HMAS Terka

HMAS Terka (FY.98) was an auxiliary minesweeper operated by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) during World War II. The ship was launched as Sir Dudley de Chair in 1925 as one of the three ships used to supply the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and from 1928 operated by the Adelaide Steamship Company until she was requisitioned by the RAN in December 1940. She sank while at her moorings at Madang, New Guinea on 26 March 1945 and was abandoned.

HMAS Terka underway in April 1941, shortly after her conversion for naval service
History
United Kingdom
Name:
  • Sir Dudley de Chair
  • Terka[1]
Owner: Dorman, Long & Company then Adelaide Steamship Company
Launched: 1925
In service: 1928
Out of service: 1940
Fate: Requisitioned by RAN
Australia
Name: Terka
Commissioned: 31 January 1941
Honours and
awards:
  • Battle honours:
Fate: Sunk on 26 March 1945
General characteristics
Tonnage: 420 GRT[2]
Length: 147 ft (45 m)[2]
Beam: 26.6 ft (8 m)[2]
Depth: 9.2 ft (3 m)[2]
Armament:

Construction

The ship was launched in 1925 from the State Dockyard, Newcastle, New South Wales as Sir Dudley de Chair.[2]

Operation history

She was bought in 1928 by the Adelaide Steamship Company and renamed Terka. She was requisitioned by the RAN in December 1940 as part of Minesweeping Group 70 based at Darwin, Northern Territory. She was converted into a water carrier and moved forward to New Guinea to support the efforts during World War II. While moored at Madang, she sank on 26 March 1945 and was abandoned.

During May–June 1971, the wreck of HMAS Terka, in Binnen Harbour, Madang was blasted by Clearance Diving Team One (RAN), to allow safe navigation of the harbour channel.

Following an overhaul of the RAN battle honours system, completed in March 2010, Terka's wartime service was retroactively recognised with the honour "Darwin 194243".[3][4]

Citations
  1. "Details of the Ship". Plimsoll ShipData. Retrieved 14 August 2010.
  2. "Llyods Reigister" (PDF). Plimsoll ShipData. Retrieved 14 August 2010.
  3. "Navy Marks 109th Birthday With Historic Changes To Battle Honours". Royal Australian Navy. 1 March 2010. Archived from the original on 13 June 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
  4. "Royal Australian Navy Ship/Unit Battle Honours" (PDF). Royal Australian Navy. 1 March 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 June 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2012.

References

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