HMAS Terka underway in April 1941, shortly after her conversion for naval service |
|
| Career (United Kingdom) | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Sir Dudley de Chair Terka[1] |
| Owner: | Adelaide Steamship Company |
| Launched: | 1925 |
| In service: | 1928 |
| Out of service: | 1940 |
| Fate: | Requistioned by RAN |
| Career (Australia) | |
| Name: | HMAS Terka |
| Commissioned: | 31 January 1941 |
| Honours and awards: |
Battle honours: Darwin 1942-43 |
| Fate: | Sunk on 26 March 1945 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage: | 420 gross tons[2] |
| Length: | 147 ft (45 m)[2] |
| Beam: | 26.6 ft (8 m)[2] |
| Depth: | 9.2 ft (3 m)[2] |
| Armament: | 1 x 12 pounder gun 1 x 20mm Oerlikon cannon 1 x .303-inch Vickers machine gun |
HMAS Terka (FY.98) was an auxiliary minesweeper operated by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) during World War II. Launched as Sir Dudley de Chair in 1925, the ship was operated by the Adelaide Steamship Company until she was requisitioned by the RAN in December 1940. She sank while at her moorings at Madang, New Guinea on 26 March 1945 and was abandoned.
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The ship was launched in 1925 from the State Dockyard, Newcastle, New South Wales as Sir Dudley de Chair.[2]
She was bought in 1928 by the Adelaide Steamship Company and renamed Terka. Requisitioned by the RAN in December 1940, she was part of Minesweeping Group 70 based at Darwin, Northern Territory. Converted into a water carrier she moved forward to New Guniea to support the efforts during World War II. While moored at Madang, she sank on 26 March 1945 and was abandoned.
During May-June 1971, the wreck of HMAS Terka, in Binnen Harbour, Madang was blasted by Clearance Diving Team One (RAN), to allow safe navigation of the harbour channel.
Following an overhaul of the RAN battle honours system, completed in March 2010, Terka's wartime service was retroactively recognised with the honour "Darwin 1942-43".[3][4]