief, Africa before she was transferred to the RAN in 1939 and renamed as HMAS Perth.

Two ships of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) have been named HMAS Westralia:

HMAS <i>Voyager</i> (D31) W-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy

HMAS Voyager (D31/I31) was a W-class destroyer of the Royal Navy (RN) and Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Commissioned into the RN in 1918, the destroyer remained in RN service until 1933, when she was transferred to the RAN. Recommissioned, Voyager served in the Mediterranean and Pacific theatres of World War II until 23 September 1942, when she ran aground while trying to deliver troops to Timor. The ship was damaged by Japanese bombers while trying to refloat, then was scuttled by her crew.

HMAS <i>Westralia</i> (O 195) Leaf-class support tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and Royal Australian Navy

HMAS Westralia was a modified Leaf-class replenishment oiler which served with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) from 1989 to 2006. Formerly RFA Appleleaf (A79), she served in with the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) from 1975 to 1989. The ship was initially leased to the RAN, then purchased outright in 1994. In 1998, a fire onboard resulted in the deaths of four sailors. Westralia was decommissioned in 2006, and the ship was sold into civilian service for use as a Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel, under the name Shiraz. However, the ship was laid up in Indonesia until late 2009, when she was sold to a Turkish ship breaking company. Arriving in January 2010, the vessel was scrapped.

HMAS <i>Albatross</i> (1928)

HMAS Albatross was a seaplane tender of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), which was later transferred to the Royal Navy and used as a repair ship. Albatross was built by Cockatoo Island Dockyard during the mid-1920s and entered service at the start of 1929. The ship experienced problems with the aircraft assigned to her during her career: the amphibious aircraft she had been designed for were retired just before the ship entered service, the replacement aircraft could not be catapult-launched from the ship, and a new plane designed specifically to work with the ship began operations after Albatross was demoted from seagoing status in 1933.

HMS <i>Bellona</i> (63) Cruiser of the Royal Navy

HMS Bellona was the name ship of her sub-class of light cruisers for the Royal Navy. She was the first of the fourth group of Dido-class cruisers. Built to a modified design with only four twin 5.25-inch turrets, but with remote power control for quicker elevation and training, combined with improved handling and storage of the ammunition. The light AA was improved over earlier Dido cruisers, with six twin 20mm Oerlikons and three quadruple 40mm "pom pom".

Landing ship, infantry British troopship class

A landing ship, infantry (LSI) or infantry landing ship was one of a number of types of British Commonwealth vessels used to transport landing craft and troops engaged in amphibious warfare during the Second World War. LSIs were operated by the Royal Navy, British Merchant Navy, Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Indian Navy, and Royal Australian Navy. They transported British Commonwealth and other Allied troops in sea assaults and invasions throughout the war.

HMAS <i>Ballarat</i> (J184)

HMAS Ballarat (J184), named for the city of Ballarat, Victoria, was one of 60 Bathurst-class corvettes constructed during World War II and one of 20 built for the Admiralty but manned by personnel of and commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

SS <i>Zealandia</i> (1910) Australian cargo and passenger steamship sunk in the bombing of Darwin

SS Zealandia, nicknamed "Z", was an Australian cargo and passenger steamship. She served as a troopship in both World War I and World War II. Zealandia transported the Australian 8th Division. Her crew were the last Allied personnel to see HMAS Sydney, which was lost with all hands in 1941. Zealandia was sunk in the air raids on Darwin of 19 February 1942.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the Royal Australian Navy</span>

The history of the Royal Australian Navy traces the development of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) from the colonisation of Australia by the British in 1788. Until 1859, vessels of the Royal Navy made frequent trips to the new colonies. In 1859, the Australia Squadron was formed as a separate squadron and remained in Australia until 1913. Until Federation, five of the six Australian colonies operated their own colonial naval force, which formed on 1 March 1901 the Australian Navy's (AN) Commonwealth Naval Force which received Royal patronage in July 1911 and was from that time referred to as Royal Australian Navy (RAN). On 4 October 1913 the new replacement fleet for the foundation fleet of 1901 steamed through Sydney Heads for the first time.

HMAS <i>Moresby</i> (1918)

HMAS Moresby was a 24-class "Fleet Sweeping" sloop that served in the Royal Navy (RN) and Royal Australian Navy (RAN) as a minesweeper, anti-submarine vessel, and survey ship. The ship was involved in both World Wars, and was the venue of the Japanese surrender of Timor on 11 September 1945.

HMAS <i>Southern Cross</i>

HMAS Southern Cross was an examination vessel, stores and troop carrier of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) during the Second World War. Built in 1933 for the Melanesian Mission of the Anglican Church, she was requisitioned by the RAN on 29 March 1941 and commissioned on 18 June 1941.

References

Books
News articles
Websites
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.