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| RAN Tribal-class destroyer 1,990 Tons (As Built) 2,122 Tons (1945 refit) 377' 1" x 36' 4.75" x 9' (As Built) 6 x QF 4.7" guns (3x2) 2 x QF 4" AA guns 6 x 20mm cannons 1 x 2 pounder AA gun 4 x 21" torpedo tubes with 4 torpedoes 2 x depth charge throwers with 46 depth charges (1945 Refit) 6 x 40mm AA guns (1949 Refit) 2 x 4.7" guns (2x1) 2 x 40mm (2x1) 1 × Squid anti-submarine mortar  Green c1942 |
Ship History Built by Cockatoo Docks and Engineering Company at Cockatoo Island Dockyard in Sydney. Laid down November 15, 1939 as the lead ship of the Tribal-class destroyer. Launched November 30, 1940 as Arunta named for the the Arrernte Aborigines sponsored by Lady Zara Gowrie, wife of the Governor-General, but became stuck halfway down the slipway and the ceremony was completed the next day. Commissioned March 30, 1942 in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and rushed into service a month before all work was completed. Wartime History On May 17, 1942 departs Sydney on her first anti-submarine patrol with USS Perkins (DD-377) and HNLMS Tromp off the coast of New South Wales for an enemy submarine that shelled on Russian vessel Wellen two days earlier. The Allied warships failed to find anything and return. On May 18, 1942 departs Sydney with HNLMS Tromp escorts convoy convoy "ZK.8" escorting Dutch ships MS Bantam, SS Bontekoe, SS Van Heemskerk and SS Van Heutsz transporting the Australian Army 14th Brigade to Port Moresby. During June 1942 assigned to convoy escort duties off the coast of Australian. In early August 1942 escorts convoys to Port Moresby. On August 29, 1942 at 11:34 departs Port Moresby escorting MV Malaita to escape enemy air raids bound for Cairns. At 12:10pm MV Malaita was hit on her starboard side below the bridge near the entrance to Fairfax Harbor by a torpedo fired by Japanese submarine RO-33 at roughly at 9° 50' S, 144° 55' E and took on a heavy list to starboard. By 12:45pm, the crew abandoned ship fearing it was about to capsize, but later re-boarded and the vessel was towed back to Port Moresby. Searching for the attacking submarine, Arunta made sonar contact with a submarine ten miles southeast of Port Moresby and made four depth charge attacks releasing Mark VII depth charges. Afterwards, a large oil slick was observed at roughly 9° 36' S, 147° 6' E. This was the destroyer's first combat action of World War II. On September 4, 1942 departs Port Moresby joins convoy Q2 with HMAS Swan (U74) escorting MV Anshun and s'Jacob bound for Milne Bay. On September 5, 1942 the convoy waits in the China Strait because Japanese warships were expected to attack Milne Bay overnight. On September 6, 1942 Arunta escorts MV Anshun into Milne Bay For the remainder of the Pacific War, Arunta operated with the United States Navy (USN) 7th Fleet. On July 11, 1945 departs for Sydney then begins a refit at Cockatoo Island Dockyard until the end of the Pacific War. Postwar On October 18, 1945 her refit was completed and departs via Darwin escorting repatriation ship Esperance Bay to Timor then Java. During November 1945 via Morotai and Guam to Japan. Assigned to the British Pacific Fleet (BPF) and steamed to Japan as part of the British and Commonwealth Occupation Force until March 1946 then departs for Sydney for urgent repairs for a month. On June 10, 1946 her crew participate in a Victory Parade. The next day departs on a seven week cruise to Port Moresby, Rabaul, Manus and Manila, flying the flag of Commodore John A Collins CB RAN (Commodore Commanding Australian Squadron). On July 18, 1946 returns to Sydney. In December 1946 departs Sydney via New Guinea and the Philippines for a second deployment in Japan until early April 1947. During June 1948, Arunta toured Melanesia and at the end of 1949 returned to Australia for modernization and refit that began in 1950 with her gun turret and torpedoes removed and an upgrade to her sensors and equipment and took two years. Once completed, the destroyer was already obsolete. On November 11, 1952 reclassified as an anti-submarine destroyer, and returned to service. During 1953 patrolled off Australia. In January 1954 sent to Korea to support the United Nations enforcement of the armistice that ended the Korean War. In August 1954 returned to Australia. In May 1955 joined Royal Australian Navy and Royal New Zealand Navy vessels in exercises off Malaya. In June 1955 underwent refit with Warramunga in Singapore and became the first two Australian warships assigned to the the Far East Strategic Reserve until December 1955. In March 1956 operated in Australia for a month. In June 1956 steamed to Norfolk Island and the Pitcairn Islands. On June 14, 1956 returned to Sydney. On December 21, 1956 placed into reserve in Sydney. Fate On November 1, 1968 sold to China Steel Corporation of Taipei. On February 12, 1969 towed by Tokyo Maru and the next day began to take on water. Despite efforts to repair, it was decided to let the ship fill with water and sink. On February 13, 1969 the destroyer was allowed to capsize and sink off Broken Bay. Awards For her wartime service, Arunta earned battle honours for Pacific 1942–45, New Guinea 1942–44, Leyte Gulf 1944, Lingayen Gulf 1945, and Borneo 1945. References Royal Australian Navy - HMAS Arunta Contribute
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