HMAS Burdekin

	HMAS Burdekin (K376)
History
Royal Australian NavyAustralia
Namesake	Burdekin River
Builder	Walkers Ltd., Maryborough
Launched	30 Jun 1943
Commissioned	27 Jun 1944
Decommissioned	18 Apr 1946
Fate	Sold on 21 Sep 1961 to Tolo Mining and Smelting Company Limited, Hong Kong for scrap.
General characteristics
Class and type	River class frigate
Displacement	list error: <br /> list (help); 1,420 litres per tesla ([convert: unknown unit]); 2,020 L/T ([convert: unknown unit]) (deep load)
Length	list error: <br /> list (help); 283 feet (86.26 m) p/p; 301.25 feet (91.82 m)o/a
Beam	36.5 feet (11.13 m)
Draught	9 feet (2.74 m); 13 feet (3.96 m) (deep load)
Propulsion	2 x Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, reciprocating vertical triple expansion, 5,500 ihp
Speed	20 knots (37.0 km/h)
Range	500 L/T ([convert: unknown unit]) oil fuel; 5,180 nautical miles (9,593 km) at 12 knots (22.2 km/h)
Complement	140
Armament	list error: mixed text and list (help); 2 x QF 4 in (102 mm) /45 Mk.XVI, single mounts HA/LA Mk.XX; 8 x QF 20 mm Oerlikon, single mounts Mk.III, later; 3 x QF 40 mm Bofors, single mounts Mk.VII; 4 x QF 20 mm Oerlikon, twin mounts Mk.V; ; 1 x Hedgehog 24 spigot A/S projector; up to 50 depth charges;

HMAS Burdekin (K376) was a River class frigate that served the Royal Australian Navy from 1944-1946.

She was named for the Burdekin River in Queensland and was one of twelve River class frigates built for the RAN during World War II.

Burdekin was launched at Walkers Ltd., Maryborough on 30 June 1943 and commissioned into the RAN on 27 June 1944. Her patron was K. Collings, daughter of Senator Honourable Joseph Collings, Minister for the Interior and Leader of the Government in the Senate.

War service

Burdekin was posted to New Guinean waters in October 1944 and from November 1944 to May 1945 she escorted convoys travelling between New Guinea and the Philippines. In May 1945 she supported the Australian landing at Tarakan and carried out surveillance operations in the Borneo and Celebes areas.

Post-war service

After a refit in Sydney, Burdekin operated in the Netherlands East Indies following the end of the war. The Japanese surrender of Dutch Borneo was accepted on board the ship by Major General Milford of the 7th Australian Division, on 8 September 1945 and the ship later participated in occupation duties off Borneo and Macassar.

HMAS Burdekin returned to Australia in January 1946 and was paid off from the RAN and placed in reserve on 18 April 1946.

She was declared for disposal on 9 November 1960 and sold for scrap to the Tolo Mining and Smelting Company Limited of Hong Kong on 21 September 1961.

References

Seapower Centre - Australia HMAS Burdekin ship history