HMAS Armidale (J240)

HMAS "Armidale" (J240), named for the city of Armidale, New South Wales, was one of 60 "Bathurst" class corvettes constructed during World War II, and one of 36 initially manned and commissioned solely by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).cite web |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/w/index.php/HMAS_Armidale_%28I%29 |title=HMAS Armidale (I) |accessdate=2008-08-21 |work=HMA Ship Histories |publisher=Sea Power Centre - Royal Australian Navy]

HMAS "Armidale" was attacked off Betano (Latitude: 9° 9' 52 S, Longitude: 125° 43' 30 E, on the south coast of Portuguese Timor, now East Timor) by thirteen Japanese aircraft on 1 December 1942, sinking with the loss of 40 of her crew and 60 embarked men of the Netherlands East Indies Army. A memorial plaque near the Cenotaph at Darwin, Northern Territory says that 46 survived. She was the only "Bathurst" class corvette to be lost to enemy action.David Stevens et al., 2001, "The Royal Australian Navy", opposite pg 112]

Construction

"Armidale" was laid down by Morts Dock & Engineering Co in Sydney on 1 September 1941. As the ship was built in a dock she was floated on 24 January 1942, with the ceremony officiated by Reverend A. G. Rix.Fact|date=January 2008 "Armidale" was commissioned on 11 June 1942.

Operational history

Following commissioning, "Armidale"’s primary role was the escort of convoys along the Australian coast and from Australia to New Guinea. In October 1942, "Armidale" was reassigned to the 24th Minesweeping Flotilla, operating out of Darwin.

On 29 November 1942, "Armidale" and sister ship HMAS "Castlemaine" were ordered to Betano, to deliver reinforcements for guerrilla forces operating in Timor, and to evacuate Dutch troops and Portuguese women and children. En route, the two ships were attacked by Japanese aircraft on three occasions, all times resulting in no casualties on either side. Arriving offshore of Betano before dawn of 1 December, the two vessels failed to make contact with the Australian Coastwatchers of Sparrow Force. Later that morning, the ships encountered HMAS "Kuru", which was heading to Darwin with 70 passengers. The passengers were transferred to "Castlemaine", while "Armidale" and "Kuru" remained on station to make a second attempt at contact, following orders from Commodore Pope, the Naval Officer in Charge at Darwin. [cite book |last=Walker |first=Frank |title=HMAS Armidale: the ship that had to die |date=1990 |publisher=Kingfisher Press |location=Budgewoi, NSW |isbn=0646005413 |oclc=23082116 |page=page number]

Japanese attack

At 3:15 p.m. on 1 December, "Armidale" was attacked by thirteen Japanese aircraft. She was hit by two torpedoes and sank within five minutes; the crew and Netherlands East India Army and Australian soldiers evacuating to two boats, a Carley float, and a raft. The survivers managed to refloat the Armidale's whaler, which was found largely submerged a few hours after the sinking of the Armidale. [cite book |last=Walker |first=Frank |title=HMAS Armidale: the ship that had to die |date=1990 |publisher=Kingfisher Press |location=Budgewoi, NSW |isbn=0646005413 |oclc=23082116 |page=page number] "Kuru" was attacked by a second group of aircraft, but escaped with minimal damage. [Display plaque on engine of HMAS "Kuru" at East Point Military Museum, DarwinVerify credibility|date=September 2008]

The survivors remained together until midday on 2 December, when one of the boats set out in an effort to find rescuers. They were located by HMAS "Kalgoorlie" on 6 December. "Kalgoolie" attempted to hoist the boat aboard, but it broke up when lifted out of the water as it had been badly damaged by Japanese machine gun fire. [cite book |last=Walker |first=Frank |title=HMAS Armidale: the ship that had to die |date=1990 |publisher=Kingfisher Press |location=Budgewoi, NSW |isbn=0646005413 |oclc=23082116 |page=page number] The survivors were able to direct "Kalgoorlie" to the second boat and Carley float, which were collected on 7 December.

On 5 December, the raft parted company from the rest of the group, and although they were spotted and photographed by a Catalina Flying Boat, retrieval was not possible due to the rough seas. Later searches failed to rediscover the raft.

Reaction

Commodore Pope was blamed for the deaths of those lost in the sinking, both for ordering "Armidale" and "Kuru" back to Betano following the failed contact and reports of harassment by Japanese aircraft, and for the delay between the sinking and commencement of search operations. However, in the subsequent Naval Board of Inquiry, he was exonerated on all counts. [cite book |last=Walker |first=Frank |title=HMAS Armidale: the ship that had to die |date=1990 |publisher=Kingfisher Press |location=Budgewoi, NSW |isbn=0646005413 |oclc=23082116 |page=page number]

Following this attack, the Royal Australian Navy changed policy to prevent minimally armed vessels like the "Bathurst" class corvettes travelling into areas of heavy enemy presence while attempting to perform tasks similar to "Armidale". [cite book |last=Walker |first=Frank |title=HMAS Armidale: the ship that had to die |date=1990 |publisher=Kingfisher Press |location=Budgewoi, NSW |isbn=0646005413 |oclc=23082116 |page=page number]

References

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Further reading

*cite book |last=Walker |first=Frank |title=HMAS Armidale lives on |date=2005 |publisher=Kingfisher Press |location=Budgewoi, NSW |isbn= |oclc=224636266 - 2nd edition of "HMAS Armidale: the ship that had to die", published to coincide with the launch of patrol boat HMAS "Armidale".
*cite book |last=Mandigan |first=Col |title=Armidale '42 : a survivor's account |date=2000 |publisher=Macmillan |location=Sydney, NSW |isbn=0732910390 |oclc=222752324 - Book authored by a survivor of the sinking
*cite book |last=Pullen |first=Rex |title=Survival at sea: in the whaler after the sinking of HMAS Armidale in 1942 :a personal account |date=1998 |publisher=Author |location=Glenorchy, TAS |isbn= |oclc=222550689 - Book authored by a survivor of the sinkinghttp://www.navy.gov.au/HMAS_Armidale_(I) Royal Australian Navy page of the first HMAS Armidale