HMAS Culgoa (K408)

Culgoa at Williamstown, Victoria in April 1947 shortly after commissioning
History
Australia
Namesake:	Culgoa River
Builder:	HMA Naval Dockyard, Williamstown, Victoria
Laid down:	15 July 1943
Launched:	22 September 1945
Completed:	24 December 1946
Commissioned:	1 April 1947
Decommissioned:	15 April 1954
Honours and awards:	Battle honours: Korea 1953
Fate:	Sold for scrap in 1972
General characteristics
Class and type:	Modified River (or Bay)-class frigate
Displacement:	1,537 tons (standard), 2,200 tons (full load)
Length:	301 ft (92 m)
Beam:	36 ft (11 m)
Draught:	12 ft (3.7 m)
Propulsion:	Triple expansion, 2 shafts, 5,500 ihp (4,100 kW)
Speed:	19.5 knots (36.1 km/h; 22.4 mph)
Complement:	175
Armament:	4 × 4-inch guns 3 × 40 mm Bofors 4 × 20 mm Oerlikons 1 × Hedgehog 4 × Depth Charge Throwers

HMAS Culgoa (K408/F408/A256), named for the Culgoa River, was a Modified River (or Bay)-class frigate that served in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

Construction

Culgoa was laid down by HMA Naval Dockyard at Williamstown, Victoria on 15 July 1943.^[1] The frigate was launched on 22 September 1945 by Mrs. Showers, wife of the Second Naval Member of the Australian Commonwealth Naval Board,^[1] and completed on 24 December 1946. She was immediately placed in reserve until her commissioning on 1 April 1947.^[1]

Operational history

Culgoa served in the Korean War.^[1] She received the battle honour "Korea 1953" for this deployment.^[2]

Decommissioning and fate

Culgoa paid off into reserve on 15 April 1954, and used as an accommodation ship by personnel at HMAS Waterhen until she was sold for scrap to N. W. Kennedy Limited of Vancouver, Canada on 15 February 1972.^[1] Culgoa left Sydney under tow for Taiwan in March 1972.^[1]

References

1. "HMAS Culgoa". Sea Power Centre Australia. Retrieved 15 September 2008.
2. "Royal Australian Navy Ship/Unit Battle Honours" (PDF). Royal Australian Navy. 1 March 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 June 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2012.

External links