.gif)
HMAS Perth (D29)
Encyclopedia
HMAS Perth (I29/D29) was a Modified Leander class light cruiser
Leander class cruiser (1931)
The Leander class was a class of eight light cruisers built for the Royal Navy in the early 1930s that saw service in World War II. They were named after mythological figures, and all ships were commissioned between 1933 and 1936...
operated by the Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
(RAN) during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. She was constructed for the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
(RN), and commissioned as HMS Amphion in 1936. After several years on the North America and West Indies Station, the cruiser was transferred to the RAN in 1939 and recommissioned as HMAS Perth.
At the start of World War II, the cruiser was used to patrol Australian waters, before being sent to the Mediterranean at the end of 1940. There, Perth was involved in the battles for Greece
Battle of Greece
The Battle of Greece is the common name for the invasion and conquest of Greece by Nazi Germany in April 1941. Greece was supported by British Commonwealth forces, while the Germans' Axis allies Italy and Bulgaria played secondary roles...
, Crete
Battle of Crete
The Battle of Crete was a battle during World War II on the Greek island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May 1941, when Nazi Germany launched an airborne invasion of Crete under the code-name Unternehmen Merkur...
, and Syria
Syria-Lebanon campaign
The Syria–Lebanon campaign, also known as Operation Exporter, was the Allied invasion of Vichy French-controlled Syria and Lebanon, in June–July 1941, during World War II. Time Magazine referred to the fighting as a "mixed show" while it was taking place and the campaign remains little known, even...
before returning to Australia in late 1941.
In February 1942, Perth survived the Allied defeat at the Battle of the Java Sea
Battle of the Java Sea
The Battle of the Java Sea was a decisive naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, that sealed the fate of the Netherlands East Indies....
, before being torpedoed and sunk at the Battle of Sunda Strait
Battle of Sunda Strait
The Battle of Sunda Strait was a naval battle which occurred during World War II. On the night of 28 February – 1 March 1942, the Australian light cruiser and the American heavy cruiser faced a major Imperial Japanese Navy task force. After a fierce battle of several hours duration, both Allied...
. 353 of the 681 aboard were killed, while all but 4 of the 328 survivors were captured as prisoners of war. 106 died in captivity, while 218 were repatriated after the war's end.
Design and construction
The ship was one of three Modified Leander class light cruisers constructed for the RN. She had a displacement of 6,830 tons, with a length overall of 562 foot, a length between perpendiculars of 530 feet (161.5 m), a beam of 56 in 8 in (17.27 m), and a draught of 19 in 7 in (5.97 m). The main difference to the previous five Leanders was that the newer ships had their machinery and propulsion equipment organised in two self-contained units (two Parsons geared turbines and two Admiralty 3-drum boilers in each machinery space), allowing the ship to continue operating if one set was damaged. The two exhaust funnels, one for each machinery space, gave the modified ships a different profile from the early Leanders, which had a single funnel. To cover the separate machinery spaces, the side armour was extended from 84 to 141 ft (25.6 to 43 m), negating the weight reduction created by the separation. The machinery spaces produced 72000 shp for the four propellers, and could drive the ship to a maximum speed of 31.7 knots (17.3 m/s). At top speed, the cruiser could travel 1780 nautical miles (3,296.6 km), while the more economical speed of 22.7 knots (12.4 m/s) produced a maximum range of 6060 nautical miles (11,223.1 km).The Leanders' main armament was eight BL 6 inch Mk XXIII naval gun
BL 6 inch Mk XXIII naval gun
The 50 calibre BL 6 inch gun Mark XXIII was the main battery gun used on the Royal Navy's conventional light cruisers built from 1930 through the Second World War.-Description:...
s, fitted in four twin turrets. During design, it was planned to modify the forward-most and aft-most 6-inch turrets to be fitted with three guns instead of two, but the plan was cancelled when it was determined that the required alterations would cause several negative side effects, including reducing the ship's top speed and causing problems with effective fire control. Secondary armament initially consisted of four 4-inch Mk XVI guns
QF 4 inch Mk XVI naval gun
The QF 4 inch Mk XVI gun was the standard British Commonwealth naval anti-aircraft and dual-purpose gun of World War II.-Service:The Mk XVI superseded the earlier QF 4 inch Mk V naval gun on many Royal Naval ships during the late 1930s and early 1940s...
, but these were later upgraded to four twin mounts. For close defence, the ship was fitted with twelve 0.5-inch machine guns
Vickers .50 machine gun
The Vickers .50 machine gun, also known as the 'Vickers .50' was basically the same as the Vickers machine gun but scaled up to use a larger calibre round.-Mark II, IV and V:...
in three quadruple mounts, and ten .303-inch machine guns
.303 British
.303 British, or 7.7x56mmR, is a .311 inch calibre rifle and machine gun cartridge first developed in Britain as a blackpowder round put into service in December 1888 for the Lee-Metford rifle, later adapted to use smokeless powders...
; a mix of Lewis Gun
Lewis Gun
The Lewis Gun is a World War I–era light machine gun of American design that was perfected and widely used by the British Empire. It was first used in combat in World War I, and continued in service with a number of armed forces through to the end of the Korean War...
s and Vickers machine guns. Eight Mark VII 21-inch torpedo tube
Torpedo tube
A torpedo tube is a device for launching torpedoes. There are two main types of torpedo tube: underwater tubes fitted to submarines and some surface ships, and deck-mounted units installed aboard surface vessels...
s were carried; two quadruple mounts. The ship carried an amphibious aircraft (initially a Supermarine Seagull V, later a Supermarine Walrus
Supermarine Walrus
The Supermarine Walrus was a British single-engine amphibious biplane reconnaissance aircraft designed by R. J. Mitchell and operated by the Fleet Air Arm . It also served with the Royal Air Force , Royal Australian Air Force , Royal Canadian Air Force , Royal New Zealand Navy and Royal New...
) on a catapult. At the time of entry to Australian service, the ship's company stood at 646 (35 officers and 611 sailors), but by the time of her loss, 681 were aboard: 671 naval personnel, 6 RAAF personnel, and 4 civilian canteen staff.
The ship was laid down as HMS Amphion for the RN at Portsmouth Dockyard on 26 June 1933. She was launched by the Marchioness of Titchfield on 27 July 1934, commissioned into the RN on 15 June 1936, and completed on 6 July 1936.
RN service
During her RN career, Amphion saw service in the Caribbean, Atlantic, and Pacific as part of the North America and West Indies Station. The cruiser also saw service as flagship of the Africa Station.Australian acquisition
In 1939, Amphion was sold to the RAN: she was renamed HMAS Perth on 10 July 1939 by Princess Marina, the Duchess of Kent, and was commissioned into RAN service on 29 June 1939. Perth was the last cruiser ever acquired by the RAN. Most of the ship's company departed Australia in May 1939 aboard : the enlisted sailors were forced to live and sleep in the ship's livestock holds.In early August, while en route to Australia, Perth was used to represent her new nation at the 1939 New York World's Fair
1939 New York World's Fair
The 1939–40 New York World's Fair, which covered the of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park , was the second largest American world's fair of all time, exceeded only by St. Louis's Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904. Many countries around the world participated in it, and over 44 million people...
. While in New York, there was a mutiny aboard. The instigation was orders that sailors ashore for leave would have to return to the ship at 18:00 and change from white uniform to blue uniform, although the overall treatment of the sailors by the officers had been an issue since the cruiser was taken over by the RAN. Over 60 sailors gathered on the ship's foredeck; they were confronted by officers with sidearms (the first time RAN officers had been armed to deal with a mutiny) and ordered below decks, but disobeyed. The ship's commanding officer, Captain Harold Farncomb
Harold Farncomb
Rear Admiral Harold Bruce Farncomb, CB, DSO, MVO was a lawyer and Australian Rear Admiral who served in both World War I and World War II. He was the first Australian-born RAN officer to reach a flag rank in the RAN...
, then approached the sailors and informed them that if they did not follow orders to disperse, he would treat their actions as a mutiny. The standoff could be seen from the wharfside, and a heavily armed force of New York Police
New York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
were dispatched, but did not intervene. Farncomb successfully diffused the situation by making the offer that any sailor wanting to wear blue uniform all day ashore could do so after asking permission; an offer taken up by almost every sailor taking shore leave.
World War II
While still en route to Australia, Perth was sailing off Venezuela when World War II started, and immediately began to search for German shipping in the Caribbean and western Atlantic, initially as the only CommonwealthCommonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
warship in the region. The cruiser did not reach Australian waters until 31 March 1940, having sailed via the Panama Canal at the start of the month. On arrival, Perth was assigned to convoy escort and patrol duties along the Australian coast. This continued until November 1940, when she was sent to the Mediterranean Theatre
Battle of the Mediterranean
The Battle of the Mediterranean was the name given to the naval campaign fought in the Mediterranean Sea during World War II, from 10 June 1940-2 May 1945....
to relieve sister ship . Perth reached Alexandria on 24 December, and was assigned to the 7th Cruiser Squadron.
During January 1941, Perth performed patrols of the Aegean Sea and supported convoys to Malta; the cruiser survived air attack on several occasions. February saw the cruiser patrolling around Greece and Crete, then during March, she supported the Allied reinforcement of Greece
Operation Lustre
Operation Lustre was an action during World War II, involving the dispatch of British, Australian, New Zealand and Polish troops from Egypt to Greece in March and April 1941, in response to the failed Italian invasion and the looming threat of German intervention, revealed through Ultra.It was seen...
by transporting soldiers from Alexandria to Piraeus. On the night of 28–29 March, the ship played a major role in the Battle of Cape Matapan
Battle of Cape Matapan
The Battle of Cape Matapan was a Second World War naval battle fought from 27–29 March 1941. The cape is on the southwest coast of Greece's Peloponnesian peninsula...
. The cruiser was involved in the subsequent evacuation of Allied forces from Greece in April. The cruiser was also involved in the Battle of Crete
Battle of Crete
The Battle of Crete was a battle during World War II on the Greek island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May 1941, when Nazi Germany launched an airborne invasion of Crete under the code-name Unternehmen Merkur...
during April and May, and was bombed on 30 May, with four personnel and nine of the 1,188 embarked soldiers killed when a bomb exploded in 'A' boiler room. During June and July, the ship fought against Vichy French forces in Syria
Syria-Lebanon campaign
The Syria–Lebanon campaign, also known as Operation Exporter, was the Allied invasion of Vichy French-controlled Syria and Lebanon, in June–July 1941, during World War II. Time Magazine referred to the fighting as a "mixed show" while it was taking place and the campaign remains little known, even...
, and on one occasion avoided a friendly fire
Friendly fire
Friendly fire is inadvertent firing towards one's own or otherwise friendly forces while attempting to engage enemy forces, particularly where this results in injury or death. A death resulting from a negligent discharge is not considered friendly fire...
attack by Allied bombers. The cruiser was relieved by sister ship , and returned to Australia for upgrades to her anti-aircraft armament and a general refit in August. After the refit, the ship resumed convoy escort duties in home waters until early 1942.
On 14 February 1942, Perth sailed with a convoy of empty oil tankers to the Netherlands East Indies: the Allies wanted to retrieve as much oil as possible before the Japanese could invade the islands. En route, the tankers were ordered back to Australia, and Perth was sent to join the American-British-Dutch-Australian
American-British-Dutch-Australian Command
The American-British-Dutch-Australian Command, or ABDACOM, was a short-lived, supreme command for all Allied forces in South East Asia, in early 1942, during the Pacific War in World War II...
(ABDA) fleet. She reached Tanjong Priok on 24 February, then proceeded to Surabaya
Surabaya
Surabaya is Indonesia's second-largest city with a population of over 2.7 million , and the capital of the province of East Java...
the next day, where she met the ABDA fleet (which consisted of four other cruisers and nine destroyers). On receiving reports that a Japanese convoy of eight cruisers, twelve destroyers, and thirty transports was heading for Surabaya, the ABDA ships sailed to meet them. The Japanese ships were located on the afternoon of 27 February, and the Allied ships opened fire, with Perth setting a Japanese cruiser on fire with her second salvo. Later in the engagement, the Australian cruiser successfully fired on a Japanese destroyer. The forces broke apart after the British cruiser was disabled, then later reengaged; during this, the Dutch cruisers and were torpedoed and sunk. Perth and the United States cruiser were the only large Allied ships to survive the Battle of the Java Sea
Battle of the Java Sea
The Battle of the Java Sea was a decisive naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, that sealed the fate of the Netherlands East Indies....
, and retreated to Tanjong Priok, where they arrived on 28 February. The two ships attempted to resupply, but fuel shortages meant that Perth took on only half her normal fuel capacity, and a lack of shells left the cruisers with the little ammunition they had left over from the previous day. Perth, Houston, and the Dutch destroyer were ordered to sail for Tjilatjap via the Sunda Strait
Sunda Strait
The Sunda Strait is the strait between the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra. It connects the Java Sea to the Indian Ocean...
.
Loss
Perth and Houston sailed at 19:00 (Evertsen was delayed), with the Australian warship leading. The Allies believed that Sunda Strait was free of enemy vessels, but a large Japanese force had assembled at Bantam Bay. At 23:06, the two cruisers were off St. Nicholas Point when lookouts on Perth sighted an unidentified ship; when it was realised that she was a Japanese destroyer, the Australian ship engaged. However, as this happened, multiple Japanese warships appeared and surrounded the two Allied ships.
Hector Waller
Hector Macdonald Laws Waller, DSO & Bar was the captain of the light cruiser HMAS Perth in World War II. In a naval career spanning almost 30 years, he served his country in two world wars...
ordered his ship to try to force a way through. Just as Perth settled on a new heading, four Japanese torpedoes hit the cruiser in the space of a few minutes. The first hit on the starboard side and damaged the forward engine room, the second caused a hull breach near the bridge, the third impacted in the starboard aft area, and the fourth struck on the port side. Waller gave the order to abandon ship after the second torpedo impact. After some further close-range fire from the destroyers, Perth heeled to port and sank at 00:25 on 1 March 1942, with 353 killed: 342 RAN (including Waller), 5 Royal Navy, 3 RAAF, and 3 civilian canteen workers. Houston was torpedoed and sank about 20 minutes later.
Of the 328 survivors, four died after reaching shore, while the rest were captured as prisoners of war. 106 died during their internment: 105 naval and 1 RAAF, including 38 killed by Allied attacks on Japanese 'hell ship
Hell Ship
A hell ship is a ship with extremely unpleasant living conditions or with a reputation for cruelty among the crew. It now generally refers to the ships used by the Imperial Japanese Navy to transport Allied prisoners of war out of the Philippines, Hong Kong and Singapore during World War II. The...
s'. The remaining 218 were repatriated after the war.
The cruiser's wartime service was later recognised with the battle honour
Battle honour
A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags , uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible....
s "Atlantic 1939", "Malta Convoys 1941", "Matapan 1941", "Greece 1941", "Crete 1941", "Mediterranean 1941", "Pacific 1941–42", and "Sunda Strait 1942".