HMAS Parramatta. View attachment 39 HMAS Parramatta (U 44), the second ship to bear that name, was a Grimsby class sloop of the Royal Australian Navy that served during World War II. She was laid down on 9 November 1938 at the Cockatoo Island Dockyard at Sydney in New South Wales. She was commissioned into service with the Royal Australian Navy on 8 April 1940 and soon commenced duty as a convoy escort. Commanded by Cdr. J.H. Walker, R.A.N., DSC, Parramatta was escorting transports resupplying the Allied garrison at Tobruk, when she was torpedoed and sunk on 27 Nov 1941 by U-559 in position 32.20N, 24.35E. There were 24 survivors, but 138 men, including all officers, lost their lives.
HMAS Yarra HMAS Yarra blasted to pieces by Japanese Squadron on the 4th. of March 1942. View attachment 42 HMAS Yarra ( 11) the second to carry this name was a Grimbsy Escort Sloop laid down at Cockatoo Dockyard in Sydney on the 24th. of May 1934. She was launched on the 28th. of March the following year, and commisioned on the 21st. of January 1936. The ship was 266 feet long with a 36 foot beam, drawing 10 feet, at full load she came in at 1,339 tons. Her speed a scant 16.5 knots, and armament 3 by 4 inch guns and 4 by 3 pounders............................. Read the full story here. From: http://ahoy.tk-jk.net/macslog/HMASYarrablastedtopieces.html
I wonder if the wreck site has been surveyed? This was a considerable loss for the RAN and Australia. Australian War Memorial» Blog Archive » Anniversary of the sinking of HMAS Parramatta Admiral Cunningham in response to her loss: A detailed account of the sinking as mentioned in the above link: http://www.awm.gov.au/blog_content/p_gill.pdf
