HMAS Westralia

HMAS Westralia
	Wikipedia
History
Name	HMAS Westralia (F95)
Owner	Huddart Parker Ltd.
Builder	Harland & Wolff Ltd, Glasgow
Yard number	843
Launched	25 Apr 1929
Completed	1929
In service	1929
Out of service	1939
In service	17 Jan 1940
Out of service	19 Sep 1946
Reclassified	Armed Merchant Cruiser/Landing Ship Infantry
Fate	scrapped 1961
General characteristics
Type	Passenger Liner
Tonnage	8,108 tons
Length	445 ft (136m)
Beam	60 ft (18m)
Depth	22 ft 6in (6.87m)
Propulsion	twin screw
Speed	14 knots (26kph)
Capacity	crew 541; 1004 troops
	v; t; e;

Armament

as Armed Merchant Cruiser

7 × 6-inch guns
2 × 3-inch anti-aircraft guns
1 × Seagull V amphibian

as Landing Ship Infantry

1 × 6-inch gun
2 × 3-inch anti-aircraft guns
12 × 20 mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns

Remarks

Built for Huddard Parker Lines of Melbourne who operated her until 1939 when she was requisitioned by the Australian Navy. During WW2 she played her role as an Armed merchant cruiser (1940-1943); a Landing Ship Infantry (1943-1946); and a Troop Transport (1946-1951) in support of the Occupying Forces for Japan. In 1951 she returned to her owners for civilian use.

Her service as a Merchant Cruiser was spent as convoy escort in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, including escort of Sparrow Force to Timor. In Cairns a mutiny on her was put down with 104 sailors arrested - the records of punishments and legal proceeding have been lost. As an LSI she had a capacity of over 900 soldiers, and most of those carried were US Army or Marines. Later use involved the repatriation of Australian troops. In 1946 she was to be returned to her owners but was instead used to operate between Sydney and Kure in Japan in support of the the British Commonwealth Occupation Force, although this time under civilian management.

In 1959 she was sold to the Asian and Pacific Shipping Co ltd for use as a livestock carrier. Initially she was named Delfino(1959-1960), but this in 1960 changed to Wolambi. In 1961 she was sold for scrap.