Jul and Oct 1982 - Navy League of Australia

y a IV 88 which she shot down, and
engaged b> iwo shore batteries, receiving
a single hit »nuh caused minor damage.
On July 1, 1944. ALBATROSS was reallocated
to COLD Force and moved to
new position at Cioosebcrry 5. north of
Ouisireham.
On the morning of August 11. 1944.
Al BATROSS was hit near the port 4.7"
maga/inc b> a long-range circling
torpedo, known as a Mardcr. The damage
from the torpedo killed 50 of
ALBATROSS' crew and caused ihe ship
to list 15". However, this was rapidly
corrected. After emergency repairs were
carried out ALBATROSS left the battle
area for L-ngland.
During her period off the Normandy
beaches ALBATROSS repaired almost
200 vessels which otherwise would have
been lost.
Upon her return to Portsmouth
temporary repairs were carried out but
she was not made fit for further
active service. From November. 1944,
ALBATROSS acted as a Depot and
Repair Ship for Portsmouth based minesweepers
and escorts. With the end of the
war in Europe rapidly approaching
ALBATROSS was reduced to reserve in
July, 1945. and moved to Falmouth
where, on August 8. 1945. she was finally
paid-off from the Royal Navy.
After being paid-off ALBATROSS was
laid up off the Isle of Wight, with other
surplus warships, until the Admiralty
decided her fate. In 1946. the Admiraltv
sold ALBATROSS to a Bristol scrap
dealer for the princely sum of £35,000
Shortly after buying the ship the scrap
dealer resold her to ihe South Western
Steam Navigation Company of Torquay.
After her sale to the SWSN company
ALBATROSS sailed, under the command
of Captain Frank Dyer, for Chatham.
Whilst on route to Chatham
ALBATROSS rendered assistance to a
man and his wife whose sailing barge was
in trouble in the channel.
On arrival at Chatham ALBATROSS
entered No 5 drydock where she was given
a complete refit to convert her to a civilian
ship. Once this work was finished
ALBATROSS sailed for Torquay on
December 30. 1946. After her arrival
ALBATROSS spent the rest of the winter
moored in the Binham Roads. By the time
ALBATROSS was ready to sail in March,
1947, both her anchor cables had become
hopelessly twisted as a result of the winter
gales. In order to allow the ship to sail, a
tug had to be hired to tow her by the stern
in circles so as to untwist the cable. With
her anchor cable free ALBATROSS
weighed anchor and sailed for Millbay
Docks. Portsmouth. After spending some
time alongside in Portsmouth
ALBATROSS was moved to Torquay
where her owners intended to convert her
into a floating cabaret, renamed PRIDE
OF TORQUAY.
Fortunately, before she suffered this
fate ALBATROSS was resold to a Greco-
British shipping company known as the
Vannoulator Group. ALBATROSS' new
owners sailed her to Barry. Wales, where
she underwent a £200,000 conversion to a
migrant ship.
The conversion included installation of
air-conditioning to all accommodation
spaces, two cinemas and a dining saloon
with a capacity of 560. Three hospitals,
one each for males and females and an
isolation hospital for children, were also
added during the refit. Once this work
was completed, ALBATROSS, now
known as HELLENIC PRINCE, was
chartered by the International Refugee
Organisation to assist in the relocation of
displaced persons. In this, her new role,
the old ALBATROSS made several visits
to Sydney and Melbourne carrying
displaced persons from Europe to their
new homes in Australia.
Shortly after her charter with the IRO
was concluded ALBATROSS was
chartered to transport troops from
Hngland to Kenya during Ihe Mau-Mau
uprisings. On one of these trips
ALBATROSS ran aground and had to be
towed into Mombasa Harbour. Not long
after this the Yanoulator Group sold
ALBATROSS to a Hong Kong shipbreaker.
From August 12, 1954, onwards.
ALBATROSS was slowly reduced to
scrap metal by the relentless flame of a
cutting torch. Her chequered, but distinguished
career had finally ended.
HMAS ALBATROSS
— Ship's Particulars
Designer:
Directorate of Naval Construction, London.
Builder:
Cockatoo Docks and Engineering Company
Ply Ltd
Ordered:
June 10.1925.
I iid Down:
April 16. 1926.
Lunched:
February 23. 1928.
Launched By:
Lady Stonehaven, wife of the Governor-
General.
Completed:
December 21. 1928.
Commissioned:
January 23,1929
Displacement:
As Built — Standard 4800 tons.
Full Load 6000 tons
I94S — Standard ... ions.
Full Load 6340 ions.
Dimensions:
Length -
PP 422 ft I in.
OA —433 ft 7 ins.
Beam — Nominal — 58 ft.
Over bulges- 60 ft 10 ins.
Over vponsons — 17 ft 9 ins.
Draught — Mean — 13 ft 9 ins.
Max-
16 ft 3 ins.
r-or'd at Full Load — 18 ft 0 in.
Afi at Full Load — 16 ft 5 ins.
Machinery:
4 Yarrow small — tub. boilers.
2 sets Parsons singled reduction geared
turbines.
2 shafts.
12000shp mat designed.
10800 shp max continuous.
Furl Stowage:
FFO-942 tons.
Dieso — 48 ions.
Aviation — 8300 gallons.
M.
im
Max designed — 21 knots.
On trials— 22.87 knots.
RN trials — 22.3 knots.
Endurance:
Clean— 12150 miles at 10 knots.
4200 miles ai 22 knots.
Foul— 10300 miles M 10 knots
3570 miles at 22 knots.
Armament:
HA.
As Built — 4 x I 4.T740 cal Mk V||| Q>
2x12 pdr AA on Mk II mountings
4x1 VickersMG
10 x I 303 Levis MG.
5x2 30? Lewis MG.
4x13 pdr Hoichkiss saluting guns,
1929 - 2 x 1 2 pdr added.
1938 - 2 x 1 Vickcrs MG removed.
1939 — 2 x I 3 pdr removed.
1942 — 2 x I 3 pdr removed.
10 x I Lewis MG removed,
ftx I 20mm AA added.
1944 —2 x I 4.7" 40cat removed
4x12 pdr AA removed.
4x42 pdr AA added.
Final Armament -2x1 4.7 ,, /40c»l.
4x4 2 pdr AA.
6 x I 20 mm A A.
2x1 VickersMG
Aircraft:
As Designed — 9 Seagull III amphibians (6
operational » 3 reserve!.
1929- 6 Seagull III amphibians.
1931 - 4 Seagull III amphibians.
1933 — All aircraft removed
1939 - 6 Seagull V and 3 Walrus
amphibians.
1940 — 9 Walrus amphibians.
1943 — All aircraft removed
Magaiinc:
4.7*' QF Cartridges — Semi AP 280 rounds.
HE (AA time fuzed) 600 rounds.
Target Smoke 60 rounJ'
Star 50 rounds.
Practice 60 rounds.
2pdrCanndges HE 180 boxes.
Common pointed 150 boxes.
LA practice 40 boxes.
AA practice 10 boxes
Practice 10 boxes.
Bomb Room — 250 lb SAP 36
1001b LC 72.
201b 100.
Complement:
Com:
KAN — 32Officcisand3l0raiingv.
RAAF — 6 Officers and 24 airmen.
ToBuild- £1.187.881.
To Run (docs not include pay for ships
company) 1929/30 - £44,937; 1930/31 -
£40.000 (est).
In reserve (includes pay for ships company
of 67)- £25.000 (annual).
Colli:
Amount paid by Royal Navy — £266,500.
Falc:
Broken up in Hong Kong during August.
1954.
Commanding Officers:
Captain F>. M T Bedford RN - Jan 23.
'29-Aug 14. '30: Captain H. 1. Feakes RAN —
Aug 14. "30-Aug 3. '31: Captain C. J. Pope
RAN — Aug 3. '31-Mar 20. "33; Commander
H L. Howden RAN - Mar 20. 33 Apr 26.
*33; Captain H. G. D. Acland DSO RN. (or
final voyage only.
R0RKE VALVES
PTY LTD
29-31 Lavina Street,
Athol Park, SA5012
Telep >hone: (08) 47 3030; 47 4630
Ma nufacturers of Marine Valves
APP ROVED CONTRACTORS TO THE RAN
Starboard quarter \fcn of the former seaplane carrier. (Photo — MitchellLibrary).
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THE NAVY
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