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Merchant Ship Losses in Australian Waters in WW2

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Author
and
Subjects
History - WW2
Tags
Ship sinking, Merchant ships
RAN Ships
None noted.
Publication
September 1975 edition of the Naval Historical Review (all rights reserved)

Forty four Allied merchant vessels were lost by enemy action in Australian waters in World War II. With a total tonnage of 196073 the ships ranged from the 12568 ton United States Meigs to the 274 ton British Duranbar. Eighteen were sunk by submarines, sixteen by aircraft, six by surface craft and four by mines. The list does not include accidental losses.

Ship Nationality Tonnage Date Comments
Anshun British 3,188 6/09/42 Sunk at Milne Bay by gunfire from surface warships.
Bantam Dutch 3,322 28/03/43 Bombed and beached at Oro Bay.
British Motorist British 6,891 19/02/42 Sunk by A/C Darwin Harbour.
Cambridge British 10,846 7/11/40 Mined off Wilson’s Promontory.
City of Rayville U.S.A. 5,883 8/11/40 Mined off Cape Otway.
Coast Farmer U.S.A. 3,290 21/07/42 Torpedoed by submarine off N.S.W.
Don Isidro U.S.A. 3,200 19/02/42 Bombed off Bathurst Island.
Duranbar British 274 Seized by Japanese.
Dureenbee British 233 3/08/42 Shelled by submarine off N.S.W. coast.
Fingal Norwegian 2,137 5/05/43 Torpedoed by submarines off N.S.W.
Florence D. U.S.A. 2,638 19/02/42 Bombed near Cape Van Diemen.
G.S. Livanos Greek 4,835 20/07/42 Torpedoed by submarine off Jervis Bay.
Guatemala Panama 5,967 11/06/42 Torpedoed by submarine off N.S.W.
Herstein Norwegian 5,100 20/01/42 Bombed in Rabaul.
Iron Chieftain British 4,812 3/06/42 Torpedoed by submarine off Sydney.
Iron Crown(1) British 4,812 3/06/42 Torpedoed by submarine off Sydney.
Iron Crown(2) British 3,353 4/06/42 Torpedoed by submarine off Gabo Island.
Iron Knight British 4,812 8/02/43 Torpedoed by submarine while en route from Melbourne.
Kalingo British 2,047 18/01/43 Torpedoed by submarine off Sydney.
Komata British 3,900 8/12/40 Surface raider off Nauru.
Koolama British 4,068 3/03/42 Bombed near Wyndham.
Kowarra British 2,125 24/04/43 Torpedoed by submarine off Sandy Cape.
Limerick British 8,724 26/04/43 Torpedoed by submarine en route Sydney to Brisbane.
Lydia M. Childs U.S.A. 7,176 27/04/43 Torpedoed by submarine off N.S.W.
Macdhui British 4,561 18/06/42 Aircraft, Port Moresby.
Macumba British 2,526 6/08/43 Bombed in Arafura Sea.
Mamutu British 300 7/08/42 Sunk by marine in Torres Strait.
Masaya U.S.A. 1,174 28/03/43 Bombed off Oro Bay.
Mauna Loa U.S.A. 5,436 19/02/42 Bombed in Darwin Harbour.
Meigs U.S.A. 12,568 19/02/42 Bombed in Darwin Harbour.
Millimumul British 287 26/03/41 Mined off N.S.W.
Neptuna British 5,952 19/02/42 Bombed in Darwin Harbour.
Nimbin British 1,052 6/12/40 Mined off Port Stevens.
Portmar U.S.A. 5,551 16/06/43 Torpedoed by submarine off N.S.W.
Retina Yugoslav 4,732 11/04/43 Torpedoed by submarine en route Melbourne to Sydney.
Robert J. Walker U.S.A. 7,180 25/12/44 Torpedoed by submarine off Gabo Island.
S. Jacob Dutch 2839 8/03/43 Sunk by aircraft in Gulf of Papua.
Star King U.S.A. 7,176 11/02/43 Torpedoed by submarine off N.S.W. en route Sydney to Noumea.
Triadic British 6,378 7/12/40 Sunk by raider off Nauru.
Triaster British 6,032 7/12/40 Sunk by raider off Nauru.
Triona British 4,413 6/12/40 Sunk by raider off Nauru.
Van Heemskerk British 2,996 14/04/43 Bombed at Milne Bay.
William Dawes U.S.A. 7,177 22/07/42 Torpedoed by submarine off N.S.W.
Wollongbar British 2,239 29/04/43 Torpedoed by submarine off Newcastle.
Zealandia British 6,683 19/02/42 Bombed in Darwin Harbour.

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