- Yes - In the Tech Tree.
- Yes - Event/BP.
- Yes - Premium.
- No - I would not like to see HMAS Bombo in game.
Description:
HMAS Bombo was one of many requisitioned civilian vessels taken over by the Royal Australian Navy during the Second World War, in which she would serve. As with most of these vessels, who would typically be small coastal traders, she would be refitted as to act as a minesweeper, and given a limited armament.
This suggestion is for her fit in 1944, when she was reassigned to stores carrier.
History:
Laid down by H.Robb, in Leith, Scotland, she would launch by the 18th of December 1929, to be a coastal trader under the State Metal Quarries, NSW, Australia, replacing the older SS Kiama. Her fitting our process would complete and she would pass her sea trials by early 1933, sailing for Sydney on the 11th of February that year.
She would freight blue metal (basalt aggregate) from Kiama to Sydney, for use in construction and road works. She would sail five times a week on this route. In March of 1938 she would be sold to Quarries Pty Ltd, but would continue sailing on the same route.
On the Australian Declaration of war she would not be immediately requisitioned, as it was preferred that as many local coastal traders be preserved, as to prevent trade from collapsing. However this would not save her from military service, being requisitioned in mid 1940, as more hulls were needed in the water for minesweeping and other auxiliary roles.
For her new life she would undergo a large refit, having a large mast added amidships, replacing a smaller deck crane, saving room on the deck itself, a smaller mast for communication equipment was also fitted aft. She also was given an armament of a single 12pdr forward, two .303 Vickers guns amidships, and a singe DC rail, fitted with four charges. This would finish and she would commission on the 28th of May 1941.
Her pennant of BB was indented to quickly identify her from both other requisitioned vessels, and those which had remained in civilian control, as they shared a common profile, which made identification difficult.
From here she would be based out of Storm Bay, Hobart. She would sweep for both enemy mines and submarines, however, not much would come out of her time in this role, as although it was for the majority of the war (1941-1943), not much would happen. One crew member described this period as, “It was not boring - it was bloody boring”.
In September 1943, the HMAS Bombo would be refitted for conversion to a stores carrier, a job which would mean transporting large amounts of supplies from South Australia to North Australia, as to resupply local forces preparing to move further north to the front line.
Most of her armament would be retained, with the exception of the minesweeping gear, which would be removed, however she would gain a gunshield for the 12pdr, and have a large bandstand just aft of that mounting added for two single 20mm Oerlikons. In addition she gained two derricks to assist in unloading. These works would complete on the 27th of January 1945, and she would recommission.
In early September 1945, she would join an Allied force bound for Koepang, in Timor, to enforce Japanese surrender. Other than this occasion, she would continue the boring task of transporting equipment to North Australia.
She would decommission on the 25th of February 1946, and would continue to transport blue metal with her old owners.
On the 22nd of February, while under a heavy sea, her 640t cargo would shift giving her a fatal list to port, from which she would flounder with only two survivors and the ships dog.
| General Characteristics: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name: HMAS Bombo | |||||
| Country: Australia | |||||
| Type: Auxiliary Minesweeper | |||||
| Class name: Bombo | |||||
| Year of commission: 1941 | |||||
| Refit: 1944 | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Dimensions: | |||||
| Length: 154.3 ft (47m) | |||||
| Beam: 30.1ft (9.1m) | |||||
| Draught: 13.6ft (4.1m) | |||||
| Displacement: 540t standard | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Propulsion: | |||||
| Powerplant: Coal Fired Triple expansion steam, one screw @ 100 nhp | |||||
| Speed: 9.5kt | |||||
| Endurance: Unknown | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Armament & sensors: | |||||
| Compliment: 14 | |||||
| Primary armament: 1x1 12pdr 12cwt | |||||
| Secondary armament: 2x1 20mm Oerlikon cannons | |||||
| Tertiary armament: 4x DC on one rail, small arms. | |||||
| Radar: -nil | |||||
| Sonar: -nil |
Sources:
Gillett, R. (1983). Australian and New Zealand Warships 1914-1945 (p.168)
SS Bombo - Wikipedia
https://seapower.navy.gov.au/history/units/hmas-bombo
HMAS Bombo and Able Seaman Robert Klippel RANR - Naval Historical Society of Australia
Michael McFadyen's Scuba Diving Web Site