HMAS Yarra (D-79)

HMAS ''Yarra'', named for the Yarra River, was a of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Ordered in 1909 for the Commonwealth Naval Forces (the predecessor of the RAN), ''Yarra'' was temporarily commissioned into the Royal Navy on completion in 1910 and handed over to Australian control on arrival in Australia.

From 1914 to 1917, ''Yarra'' was involved in wartime patrols in the Pacific and South East Asian regions, before she and her sister ships were transferred to the Mediterranean for anti-submarine operations. She returned to Australia in 1919 and was used primarily to train naval reservists. Decommissioned into reserve then reactivated on five occasions between 1919 and 1928, ''Yarra'' was paid off for the final time in 1928, was taken to Cockatoo Island Dockyard for stripping, then was sunk in 1932 as a target ship.

Design and construction

''Yarra'' had a displacement of 700 tons, a length overall of , beam of , and a maximum draught of .Cassells, ''The Destroyers'' p, 198 The destroyer was powered by three Yarrow oil-burning boilers connected to Parsons turbines, which delivered 10,000 shaft horsepower to three propeller shafts.Cassells, ''The Destroyers'', p. 199 ''Yarra''s designed maximum speed was (although she achieved a full knot higher during full-speed trials), and she had a cruising speed of , giving the ship a range of .Cassells, ''The Destroyers'', pp. 198–9 The ship's company consisted of between five officers and 68 sailors.

The destroyer's main armament consisted of a single BL 4-inch Mark VIII naval gun, supplemented by three QF 12-pounder 12 cwt naval guns. She was also fitted with three .303-inch machine guns and three single 18-inch torpedo tubes. Later in ''Yarra''s career, the destroyer was fitted with four chutes and two throwers for depth charges, and one of the torpedo tubes was removed.

''Yarra'', along with sister ships and , were ordered on 6 February 1909; the first ships to be ordered for the Commonwealth Naval Forces, the post- Federation amalgamation of the Australian colonial navies. ''Yarra'' was laid down by William Denny and Brothers, at their shipyard in Dumbarton. She was launched on 9 April 1910 by the wife of Newton Moore, the Premier of Western Australia. Construction was completed in August 1910, and the ship was commissioned into the Royal Navy as HMS ''Yarra'' on 10 September 1910 for the voyage out to Australia. ''Yarra'' and ''Parramatta'' sailed from Portsmouth on 19 September. Once the ships arrived in Broome, they were transferred to the control of the Commonwealth Naval Forces. The destroyer's name comes from the Yarra River in Victoria.

Operational history

During the early stages of World War I, ''Parramatta'' operated with the Australian fleet in the search for the German East Asia Squadron, then was involved in the capture of German colonies in the South Pacific region, including German New Guinea, and the consolidation of Allied occupation in these regions. On 5 February 1915, ''Yarra'', ''Parramatta'', and sailed for Australia, where they were used for convoy escort duties along the continent's eastern coast until August. The ships were refitted at Sydney, then sent to patrol the Far East. ''Yarra'' returned to Australia on 8 May 1916, and patrolled home waters until May 1917, when she and her sister ships were ordered to Malta.

The Australian vessels underwent anti-submarine training, then were deployed to Brindisi for anti-submarine patrols of the Adriatic. On 17 October 1918, ''Yarra'' was assigned to the Black Sea, before sailing to England at the start of 1919.Cassells, ''The Destroyers'', p. 200 The ship earned two battle honours for her wartime service: "Rabaul 1914" and "Adriatic 1917–18".

On 6 March 1919, ''Yarra'' sailed for home, in company with several other Australian ships. ''Yarra'' and ''Parramatta'' ran out of fuel on 26 April, less than a day out from Darwin, and had to be towed into port by ''Warrego''. The destroyer was placed into reserve then recommission on five occasions between 1919 and 1928, with most of her operations facilitating the training of naval reservists.

Decommissioning and fate

On 30 September 1929 ''Yarra'' was sent to Cockatoo Island Dockyard for stripping of reusable fittings in preparation for disposal. After this was completed, on 22 August 1932 the hulk was towed to sea and sunk as a target off Sydney ().

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External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yarra (D79)
River-class torpedo-boat destroyers
Ships sunk as targets
1910 ships
Scuttled vessels of New South Wales
Maritime incidents in 1932