On This Day
1946-1959 > Post WW2
On This Day - 1946-1959
- May 8, 1946
HMAS Kalgoorlie paid off at Melbourne, having steamed 131,607 miles. On the same day Kalgoorlie was transferred to the Royal Netherlands Navy and renamed Ternate
- May 2, 1946
The modified River class frigate HMAS SHOALHAVEN, (CMDR R. Rhoades, RAN), was commissioned. SHOALHAVEN was laid down at Walker’s Yard, Maryborough, QLD, on 1 December 1943, and launched on 14 December 1944.
- May 1, 1946
The destroyer HMAS QUIBERON, (CMDR G. Knox, RAN), towed the Japanese submarine I-205 from Kure to sea, where she was subsequently scuttled.
- April 30, 1946
The total number of gallantry awards made to RAN personnel between 3 September 1939, and 30 April 1946, was 1107. This number included 28 awards bestowed by the USA, four by the Netherlands, and four by Greece. 29 awards were won by RN personnel serving in Australian ships.
Battle casualties suffered by the RAN in the period 3 September 1939, to 30 April 1946, totaled 2608. Officers – 183 killed, 75 wounded; Ratings – 1780 killed, 3 missing, 63 died as POWs, 504 wounded.
HMAS Tolga was towed out to sea, near Alexishafen (near Madang), New Guinea, by the frigate HMAS Condamine, set adrift, and sunk as a target.
HMAS Tamworth paid off. On the same day she was transferred to the Royal Netherlands Navy and renamed Tidore. In December 1949 the ship was transferred to the Indonesian Navy and renamed Pati Unus. She was disposed of in 1969.
- April 27, 1946
HMAS STUART was paid off at Sydney for disposal. On 3 February 1947 she was sold to T Carr and Co Ltd of Sydney and was broken up at Ryde.
- April 18, 1946
HMAS Burdekin paid off into Reserve at Melbourne and was laid up at Corio Bay, Geelong. In 1956 she was towed to Sydney. Declared for disposal on 9 November 1960, Burdekin was eventually sold on 21 September 1961 to the Tolo Mining and Smelting Co Ltd of Hong Kong, together with HMA Ships Condamine, Hawkesbury and Reserve, for an overall amount of £53,000 sterling. The purchase by Tolo was financed by the Mitsubishi Co of Japan, through its Australian agent, HC Sleigh. Burdekin was released to Mitsubishi to be broken up for scrap in Japan. Reserve, formerly an RAN tug, left Sydney for Japan late in December 1961, towing Burdekin and Condamine
- April 5, 1946
HMAS Pirie paid off and recommissioned in the Royal Navy as HMS Pirie at Sydney. On 21 May 1946 she sailed for Colombo in company with her sister ships Gawler and Pirie. All were destined for transfer to the Turkish Navy. As a unit of the Turkish Navy Pirie was renamed Amasra. The vessel was not listed in ‘Jane’s Fighting Ships’ after the 1971/72 issue. In 1984, in answer to a query from the HMAS Pirie Association, the Turkish Consulate General advised that ‘Amasra was put out of service on 26 March 1984 after having rendered valuable service to the Turkish Navy’
HMAS GAWLER, (minesweeper), was paid off for transfer to the Turkish Navy. The ship was renamed AYVALIK, and remained in service until 1963.
- April 3, 1946
HMAS Kiama paid off into Reserve. In her two years and two months of service Kiama steamed 60,882 miles and was underway for 6369 hours. In May 1952, without again being brought into seagoing commission, Kiama was transferred to the Royal New Zealand Navy. She paid off from the Royal New Zealand Navy on 19 August 1976 for disposal.
- April 1, 1946
HMAS TOLGA, (auxiliary minesweeper), was scuttled in New Guinea waters “because she had deteriorated so badly it was considered dangerous to attempt to run her home”.
- March 26, 1946
HMAS Bundaberg paid off at Brisbane, having steamed 112,199 miles since commissioning. On 4 November 1947 Bundaberg, under tow by her sister ship HMAS Katoomba, departed Brisbane for Sydney, where the vessels arrived on 7 November. Bundaberg remained in Reserve at Sydney. The ship was sold for scrap on 6 January 1961 to Kinoshita (Aust) Pty Ltd.
HMAS Stawell paid off at Brisbane. Stawell was transferred to the Royal New Zealand Navy in May 1952 and commissioned as HMNZS Stawell. In the late 1950s she paid off into Reserve. In July 1968 she was sold to Pacific Scrap Ltd of Auckland and broken up.