|
H
. M .
A.
S . B A T A A N ( D 0 9 )
“TRIBAL” Class Destroyer
ordered from Cockatoo Docks and
Engineering Co at Sydney, Australia for service with the Royal Australian Navy
on 20th December 1939. The ship was laid down on 30th December 1940 and was to be named HMAS KURNAI, However when launched on 15th
January 1944 the name was changed to HMAS BATAAN in recognition of
the valiant defence of the Phillipines by the US General Douglas MacArthur in 1942. Build was completed
on 25th May 1945 and she was the last of the three TRIBAL destroyers built in
Australia which had been ordered in 1939 She was the only ship of this Class not carry the
name of Commonwealth Tribe. Her build completion on 25th May 1945 had been
delayed due to the low priority given to warship construction after the
outbreak of war with Japan and the consequent threat to Australia in 1942.
B a t t l e H
o n o u r
KOREA 1952 *
(* Awarded for UN service)
H e r a l d i c
D a t a
None is recorded in the Admiralty Official
List
as this ship belonged to the RAN
D e t a i l s
o f W a r S e r v i c e
1 9 4 5
May Contractors trials
25th Build completion and commenced Acceptance
Trials.
June On completion of trials
commenced work-up for operational service based at Sydney
Nominated for service
off Japanese mainland with Commonwealth warships in Task Force 37 in US
3rd Fleet
July Completed storing and took
passage with HM Australian Destroyer WARRAMUNGA to Subic Bay
to join Task Force 74
prior to sailing to join
ships of 3rd US Fleet
deployed off Japan fo offensive operations prior to planned landings.
(For details see WAR
WITH JAPAN (HMSO) and THE FORGOTTEN FLEET by J Winton.)
26th Arrived at Subic Bay
August Deployed at Subic Bay
After VJ-Day Took
passage from Subic Bay with US warships to Japan with call at Okinawa
September Joined British and Commonwealth
warships nominated as Token Force in Sagami Bay
2nd Present at final surrender of Japan in
Tokyo Bay.
P o s t W a r
N o t e s
HMAS BATAAN remained in Japan
and took part in deployments to repatriate allied Prisoners of War and civilians held by
Japanese since 1941. On release from this duty the ship returned to Sydney and
carried out normal Fleet duties until August 1940 when she was deployed for
service with UN Naval Force off Korea in support of military
operations against the North Korean invasion. This destroyer carried out two
tours in UN deployment off Korea and
was nominated for conversion to and Anti-submarine escort destroyer in 1952. On completion of the
modifications which included changes in armament, fit of an anti-submarine
mortar (SQUID) and replacement of foremast with
a lattice structure, the ship resumed Fleet service in 1954. She was deployed in her new role for exercises
with RNZN ships and multi-national exercises with ships of SEATO in the Indian Ocean and South China Sea.
Paid-off into Reserve in 1960.she was placed on the Disposal List in 1962 and
sold to a Japanese ship-breaker
for demolition in February 1963. Finally
taken in tow to the breakers yard later that year. |
