Page 2.
HMAS WARREGO II
Some of the information
below has been extracted from:-
"LEADLINE TO LASER" THE HYDROGRAPHIC SERVICE ROYAL
AUSTRALIAN NAVY 1920-1995"
By COMMANDER R .J. HARDSTAFF RAN Rtd. available from the author at 02 9875 2876 and
"HMAS WARREGO A History" by Sidney O. Marshall, which is currently out of print.
H.M.A.S. WARREGO 1940 - 1963: - Pendant Number- U73 (1940), F73 and A312.
Warrego was the second ship of that name in the RAN. Designed
as an escort sloop of the British Grimsby Class (Second Pair). She was laid
down at Cockatoo Island Dockyard on 15 May 1939, launched on 10 February 1940
by Mrs. P. Menzies, wife of the Prime Minister and commissioned on the 22nd
August, 1940. Displacement- 1060 tons standard; 1575 tons full load; LOA -
266.25 ft; Beam - 36ft; Draft - 10ft. Machinery - Parsons geared turbines, twin
screws; 2 Admiralty 3-drum type boilers; HP - 2000; Speed -16.5 kts; Oil fuel
capacity - 300 tons. Construction Cost was $709,298.10.
Main Armament- a twin 4" mounting on A deck
& and a single 4" later replaced with a twin 4" mounting on X
deck, a four barrel .5" Vickers MG was mounted on B deck and this was
later replaced with a 40mm Bofors. For a short period a 40mm Bofors was also
mounted as a stern chaser.. The .5" MG was positioned abaft the funnel but
this was removed altogether with the arrival of the 20mm Oerlikons. She carried
twin racks of Depth Charge Launchers and was originally fitted with a large
amount of minesweeping gear. As her role changed many modifications were made
during and after the war.
Warrego replaced Yarra as Senior Ship 20th Mine-sweeping Flotilla and
served on escort, patrol and mine- sweeping duties until 16 July 1944, when
Lieutenant Commander G.D. Tancred assumed command for surveying operations.
These included wartime surveys in the Philippines, New Guinea and Borneo and
peacetime surveys around Australia. Battle honours credited to her name are
Sunda Straits, Darwin, New Guinea, Halmaheras, Philippines & Borneo.
Warrego was
immobilised in January 1947, mobilised in January 1948, immobilised in August
1949 and again mobilised in June 1951. Paid off in Sydney on 15 August 1963
after sailing a total of 440,977.9 miles. She was sold on 2 June 1965 to
Australian Metal Traders Limited, for $30,000.00 and broken up at Rozelle Bay
in 1966.
COMMANDING
OFFICERS
Commander
R.V.Wheatley OBE 21/7/41; Lieut. Commander A.H.Green DSC, 27/5/42,
Lieut. Commander A.D.C.Inglis, 23/8/42; Lieut. Commander G.D.Tancred DSC,
16/7/44;
Lieut.C.A.Byrne OBE, DSC, RANVR, 22/11/44; Act.Commander R.B.A. Hunt OBE,
25/8/45;
Lieut. Commander S.R.Schofield Temp Command; Commander G.D. Tancred DSC,
4/3/46;
Commander K.E. Oom OBE, 15/5/46; Lieut. Commander R.B.A. Hunt OBE, 31/10/47;
Commander G.D. Tancred DSC, 29/4/48; Commander K.E. Oom OBE, 17/12/51;
Lieut. Commander S.R. Schofield, 28/2/52; Lieut. Commander A.H. Cooper, 7/7/52;
A/Commander D'A.T. Gale DSC as OIC Survey; Lieut. Commander D.E.P.D. Scott RN*,
26/7/52;
Lieut. Commander A.H. Cooper, 7/8/52; Commander A.H. Cooper, 15/12/53;
Lieut. Commander P.G. Newby*, 10/7/56; A/Commander S.R. Schofield, 15/9/56;
A/Commander R.J. Hardstaff, 31/10/56; Lieut. Commander H.W.C. Dillon*, 11/1/58;
Lieut. Commander N.L. Sanderson, 20/1/58; A/commander J.H.S. Osborn, 21/3/58;
A/Commander N.L. Sanderson, 10/3/60; A/Commander N.L. Sanderson OBE, 1/7/61;
A.Commander H.W.C. Dillon, 11/6/62. Note: - * In Temporary Command.