HMAS Parramatta

This article is about a sloop of Royal Australian Navy during World War II. It was assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet and involved in Battle of the Mediterranean.

HMAS Parramatta – Australian sloop of war (escort), a modified type of Grimsby from World War II, serving in the Navy in Australia 1940 – 1941. He wore a tactical character: U44. It served mainly in theMediterranean, where it was sunk by a submarine on November 27, 1941.

History

“Parramatta” belonged to a series of four pillars – the universal escort ships built in Australia, belonging to a modified British Grimsby (slightly enlarged), known also as the type of Yarra. The construction of the ship’s keel was laid in the yard Cockatoo Island Dockyard inSydney November 9, 1938, the hull launching June 10, 1939. It was the second ship of that name inAustralia, originating from theParramattaRiver. It entered service on April 8, 1940.

Service

After entering the service he served briefly as a minesweeper in the composition of the 20th Dredge flotilla in the waters ofAustralia.

Middle East 1940-1941

June 29, 1940, “Parramatta” was sent part of the British forces in theRed Sea, arriving in July and then patrolled and escorted convoys. There were no episodes of warfare, beyond ineffective attacks by the Italian Air Force. In April 1941 he took part in the campaign against Italian forces inEritrea. Thence Odholował cruiser HMS “Capetown” went toPort Sudan, after his storpedowaniu by the Italian torpedo boat 7/8 April.

Mediterranean Sea in 1941

In May 1941 the ferry boat to the British Mediterranean Fleet from June was stationed inAlexandria. June 22 he set out with the sloop HMS “Auckland” in the pocket of the vessel with gasoline “PassofBalmaha” to besieged Tobruk. The convoy fell victim to June 23 of intensive air attacks that sank “Auckland”. “Parramatta” suffered only superficial damage and shield destroyer “Waterhen” and “Vendetta” rescued 164 survivors. June 27 the ship was at Mersa Matruh unsuccessfully attacked a submarine torpedo, which passed under the bottom. June 30 it led “PassofBalmaha” back toAlexandria. Then to 18 July it was renovated in the second half of the month shrouded transports reinforcing troops from the garrison inCyprus.

In September, he insured the ship traffic in the Suez Canal zone, based on Atac, and in October it conducted hydrographic measurements in the Gulf of Suez.

After returning to Alexandria, between 18 and November 23, 1941 with the “Yarra,” she escorted a convoy to Tobruk and back, fighting to aviation. Again he went there, November 25 from destroyer escort HMS “Avon Vale” (like Hunt), covering the vessel with ammunition, “Hanne”. November 27, approximately 0.45, “Parramatta” was torpedoed near the coast ofLibya by the U-boat U-559 and one torpedo, which probably caused an explosion of ammunition, then quickly sank. 138 crew members were killed, including all the officers, 21 were rescued by the “Avon Vale”, and three landed the Libyan coast.

Armament

• Universal operates three102 mmMk V on open positions (3 I)
• 4 Vickers machine guns 12,7 mmAA (1xIV)
• 2 chute launchers and depth charges, 15 bombs (later increased to 40 bombs)
• Tral