HMAS Warramunga (I44)
HMAS Warramunga in 1946
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| History | |
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 Australia
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| Namesake: | The Warumungu Aborigines |
| Builder: | Cockatoo Docks and Engineering Company |
| Laid down: | 10 February 1940 |
| Launched: | 7 February 1942 |
| Commissioned: | 23 November 1942 |
| Decommissioned: | 7 December 1959 |
| Identification: | Pennant number: D10 (later I44) |
| Motto: | Courage in Difficulties |
| Honours and awards: |
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| Fate: | Sold for scrap on 15 February 1963 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Tribal-class destroyer |
| Displacement: | 2,031 tons |
| Length: |
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| Beam: | 36.5 ft (11.1 m) |
| Draught: | 9 ft (2.7 m) |
| Propulsion: | 3 × drum boilers, Parsons impulse-reaction turbines, 44,000 shp (33,000 kW), 2 shafts |
| Speed: | 36.5 knots (67.6 km/h; 42.0 mph) |
| Range: |
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| Complement: | 7 officers, 190 sailors |
| Armament: |
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HMAS Warramunga was a Tribal-class destroyer of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Built during World War II, the destroyer entered service in late 1942. She was initially assigned to convoy escort duties, but was assigned to the joint Australian-American Task Force 74 in 1943, and was involved in supporting numerous amphibious landings through the South-east Asian region until the end of the war. From 1950 and 1952, Warramunga fought in the Korean War, then was converted into an anti-submarine destroyer. Returning to service in 1954, the destroyer was one of the first RAN ships to operate with the Far East Strategic Reserve, and undertook two tours with the organisation before she was decommissioned in 1959 and sold for ship breaking in 1963.
Warramunga was one of three Tribal-class destroyers built for the RAN during World War II. The ship had a displacement of 2,031 tons, a length of 377 feet (115 m) overall and 355 feet (108 m) between perpendiculars, a beam of 36.5 feet (11.1 m), and a mean draught of 9 feet (2.7 m). Propulsion machinery consisted of three drum boilers feeding Parsons impulse-reaction turbines, which supplied 44,000 shaft horsepower (33,000 kW) to the two propeller shafts. The destroyer had a maximum speed of 36.5 knots (67.6 km/h; 42.0 mph). She could travel 1,030 nautical miles (1,910 km; 1,190 mi) at 32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph) or 2,840 nautical miles (5,260 km; 3,270 mi) at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph). The ship's company consisted of 7 officers and 190 sailors.
When she was launched in 1942, the ship's main armament consisted of six 4.7-inch Mark XII guns sited in three twin turrets. This was supplemented by two 4-inch Mark XVI* guns in a single twin turret, a quad-barrelled 2-pounder Mark VIII pom pom, six single 20 mm Oerlikons, a quadruple 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tube set, and a rail to launch depth charges. During 1945, the six Oerlikons were replaced with six 40 mm Bofors guns, and two depth charge throwers were added. In 1949, half of the torpedo payload and most of the depth charge payload was removed, to allow for the installation of a new motor cutter. In 1952, the aftmost 4.7-inch turret was replaced by a Squid anti-submarine mortar.
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