HMAS Parramatta (U44) explained

HMAS Parramatta (U44) was a Grimsby-class sloop of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Built during the late 1930s, Parramatta operated in the Red Sea and Mediterranean during World War II. The sloop was torpedoed by the on 27 November 1941, and sank with 138 of the 162 aboard.

Construction

Parramatta was laid down on 9 November 1938 at the Cockatoo Island Dockyard at Sydney, New South Wales.^[1] She was launched on 10 June 1939 and commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) on 8 April 1940.^[1]

Operational history

Parramatta was assigned to the Red Sea Force in July 1940, and arrived in Aden at the month's end.^[2] The majority of the ship's duties were escorting convoys.^[1] The sloop was later transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet.^[3]

While in the Mediterranean, Parramatta was one of several warships used to supply and support the Allied forces besieged at Tobruk, nicknamed the Tobruk Ferry Service. While operating off Tobruk on 24 June 1941, Parramatta, the British sloop, and the petrol carrier Pass of Balmaha were attacked by over 70 dive bombers.^[3] The Australian warship shot down three aircraft during the engagement without receiving major damage, but Auckland was sunk.^[3] Parramatta later helped recover the 164 survivors.^[3]

Loss

Early in the morning of 27 November 1941, Parramatta was escorting transports resupplying the Allied garrison at Tobruk, when she was hit by a single torpedo from under the command of Hans Heidtmann.^{[1] [4]} The damage was so significant that the sloop's captain only had time to order 'abandon ship' before Parramatta rolled to starboard and sank at 32.3333°N 59°W.^{[4] [5]} Only 24 aboard survived, with 138 killed.^{[4] [5]}

The sloop's wartime service was later recognised by the battle honour "Libya 1941".^{[6] [7]}

References

• Book: Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Chesneau . Roger . Conway Maritime Press. Greenwich, UK . 1980 . 0-85177-146-7 . Great Britain (including Empire Forces). N. J. M. . Campbell . 2–85.
• Book: Colledge . J. J. . Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy from the 15th Century to the Present . 2020 . Seaforth Publishing . Barnsley, UK . 978-1-5267-9327-0 . 5th revised and updated. Ben. Warlow. Steve. Bush. amp.
• Book: Goldrick, James . Stevens. David . The Royal Australian Navy . The Australian Centenary History of Defence. III. 2001 . Oxford University Press . South Melbourne, VIC . 0-19-555542-2 . 50418095 . World War II: The war Against Germany and Italy.
• Book: Hague, Arnold. Sloops: A History of the 71 Sloops Built in Britain and Australia for the British, Australian and Indian Navies 1926–1946. 1993. World Ship Society. Kendal, UK. 0-905617-67-3.
• Book: Lenton, H. T.. British & Empire Warships of the Second World War . Naval Institute Press. Annapolis, Maryland. 1998 . 1-55750-048-7 . Henry Trevor Lenton.
• Book: Rohwer, Jürgen. Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two . Naval Institute Press. Annapolis, Maryland. 2005 . Third Revised . 1-59114-119-2. Jürgen Rohwer.
• Book: Stevens, David . A Critical Vulnerability: The Impact of the Submarine Threat on Australia's Maritime Defence 1915 - 1954 . Papers in Australian Maritime Affairs . 15 . 2005 . Sea Power Centre Australia . Canberra . 0-642-29625-1 . 62548623 . 1327-5658 . 18 November 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110613221149/http://www.navy.gov.au/w/index.php/Publication:Papers_in_Australian_Maritime_Affairs_No._15 . 13 June 2011 . dead .

Further reading

• Book: Gillett, Ross . MacDougall, Anthony; Graham, Colin (illustrations) . Warships of Australia . 1977 . Rigby . Adelaide, SA . 0-7270-0472-7 . 4466019.
• Book: McGuire. Paul. McGuire. Frances M.. The Price of Admiralty. 1944. Oxford United Press. Melbourne, Victoria. 3893770.

External links

• HMAS Parramatta (II) RAN Ship Histories

32.3333°N 59°W

Notes and References

1. Web site: HMAS Parramatta (II) . Ship Histories . Royal Australian Navy . 17 June 2015.
2. Stevens, A Critical Vulnerability, p. 154
3. Goldrick, in Stevens, The Royal Australian Navy, p. 118
4. Goldrick, in Stevens, The Royal Australian Navy, p. 124
5. Web site: HMAS Parramatta (L 44 / U 44). Helgason. Guðmundur. German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net.
6. News: Navy Marks 109th Birthday With Historic Changes To Battle Honours . 1 March 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110613184920/http://www.navy.gov.au/Navy_Marks_109th_Birthday_With_Historic_Changes_To_Battle_Honours . 13 June 2011 . Royal Australian Navy . 23 December 2012.
7. Web site: Royal Australian Navy Ship/Unit Battle Honours . 1 March 2010 . Royal Australian Navy . https://web.archive.org/web/20110614064156/http://www.navy.gov.au/w/images/Units_entitlement_list.pdf . 14 June 2011 . 23 December 2012.