HMAS Albatross (1928)

The first HMAS "Albatross" was a seaplane tender laid down by the Cockatoo Docks and Engineering Company at Cockatoo Island, Sydney in New South Wales in April 1926, launched on 23 February 1928 by Lady Stonehaven, wife of the Governor General of Australia, completed on 21 December 1928 and commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy on 23 January 1929.

ervice in the Royal Australian Navy

HMAS "Albatross" began her first cruise a week after commissioning and took part in RAN exercises during the early years of the 1930s. Her air complement was provided by No. 101 Flight RAAF and consisted of up to six Supermarine Seagull amphibian aircraft.

HMAS "Albatross" paid off to reserve on 26 April 1933 and remained at anchor in Sydney Harbour until 1938 when she was accepted by the Admiralty as part payment for the cruiser HMAS "Hobart".

ervice in the Royal Navy

HMAS "Albatross" sailed for England on 11 July 1938. The crew which had sailed to England transferred to "Hobart" upon her commissioning.

Renamed HMS "Albatross", the ship served in the South Atlantic from 1939 to May 1942, based at Freetown, apart from a repair at Simonstown and a refit at Mobile, in the United States. At Freetown she provided base facilities for air patrols over the Atlantic for trade protection and detection of enemy ships and blockade runners [cite web
last = Mason
first = Geoffrey
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = HMS "Albatross"
work = Service Histories of Royal Navy Warships in World War 2
publisher = Naval-History.net
date = 2005
url = http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-04CV-Albatross.htm
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2008-08-11]

In May 1942, "Albatross" was transferred to the Indian Ocean to bolster trade there with the Eastern Fleet based at Kilindini and in September provided air support for military operations on Madagascar (Operation Throat). After this, trade protection duties were resumed and continued until July 1943 (apart from refits at Durban and Bombay). "Albatross" then returned to Britain where, in September, she was paid-off.

From October 1943 until early 1944, "Albatross" underwent a major conversion to a repair ship (designated as "Landing Ship (Engineering)" - LSE) to support the Normandy landings. She was initially deployed in the Thames estuary as part of the deceptions to divert enemy attention away from Normandy, but on 8th June 1944, she was moved to Gooseberry 5, off Sword Beach at Ouistreham to provide repair facilities and supply anti aircraft and bombardment support.

Her allocation immediately followed the assault and coincided with the "great storm" that disrupted allied plans. Her repair duties at Sword saved saved 79 craft from total loss and returned 132 others to service off the beachhead. In July, "Albatross" returned to Portsmouth for replenishment and to rest her crew and, on return to Normandy, she was reallocated to Juno beach.

On 11 August, she was hit by a torpedo (possibly a new German design) which inflicted major structural damage and killed 66 of the ship's company. "Albatross" was withdrawn from service and towed to Portsmouth by the Dutch tug Zwart Zee. Her repairs lasted until early 1945. After a brief spell as a minesweeper depot ship, she was paid off into reserve on 3 August 1945. [cite web
last = Mason
first = Geoffrey
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = HMS "Albatross"
work = Service Histories of Royal Navy Warships in World War 2
publisher = Naval-History.net
date = 2005
url = http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-04CV-Albatross.htm
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2008-08-11]

Post-war

"Albatross" was sold to the South Western Steam Navigation Company on 19th August 1946, for commercial use and renamed "Pride of Torquay". She was subsequently acquired by the Yannoulatos Group, renamed "Hellenic Prince" for use as an immigrant ship between Naples and Australia.

The "Hellenic Prince" was sent to Barry in Wales, where she was converted to a passenger vessel. In 1949, she was chartered by the International Refugee Organisation as a refugee transport; as part of the Fifth Fleet she transferred 'displaced persons' from Germany to Australia after World War II, between 1947 and 1951. On 5 December 1949 she reached Sydney, carrying 1,000 displaced persons, thus returning to her birthplace after an absence of more than eleven years.

The ship's career finally ended when she was scrapped at Hong Kong on 12 August 1954.

References

ee also

* List of aircraft carriers
* List of ship launches in 1928
* List of ship commissionings in 1928
* List of ship decommissionings in 1933

External links

*cite web |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/HMAS_Albatross_%28I%29|title=HMAS "Albatross" (I) |accessdate=2008-09-05 |work=HMA Ship Histories |publisher=Sea Power Centre - Australia
* [http://www.fifthfleet.net/ The Fifth Fleet]