''Kelat'' was an 1894 gross ton iron hulled fully rigged three masted sailing ship built in

Stockton-on-Tees Stockton-on-Tees, often simply referred to as Stockton, is a market town in the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees in County Durham, England. It is on the northern banks of the River Tees, part of the Teesside built-up area. The town had an estimated ...

, England in 1881. She was requisitioned by 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 ...

(RAN) in 1941 and sank as a result of damage suffered during the Japanese air raid on Darwin on 19 February 1942.

Construction and design

The vessel was built in 1881 by

Richardson, Duck and Company Richardson, Duck and Company was a shipbuilding company in Thornaby-on-Tees, England that traded between 1855 and 1925. History The yard was founded as the South Stockton Iron Ship Building Co in 1852. Its premises were the former yard of engine ...

, England for E. Bates & Sons of Liverpool. She was an iron hulled fully rigged sailing ship consisting of three masts and two decks.

Operational service

She plied the London to Australia cargo route until she was requisitioned in 1903 by L. Gundersen and renamed ''Hövding''. She continued plying the cargo trade to Australia until she was damaged in a storm and condemned at Melbourne on 9 July 1914. She was sold as a hulk to Mcllwrath, McEachern Propriety Ltd, who converted her into a coal hulk. Sometime afterward she was renamed back to her original name ''Kelat''. She was requisitioned as a coal hulk by the RAN in 1941.

Fate

After being requisitioned by the RAN, she was towed from Fremantle to Darwin fully laden with coal in February 1942. She sank at her mooring several days after arriving in Darwin after being machine gunned and badly damaged during the Japanese air raid on Darwin on 19 February 1942. The sinking may have been by neglect as in the confusion after the raids it is possible no one remembered to continue to run her pumps to keep her afloat. Her wreck is located at .

Notes

References

* {{February 1942 shipwrecks 1881 ships Ships built on the River Tees Auxiliary ships of the Royal Australian Navy Ships sunk in the bombing of Darwin, 1942 Maritime incidents in February 1942