HMS ''Suva'' was an

Armed boarding steamer An armed boarding steamer (or "armed boarding ship", or "armed boarding vessel") was a merchantman that the British Royal Navy converted to a warship during the First World War. AB steamers or vessels had the role of enforcing wartime blockades b ...

of the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...

during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. She was also commissioned briefly into the

Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of ...

before being returned to her owners. She was sold in 1928 and renamed ''Sirius'' and sold again in 1929 and renamed ''Bohol''. An Imperial Japanese air raid on Manila in 1942 during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

sank her.

Career

Built by

Workman, Clark and Company Workman, Clark and Company was a shipbuilding company based in Belfast. History The business was established by Frank Workman and George Clark in Belfast in 1879 and incorporated Workman, Clark and Company Limited in 1880. By 1895 it was the UK ...

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...

she was launched in 1906 for the

Australasian United Steam Navigation Company The Australasian United Steam Navigation Company (AUSNC) was an Australian shipping company formed in 1887 by the merger of the Australasian Steam Navigation Company and the Queensland Steam Shipping Company and their fleets. It existed from ...

and used on the Australia- Fiji run and coastal passenger service from

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...

. She was commissioned into the

on 20 July 1915 and converted into an armed boarding steamer at

Garden Island, New South Wales Garden Island is an inner-city locality of Sydney, Australia, and the location of a major Royal Australian Navy (RAN) base. It is located to the north-east of the Sydney central business district and juts out into Port Jackson, immediately to ...

. She was armed with two QF 4.7 inch naval guns, with a third being fitted in

Colombo Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo m ...

. ''Suva'' was part of the

Red Sea The Red Sea ( ar, البحر الأحمر - بحر القلزم, translit=Modern: al-Baḥr al-ʾAḥmar, Medieval: Baḥr al-Qulzum; or ; Coptic: ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϩⲁϩ ''Phiom Enhah'' or ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϣⲁⲣⲓ ''Phiom ǹšari''; ...

Patrol during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, taking part in the Capture of Yanbu. She was commissioned into the

on 23 June 1919, equipped with two QF 3 pounder naval guns, as HMAS ''Suva'', for transporting Admiral of the Fleet Lord John Jellicoe to the

Australia Station The Australia Station was the British, and later Australian, naval command responsible for the waters around the Australian continent.Dennis et al. 2008, p.53. Australia Station was under the command of the Commander-in-Chief, Australia Station, ...

and Pacific Islands. ''Suva'' was paid off on 12 August and was returned to her owners. ''Suva'' was sold in July 1928 to Madrigal and Company,

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...

, and renamed ''Sirius''. She was later resold in December 1929 to Fernandez Bros., who renamed her ''Bohol''. A Japanese air attack in Manila Bay sank her on 16 April 1942.

Citations

References

*Wilson, Michael; Royal Australian Navy 21st Century Warships, Naval auxiliaries 1911 to 1999 including Defence Maritime Services, Profile No. 4 – Revised Edition, Topmill Pty Ltd, Marrickville. {{DEFAULTSORT:Suva, Hms 1905 ships Ships built in Belfast Passenger ships of Australia Armed boarding steamers of the Royal Navy Auxiliary ships of the Royal Australian Navy Ships sunk by Japanese aircraft Shipwrecks of the Philippines