Kookaburra2011
Oct. 12, 1945: Sunk in July, the heavy cruiser IJNS AOBA rests on the bottom near Kure Navy Yard - Collection of RADM Samuel E. Morison, USN, NHHC.
5156. With her foredecks still partly covered by tree branches - an attempot to disguise the ship from aerial attack, the wreck of the 9000 ton INJS AOBA would have been a familiar sight to the men of RAN ships posted to British Commonwealth Occupation Forces [BCOF] duties in Japan - along with many other major warship wrecks in the harbour at that time.
There is a list of RAN ships that served with the BCOF in the Dr James Wilson [AWM] paper on the subject [sdee previous entry], but going on what we know from other ship histories it appears not to be complete. BCOF. Therefore we'll add several and say that the ships included cruisers HMAS AUSTRALIA [II], HMAS SHROPSHIRE, and HMAS HOBART [I], destroyers HMAS WARRAMUNGA, BATAAN, ARUNTA, QUICKMATCH, QUIBERON and QUADRANT, along with frigates CULGOA, SHOALHAVEN and MURCHISON, and the Landing Ships Infantry [LSIs] WESTRALIA, MANOORA and KANIMBLA.
Photo: Collection of Rear Admiral Samuel Eliot Morison, USN, Naval History and Heritage Command [US] image NBO. NH97738.
Oct. 12, 1945: Sunk in July, the heavy cruiser IJNS AOBA rests on the bottom near Kure Navy Yard - Collection of RADM Samuel E. Morison, USN, NHHC.
5156. With her foredecks still partly covered by tree branches - an attempot to disguise the ship from aerial attack, the wreck of the 9000 ton INJS AOBA would have been a familiar sight to the men of RAN ships posted to British Commonwealth Occupation Forces [BCOF] duties in Japan - along with many other major warship wrecks in the harbour at that time.
There is a list of RAN ships that served with the BCOF in the Dr James Wilson [AWM] paper on the subject [sdee previous entry], but going on what we know from other ship histories it appears not to be complete. BCOF. Therefore we'll add several and say that the ships included cruisers HMAS AUSTRALIA [II], HMAS SHROPSHIRE, and HMAS HOBART [I], destroyers HMAS WARRAMUNGA, BATAAN, ARUNTA, QUICKMATCH, QUIBERON and QUADRANT, along with frigates CULGOA, SHOALHAVEN and MURCHISON, and the Landing Ships Infantry [LSIs] WESTRALIA, MANOORA and KANIMBLA.
Photo: Collection of Rear Admiral Samuel Eliot Morison, USN, Naval History and Heritage Command [US] image NBO. NH97738.