HMAS Kuru

HMAS "Kuru" was a Royal Australian Navy patrol boat of World War II. "Kuru" was built at Balmain, Sydney in 1938 for the Northern Territory Patrol Service and was used to counter poaching by Japanese fishermen. She was 23 metres long, had a maximum speed of nine knots and was armed with a single three-pounder gun. Following the outbreak of the Pacific War she was commissioned into the RAN in December 1941 and her armament was increased to a 20mm cannon, a 0.50 calibre heavy machine gun and several lighter machine guns.

HMAS "Kuru" played an important role in the Battle of Timor from May 1942 and completed numerous supply trips to the island. On 1 December 1942 she survived an attack by a large number of Japanese aircraft in which 260 bombs were dropped. Following the evacuation of Timor "Kuru" operated in Northern Australian waters and rescued the survivors of HMAS "Patricia Cam" in January 1943. HMAS "Kuru" was damaged beyond repair by an accident in October 1943.

References

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last=Jones
first=Colin
author-link=
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year=2007
title=The Night Bird
periodical=Wartime
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publisher=The Australian War Memorial
volume=
issue=39
pages=40-41
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