On This Day

1946-1959 > Post WW2

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.

March 21, 1946

HMAS Bataan takes civilians to sea – a first for the RAN. It was for fundraising and civilians hato subscribe to the Commonwealth Security Loan to obtain a berth. The trips left Brisbane, Sydney and Newcastle and occurred between 21st and 31st March 1946
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March 14, 1946

HMAS Moresby paid off and on 3 February 1947 she was sold for breaking up to Broken Hill Pty Co Ltd. She was subsequently scrapped at Newcastle, NSW

March 6, 1946

HMAS Poyang decommissioned in Sydney. She was then handed over to the Ministry of War Transport in August before being returned to her owners.

March 3, 1946

HMAS TOLGA, (auxiliary minesweeper), was scuttled off New Guinea by HMAS CONDAMINE.

February 26, 1946

HMAS ADELAIDE, (light cruiser), was paid off for breaking up.

February 22, 1946

The modified River class frigate HMAS CONDAMINE, (LCDR R. J. Hodge, RAN), was commissioned. CONDAMINE was laid down in the State Dockyard, Newcastle, NSW, on 30 October 1943, and launched on 4 November 1944.

February 20, 1946

The armament store-carrier HMAS WOOMERA, was commissioned. WOOMERA was allocated to the Australian Army, and named ASHBURTON, and taken over by the RAN on 23 January 1946.

February 11, 1946

HMAS Wollongong paid off at Sydney in preparation for transfer to the Royal Netherlands Navy. Renamed Banda, she served with the Royal Netherlands Navy until April 1950 when she was handed over to the newly created Indonesian Navy, being renamed Radjawali. ‘Jane’s Fighting Ships’ reported that Radjawali arrived at Hong Kong in April 1968 for scrapping.

January 28, 1946

HMAS Benalla (I) paid off into reserve at Fremantle. Benalla (I) remained at Fremantle until 25 March 1955, when the tug HMAS Sprightly sailed for Melbourne with Benalla (I) in tow. The ships arrived at Melbourne on 4 April and Benalla (I) remained in reserve but was later transferred to Geelong. While still remaining in reserve the ship was towed from Geelong to Sydney by Sprightly, departing Geelong on 21 January 1956 and arriving at Sydney on 25 January. On 20 February 1958 Benalla (I) was sold for scrap to Mitsubishi Shoji Kaisha Ltd of Tokyo.

HMAS Bowen paid off into reserve having steamed 95,651 miles on active service. Bowen was sold on 18 May 1956 to Hong Kong Rolling Mills, Hong Kong, to be broken up.

January 17, 1946

HMAS Cairns was transferred to the Royal Netherlands Navy at Brisbane and was renamed Ambon. She was transferred to the Indonesian Navy on 6 April 1950 and renamed Banteng

January 14, 1946

HMAS Kapunda paid off into Reserve. After being declared for disposal on 30 December 1960 she was sold for scrap to Kinoshita (Australia) Pty Ltd on 6 January 1961

January 12, 1946

The River class frigate HMAS BARWON, was commissioned. BARWON was laid down in Cockatoo Island Dockyard, Sydney, on 31 May 1943, and launched on 3 August 1944.

January 10, 1946

HMAS Mulcra decommissioned (without fanfare) and was handed back to her owners having steamed 6896nm on war service with the RAN. Following the war Mulcra returned to trade until 1961 when she was sold by the Adelaide Steamship Company to Hong Kong buyers and renamed La Trinidad. In 1964, under Panamanian registration, she was trading as Tasanee and later as Andes and Veng-An. She was scrapped in 1976.