HMASKookaburra
 HMASKookaburradocked at Garden Island
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Australia | |
| Builder | Cockatoo Docks & Engineering Company |
| Laid down | 4 July 1938 |
| Launched | 29 October 1938 |
| Commissioned | 28 February 1939 |
| Decommissioned | 15 January 1946 |
| Recommissioned | November 1950 |
| Decommissioned | November 1950 |
| Recommissioned | 11 May 1956 |
| Decommissioned | 3 December 1958 |
| Honours and awards |
|
| Fate | Sold in August 1965, scuttled in March 1970 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Net-class Boom Defence Vessel |
| Displacement | 533 tons |
| Length | 160 ft (49 m) |
| Beam | 26 ft 6 in (8.08 m) |
| Draught | 10 ft 3 in (3.12 m) |
| Propulsion | Triple-expansion steam engine |
| Speed | 9.5 knots (17.6 km/h; 10.9 mph) |
| Armament | 1 ×3-inch anti-aircraft gun,2 ×Vickers machine guns |
HMASKookaburra(A331)was aNet-classboom defence vesselof theRoyal Australian Navy(RAN), which served duringWorld War II.
Construction
[edit]Kookaburrawas one of three ships ordered by theRoyal Australian Navyfor use as boom-net defence vessels.[1]She was laid down by theCockatoo Docks & Engineering CompanyatCockatoo Island Dockyardin Sydney on 4 April 1938, launched on 29 October 1938, and commissioned into the RAN on 28 February 1939.[2]
Operational history
[edit]Originally used as boom defence ship and anti-submarine training vessel in Sydney,Kookaburrawas transferred to Darwin in April 1940.[2]The ship served as a boom defense andexamination vesselin Darwin, and remained there until the end of World War II, with the exception of a refit in Brisbane between September 1942 and February 1943.[2]Kookaburrareceived thebattle honour"Darwin 1942-43" for her wartime service.[3][4]
On 15 January 1946,Kookaburrawas paid off into reserve, was briefly recommissioned for a voyage to Sydney in 1950, and underwent conversion to a "Special Duties Vessel".[2]Kookaburrawas recommissioned again on 11 May 1956 as a survey and general duties ship.[2]
In July 1952, the ship visited Brisbane.[2]During this visit, a paperboy delivering to the ship fell overboard and was rescued by two personnel fromKookaburra.[2]
Decommissioning and fate
[edit]Kookaburrawas decommissioned for the final time on 3 December 1958.[2]She was marked for disposal on 24 June 1965,[2]sold in August 1965, and scuttled in March 1970.
Citations
[edit]- ^David Stevens (2005).A Critical Vulnerability,pg 103
- ^abcdefghiRoyal Australian Navy,HMAS Kookaburra (I)
- ^"Navy Marks 109th Birthday With Historic Changes To Battle Honours".Royal Australian Navy. 1 March 2010. Archived fromthe originalon 13 June 2011.Retrieved23 December2012.
- ^"Royal Australian Navy Ship/Unit Battle Honours"(PDF).Royal Australian Navy. 1 March 2010. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 14 June 2011.Retrieved23 December2012.
References
[edit]- Stevens, David (2005).A Critical Vulnerability: the impact of the submarine threat on Australia's maritime defense 1915-1954.Papers in Australian Maritime Affairs. Vol. 15. Canberra: Sea Power Centre Australia.ISBN0-642-29625-1.ISSN1327-5658.OCLC62548623.Archived fromthe originalon 13 June 2011.Retrieved21 October2010.
- "HMAS Kookaburra (I)".Royal Australian Navy. Archived fromthe originalon 4 November 2012.Retrieved7 December2008.
