- Yes - In the Tech Tree.
- Yes - Event/BP.
- Yes - Premium.
- No - I would not like to see HMAS Bungaree in game.
Description:
HMAS Bungaree was a vessel with a unique capability within the Royal Australian Navy during the Second World War, being the only mine laying vessel operated by the RAN in that conflict. She would go on to serve in further roles as a survey vessel, and even later a stores vessel.
The Bungaree, like many other auxiliary vessels that the RAN controlled during the war, would be originally civilian operated, being a cargo vessel around the Australian Coast. Due to her large size, it was decided to transform her into an armed minelayer, and she would undergo a large refit to accommodate the needed equipment and stores for such operations.
Although she did have a few sister ships, such as the SS Beltana, she would be the only vessel of her class to be taken over and commissioned into the RAN, with the others remaining in the Australian merchant marine throughout the Second World War, as they were seen as critical to the local economy.
As with many ships during the Second World War, the Bungaree would undergo many large armament refits during her service life, with this suggestion being for her fit in 1943, her last as a dedicated minelayer.
History:
Ordered to be laid down by Caledon Shipbuilding and Engineering, Dundee, in early 1936, the Bungaree was the first of a series of ships built for Australian local trade, and would launch on the 9th of February 1937, fitting out in may that year. Her first owner would be Adelaide Steam Shipping Co, who would use her as a large local trader, mostly in coal and other minerals. She would arrive in Sydney on the 5th of July 1937.
From here she would undergo peaceful trade duties, however on the 1st of February 1939, two of her crewman got into a fight, from which one would die, with the survivor being tried for unlawful killing. The rest of her time pre-war would be uneventful.
The SS Bungaree would not be acquired by the RAN immediately upon the outbreak of war, instead only being requisitioned in October 1940, whereupon she would enter a large refit. This would include the fitting of a heavy armament of two 4" low angle guns astern and a 12pdr forwards, additionally she carried four 20mm Oerlikon cannons and two MGs as her AA armament. Her true armament however was her mines, having 423 seabed contact mines fitted to be released astern.
This work would finish and she would commission on the 9th of June 1941 as the HMAS Bungaree at Garden Island, Sydney. Her first operational mine laying mission would take place on the 15th of August that year, with defensive minefields being set at Port Moresby, and in the Torres Strait. By December she would undergo more modifications, gaining two single 2pdr Pom-Pom mounts just fore of the two 4" guns aft, as well as depth charges.
This work would finish in January 1942, and she would lay more mines in friendly waters, mostly in New Zealand and New Caledonia, as they had no minelaying capability themselves, relying on the Royal Navy for the former, or Marine Nationale for the latter. She would however continue laying minefields around Australia, such as in the Palm Passage. She would return to Sydney at the end of May, just in time for a Japanese midget sub attack on the port, during which HMAS Kuttabul was sunk.
She would leave Sydney on the 9th of June with the convoy CO1, acting as an ASW escort. During this mission she would depth charge a contact, but would determine it to be a non-submarine target. She would also act as escort to the OC3 on her trip back, arriving on the 5th of February 1943 for a large refit.
She would swap her low angle 4" guns for high angle models, and would have her decks rearranged as to allow for superfiring. She would also gain a gun shield for her 12pdr, loose the rifle calibre MGs, but would gain four extra Oerlikons, and would swap out the two 2pdrs for two Bofors. She would also gain Type 271 Radar, mounted on the bridge fore. The amount of mines carried was also increased to
From here she would mine around Queensland, and New Caledonia, running aground on Cockburn Reef, but would survive with minimal damage. She would undergo a small refit on the 10th of January 1944, but by February, defensive minefields were no longer needed and she was reduced to surveying operations. She would continue though the end of the war until 1946 in this role, participating in hydrographic surveys, as well as personnel and cargo transport. She would be returned to her old owners on the 5th of November 1947.
The mines that she laid would have to be cleared up post war, as they were a large impedance to trade. This work was mostly done by the 20th Minesweeping Flotilla, with the HMAS Warrnambool accidentally striking one of her mines, suffering four killed.
Back in civilian attire, the Bungaree would be sold a further two times, and renamed to Eastern mariner. She would strike a mine in the Saigon River on the 26th of May 1966, and would be wrecked.
| General Characteristics: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name: HMAS Bungaree | |||||
| Country: Australia | |||||
| Type: Auxiliary Minelayer | |||||
| Class name: Bungaree | |||||
| Year of commission: 1941 | |||||
| Refit: 1943 | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Dimensions: | |||||
| Length: 357ft 2in (108.8m) | |||||
| Beam: 48ft 8in (14.8m) | |||||
| Draught: 20ft 6in (6.24m) | |||||
| Displacement: 3043t standard | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Propulsion: | |||||
| Powerplant: Coal Fired Triple expansion steam, and exhaust turbine, one screw at 2,500hp (1864.25kW) | |||||
| Speed: 11.5kt | |||||
| Endurance: Unknown | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Armament & sensors: | |||||
| Compliment: 179 | |||||
| Primary armament: 2x1 QF 4-inch Mk.V (High Angle) | |||||
| Secondary armament: 1x1 12pdr 12cwt, 2x1 40mm Bofors | |||||
| Tertiary armament: 8x1 20mm Oerlikon cannons, 467 Mines, 6 DCs | |||||
| Radar: Type 271 | |||||
| Sonar: -nil |
Sources:
Gillett, R. (1983). Australian and New Zealand Warships 1914-1945 (p.167)
https://seapower.navy.gov.au/history/units/hmas-bungaree
HMAS Bungaree - Wikipedia
HMAS Bungaree (M 29) of the Royal Australian Navy - Australian Minelayer of the Auxiliary minelayers class - Allied Warships of WWII - uboat.net
Screw Steamer BUNGAREE built by Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. Ltd. in 1937 for The Adelaide Steamship Co. Ltd., Melbourne, Cargo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LiP08f4OMc
(The Naval Historical Society of Australia’s video on the HMAS Bungaree.)