- Yes - In the Tech Tree.
- Yes - Event/BP.
- Yes - Premium.
- No - I would not like to see HMAS HDML-1321 in game.
HMAS HDML-1321 sitting at Watu Point, New Britain, early 1945.
Description:
One of many Harbour Defence Motor Launches (HDML) used by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) in the Second World War, and the very first HDML to be built in Australia itself instead of Imported from abroad, but also the last to commission.
HDML-1321 would be one of two HDMLs to be used by the Z Special unit, infiltrating allied forces, including personnel from Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Portuguese Timor, and Indonesia into Japanese held territory. In this role she was heavily modified, however, unlike the Snake-class Junks specially designed to blend in with typical civilian fishing boats in the area, she would keep her warship appearance, which was not helped with the addition of extra firearms by the crew.
HMAS HDML-1321 sitting during operations, note 37mm gun instead of the later Bofors (n.d)
History:
Laid down on the 14th of April 1943, by Purdon and Featherstone, Hobart, Tasmania. She would launch, complete fitting out, and finally commission on the 11th of November 1943. From commissioning she would sail to Williamstown, Victoria for trials and exercises.
She would be built to an altered design compared to other HDMLs, most notably in her bridge, which was extended further aft, giving a ‘box like’ appearance. This gave extra room for radio equipment and berthing, which would be crucial for her missions deep into Japanese held Borneo with the Allied Intelligence Bureau (AIB).
At this time her armament would be typical for an Australian HDML, she had 1x 20mm Oerlikon over the wardroom, and a QF 3pdr forward. She would keep her Type 131 ASDIC, however she would not carry any Depth Charges, with the deck space used for extra ventilation and stores for camouflage netting.
She would sail to Milne Bay, New Guinea on the 19th of January 1944 via Sydney, Brisbane, and Townsville. She would carry out ‘Special wireless telegraphy’, support Coast Watchers inside Japanese held territory, among other duties with the AIB. She would be modified around this time, with significant altercations to her armament, included swapping her QF-3pdr for an American autocannon, the 37mm M4, the addition of an extra structure on top of the bridge fitted for spotting, which also fitted with a Bren gun. She also had a twin .50 Browning fitted aft, and two single .50 brownings on the bridge wings.
She would partake in Operation Copper, disembarking eight Australian Z Special unit personnel near the Muschu Islands, where they would paddle their way ashore and perform reconnaissance on the status of the Japanese defences. However the boats these personnel would embark on were swamped by unexpected currents, with the radio equipment being destroyed and later found by the Japanese, starting a large manhunt. Of these eight men there would be only one survivor, who escaped by swimming to Australian lines.
HDML-1321 sitting at her slipway in which she was built, 1943
She would return home by June 1945, when she would undergo refit. She would have her 37mm gun swapped for a 40mm Bofors, and the two wing .50 Brownings swapped for .303 Vickers. This would be almost standard to the Australian HDML fleet, who swapped their QF-3pdrs for the 40mm Bofors as they wore out.
Recommissioning from this refit post war, she would be re-classified as a Seaward Defence Boat (SDB), and thus renamed to HMAS SDB-1321 and placed in reserve for training to the reserve. Sometime during this service the armament was removed, but the modified bridge kept.
She would be renamed to HMAS Rushcutter with the pennant ML 1321 in 1953. She would however remain in reserve, she would only decommission in 1970, being sold as a civilian pleasure boat in 1971 for $14,000. In civilian service she would be renamed MV Rushcutter, and used as a charter boat.
Listed for sale by 2016, a group of ISIS sympathisers would inspect the boat, as they wished to travel to the Middle East to join that group. This sale fell through, and the group were arrested and charged when they purchased another vessel.
MV Rushcutter would accidentally sink at her moorings on the 19th of October 2016, being raised in June 2018. She was sold to the ‘Save Motor Launch 1321 Inc’ for $2. She was supposed to be sold for $1, however the lowest amount of cash on hand was a $2 coin.
She is supposedly currently under restoration, as to bring her back to her wartime configuration for display at the Darwin Military Museum, however in 2024, the Government of the Northern Territory stated that they intended to dispose of her as she was impeding development of the Darwin port in which she sits, as she had been left in a special cradle when she was raised. There are plans to move her to Tasmania for further restoration.
| General Characteristics: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name: HMAS HDML 1321 | |||||
| Country: Australia | |||||
| Type: Motor launch | |||||
| Class name: HDML | |||||
| Year of commission: 1943 | |||||
| Refit: 1945 | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Dimensions: | |||||
| Length: 72ft (22m) | |||||
| Beam: 16ft (4.9m) | |||||
| Draught: 5ft (1.5m) | |||||
| Displacement: 58t | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Propulsion: | |||||
| Powerplant: 2x 8L3 in-line 8 diesel engine @ 154hp (114kW) | |||||
| Speed: 12.5kt | |||||
| Endurance: 1,700nmi (3,200km) @ 10kt (19kp/h) | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Armament & sensors: | |||||
| Compliment: 12 | |||||
| Primary armament: 1x1 37mm M4 | |||||
| Secondary armament: 1x1 Oerlikon 20mm cannon | |||||
| Tertiary armament: 2x1.50 Browning, 1x2 .50 Browning, 1x1 .303 Bren | |||||
| ASDIC: Type 131 | |||||
| Radar: -nil | |||||
| Other systems: -nil |
HMAS HDML-132, now SDB-1321 Rushcutter, leaving Sydney Harbour, 1960
Sources:
HDML 1321 - Alteration in armament, (NAA: MP981/1, 603/297/646) (p.2)
Gillett, R. (1983). Australian and New Zealand Warships 1914-1945 (p.176)
https://seapower.navy.gov.au/history/units/hdml-1321
Pacific Wrecks - HMAS HDML 1321 (SDB 1321, HMAS Rushcutter, MV Rushcutter)
HDML 1321 Basic Detail Report, Australian Register of Historic Vessels
HMAS HDML 1321 - Wikipedia
HDML 1321 – The Medusa Trust
HDML 1321 and what she represents - Naval Historical Society of Australia
NT government says it intends to 'dispose of' historic Hobart-built Huon pine WWII warship - ABC News