- Yes - In the Tech Tree.
- Yes - Event/BP.
- Yes - Premium.
- No - I would not like to see HMAS Yarra in game.
Description:
HMAS Yarra was one of four Grimsby-class sloops built in Australia for the Royal Australian Navy. Built pre-war, the Yarra would see service in the Second World War, seeing service in the Middle East and Pacific theaters before her loss.
The Grimsby-class sloops were acquired by the RAN as to supplement its aging escort fleet of older S-class Destroyers from the First World War, who were serving both Fleet work and convoy escort roles. This allowed for both to be done at once without splitting the Destroyers up.
The order for the class was split into two, one pair being ordered in 1934, and another in 1938. As HMAS Yarra was part of the first pair of vessels ordered by the Royal Australian Navy in 1934, and had an earlier armament fit than the latter pair. The 1938 pair swapped the three single 4" for one twin and one single 4", creating room for more AA and other equipment.
This suggestion for her fit upon Australia’s declaration of war in 1939.
History:
HMAS Yarra was laid down on the 28th of May 1934 by Cockatoo Docks and Engineering Co Ltd, Sydney. She would launch on the 28th of March 1935, commissioning on the 21st of January 1936.
Upon commissioning she would be engaged in anti submarine patrols, merchant escort, minesweeping, and fisheries patrol around Australia. Upon the Declaration of war in 1939, her complement was increased to 160, her depth charge stores were also increased to 40. The main spotlight was removed, and a quad .50 Vickers mount was placed upon its bystand.
In November 1939, she would join the 20th Minesweeping Flotilla with HMAS Doomba, Swan, and Orara. Her first operation would be around the Lighthouse at Gabo Island after a report of an unidentified vessel. No mines were found. She would finish operations here by the 13th of October.
On the 28th of August 1940, she would leave Australia for the Red Sea, maintaining the blockade between Africa and Arabia. She would also provide escorts for convoys in this area. In may of 1941 she would take part in the Anglo-Iraq War, supporting the landings occupying Basra and the port of Ashar.
On the 25th of August 1941 she would sink the Iraqi sloop Babr at Khorramshahr, then on the 27th of August she captured the 5000t Italian merchant Hilda at Banda Abbas. For these actions Yarra’s captain was awarded the DSO for courage. In December she would act as escort for the Tobruk Ferry at Alexandria.
On the 9th of December she sailed for Colombo, then onto Batavia, as to provide an escort force to Singapore as part of the China Force. From here she would escort ships escaping the Japanese from the Dutch East Indies.
However on the 27th of February 1942 all auxiliary craft were ordered to be withdrawn from Batavia, so HMAS Yarra, and the HMIS Jumna sailed for Java escorting the Aanking, Francol, and a minesweeper. On the 3rd of March 1942, during this voyage, two lifeboats from the Dutch vessel Parigi. Later at 6.30, Yarra sighted the topmasts of the Japanese cruisers, Atago, Takao and Maya to the north north east.
Yarra’s commanding officer issued the order for the convoy to scatter, and steered Yarra into the Japanese, hoping to delay their attack on the others. However this would be for naught, as all four ships would be sunk with the Japanese picking up no survivors.
The Dutch submarine, HNLMS KXI would however discover some rafts from this convoy, rescuing 13 men from Yarra, and a few from the other vessels. All the men who were not picked up by the KXI would die, this being 138 men.
Two of the RAN operated Grimsby-class sloops would survive the war, with the Yarra being the second and final one to be sunk.
| General Characteristics | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name: HMAS Yarra | |||||
| Country: Australia | |||||
| Type: Sloop | |||||
| Class name: Grimbsy | |||||
| Year of commission: 1936 | |||||
| Refit: 1939 | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Dimensions: | |||||
| Length: 266 ft 3 in (81.15 m) | |||||
| Beam: 36 ft (11 m) | |||||
| Draught: 10 ft (3.0m) | |||||
| Displacement: 1,500t | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Propulsion: | |||||
| Powerplant: 2x oil fired steam turbines, 2,000ihp (1,500 kW) overall | |||||
| Speed: 16.5kt | |||||
| Endurance: Unknown | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Armament & sensors: | |||||
| Compliment: 160 | |||||
| Primary armament: 3x1 QF-4 inch Mk V | |||||
| Secondary armament: 4x1 3pdr, 1x4 .50 Vickers | |||||
| Tertiary armament: 40DCs, 2 DCT, 2 rails, minesweeping gear | |||||
| Sensors: -nil |
Sources
Gillett, R. (1983). Australian and New Zealand Warships 1914-1945 (pp.102-103)
M.Turner (2018). Australian Minesweepers at War (pp.708-709)
HMAS Yarra (U77) - Wikipedia
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HMAS Yarra II | Australian War Memorial
https://seapower.navy.gov.au/history/units/hmas-yarra-ii