HMAS Barcoo (K375)

HMAS "Barcoo" (K375) was a River class frigate that served the Royal Australian Navy from 1944-1964.

She was named for the Barcoo River in Queensland and was one of twelve River class frigates built for the RAN during World War II. The vessel logged convert|342579|nmi|km in its career.

World War II

The "Barcoo" was laid down by the Cockatoo Docks and Engineering Company, Ltd., Sydney on 21 October 1942 and launched on 26 August of the following year by the wife of Richard Keane, the Minister for Trade and Customs. "Barcoo" was commissioned at Sydney on 17 January 1944 under the command of Lieutenant Commander A.J. Travis.

After several weeks of working up, the "Barcoo" was tasked to New Guinea in March 1944 for convoy escort duty. That year, the ship also participated in the bombardments of Japanese Army positions in eastern New Guinea, rescued two downed American P-47 Thunderbolt pilots, and conducted convoy escort and patrol duties in the waters around New Guinea. The frigate's last hostile action occurred on 3 August 1945 during a bombardment of the village of Soengaipaten in Borneo.

Post-war career

In August 1946, the "Barcoo" was refitted as a survey vessel. During her remaining career, she carried the pennant numbers F375 and A245 at various times. On 11 April, 1948, she ran aground at Glenelg North, along Adelaide's coastline during a violent storm, but was refloated shortly afterwards without damage.

She logged approximately convert|54000|nmi|km on survey duty, before being retired from service in 1949. She was reactivated for survey duties from 1952-1956 and from 1959-1964.

"Barcoo" was decommissioned from the RAN on 21 February 1964. She was sold on 15 February 1972 to N. W. Kennedy, Ltd., Vancouver for scrap. She was later scrapped in Taiwan.

References

* [http://www.navy.gov.au/HMAS_Barcoo HMAS Barcoo - HMA Ship Histories (Sea Power Centre - Australia)]
* [http://www.naa.gov.au/Publications/Research_Guides/guides/dockyard/pages/chapter03/barcoo.htm Cockatoo Island Dockyard: Ships - HMAS Barcoo]