HMAS Wallaroo
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| Career (Royal Australian Navy) |  |
|---|---|
| Namesake: | Town of Wallaroo, South Australia |
| Builder: | Poole & Steele Limited in Sydney |
| Laid down: | 24 April 1941 |
| Launched: | February 18, 1942 |
| Commissioned: | July 15, 1942 |
| Motto: | "With Might And Main" |
| Fate: | Lost following collision on June 11, 1943 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Bathurst class corvette |
| Displacement: | 650 tons (standard), 1,025 tons (full war load) |
| Length: | 186 ft (57 m) |
| Beam: | 31 ft (9.4 m) |
| Draught: | 8.5 ft (2.6 m) |
| Propulsion: | triple expansion engine, 2 shafts |
| Speed: | 15 knots at 1,750 hp |
| Complement: | 85 |
| Armament: | 1 x 4-inch gun 3 x 20 mm Oerlikons machine guns depth charge chutes and throwers |
HMAS Wallaroo (J222), named after the town of Wallaroo, South Australia, was one of 60 Bathurst class corvettes constructed during World War II, and one of 36 initially manned and commissioned solely by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).[1] Wallaroo is one of only three Bathursts lost during World War II; in a collision with US Liberty ship Henry Gilbert Costin on the night of June 11, 1943.[1][2]
[edit] Construction
Wallaroo was laid down by Poole & Steele Limited in Sydney on 24 April 1941.[1] She was launched on February 18, 1942 by Mrs Poole, wife of the shipyard's Chairman of Directors, and commissioned on July 15, 1942.[1]
[edit] Operational history
Wallaroo entered service in September 1942, patrolling between Adelaide in South Australia and Fremantle in Western Australia for submarines, as well as performing escort and minesweeping duties around Fremantle.[1]
Just after midnight on 11 June 1943, while out to sea west of Fremantle, the corvette collided with United States Liberty Ship Henry Gilbert Costin.[1] The night was overcast, and the ships were travelling without lights as a precaution against attacks.[1] Three of Wallaroo's crew were killed in the collision, and the corvette sank four hours later with no further casualties while trying to reach Fremantle.[1] The Liberty Ship received minor damage, and made it to port.[1]
[edit] References
- Stevens, David; Sears, Jason; Goldrick, James; Cooper, Alastair; Jones, Peter; Spurling, Kathryn, (2001). in Stevens, David: The Royal Australian Navy, The Australian Centenary History of Defence (vol III). South Melbourne, VIC: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-195-54116-2.
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