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The ship was loaned to the RAN, commissioning on 4 July 1946. She was named ''Tarakan'' on 16 December 1948, and served in Australian and [[New Guinea]] waters as a general purpose vessel, but was mainly used for dumping condemned ammunition at sea.<ref name=seapower>{{cite web |title=HMAS Tarakan (I) |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/hmas-tarakan-i |publisher=Sea Power Centre Australia |accessdate=31 May 2010}} </ref>
The ship was loaned to the RAN, commissioning on 4 July 1946. She was named ''Tarakan'' on 16 December 1948, and served in Australian and [[New Guinea]] waters as a general purpose vessel, but was mainly used for dumping condemned ammunition at sea.<ref name=seapower>{{cite web |title=HMAS Tarakan (I) |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/hmas-tarakan-i |publisher=Sea Power Centre Australia |accessdate=31 May 2010}} </ref>


On 25 January 1950, ''Tarakan'' was berthed alongside [[HMAS Kuttabul (naval base)|HMAS ''Kuttabul'' naval base]] at [[Garden Island, New South Wales|Garden Island]] in Sydney, making good defects prior to departure for New Guinea, when an explosion occurred aft under the mess decks. The explosion killed seven sailors and one dockyard tradesman, and injured twelve sailors and a second tradesman. The ship was extensively damaged and never returned to seagoing service. She was sold for breaking up on 12 March 1954.<ref name=seapower/>
On 25 January 1950, ''Tarakan'' was berthed alongside [[HMAS Kuttabul (naval base)|HMAS ''Kuttabul'' naval base]] at [[Garden Island, New South Wales|Garden Island]] in Sydney, making good defects prior to departure for New Guinea, when an explosion occurred aft under the mess decks. The explosion killed seven sailors and one dockyard tradesman, and injured twelve sailors and a second tradesman. The ship was extensively damaged.<ref name=seapower/> ''Tarakan''{{'}}s captain and executive officer were subsequently court martialed for negligence during Mach 1950, but were found to be not guilty.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article52776087 |title=COURT EXONERATES OFFICER OF H.M.A.S. TARAKAN |newspaper=[[The Examiner (Tasmania)]] |volume=CIX, |issue=9 |location=Tasmania, Australia |date=22 March 1950 |accessdate=26 January 2017 |page=9 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article187648410 |title=Captain freed on negligence charge|newspaper=[[The Age]] |issue=29,618 |location=Victoria, Australia |date=31 March 1950 |accessdate=26 January 2017 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> In April that year the coroner ruled that the explosion was accidental, and most likely caused by an electric arc from a fan in a compartment of the ship which had filled with petrol fumes.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18157828 |title=Accidental Finding: Tarakan Explosion |newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |issue=35,054 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=27 April 1950 |accessdate=26 January 2017 |page=7 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

''Tarakan'' never returned to seagoing service following the incident in 1950. She was sold for breaking up on 12 March 1954.<ref name=seapower/> The ship caught fire again while she was being scrapped in the Sydney suburb of [[Balmain, New South Wales|Balmain]] during September 1950, but damage was minimal and there were no serious injuries.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article27514989 |title=Men Escape By Seconds In "Hoodoo " Ship Fire |newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |issue=36,428 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=22 September 1954 |accessdate=26 January 2017 |page=1 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 23:49, 25 January 2017

HMAS Tarakan in 1948
HMAS Tarakan in 1948
History
United Kingdom
NameLST 3017
BuilderR & W. Hawthorn, Leslie & Co Ltd, Hebburn-on-Tyne, England
Laid down7 April 1944
Launched28 November 1944
History
Australia
NameLST 3017
Commissioned4 July 1946
Decommissioned1954
Renamed16 December 1948
Motto"Nothing Daunts"
FateScrapped
General characteristics
TypeMark III Tank Landing Ship
Displacement2,300 tons
Length347 ft (106 m)
Beam55 ft 3 in (16.84 m)
Draught12 ft 6 in (3.81 m)
Speed13.5 knots (25.0 km/h; 15.5 mph)
Armament
  • 4 × 40mm anti-aircraft guns
  • 16 × 20mm anti-aircraft guns

HMAS Tarakan (L3017) was a Mark III Tank Landing Ship, or LST(3), that served in the Royal Navy (RN) and Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

The ship was laid down on 7 April 1944 for the RN by R. and W. Hawthorne, Leslie and Company at Hebburn-on-Tyne in England, launched on 28 November 1944 as LST 3017, and completed at Hendon Dockyard in Sutherland.

The ship was loaned to the RAN, commissioning on 4 July 1946. She was named Tarakan on 16 December 1948, and served in Australian and New Guinea waters as a general purpose vessel, but was mainly used for dumping condemned ammunition at sea.[1]

On 25 January 1950, Tarakan was berthed alongside HMAS Kuttabul naval base at Garden Island in Sydney, making good defects prior to departure for New Guinea, when an explosion occurred aft under the mess decks. The explosion killed seven sailors and one dockyard tradesman, and injured twelve sailors and a second tradesman. The ship was extensively damaged.[1] Tarakan's captain and executive officer were subsequently court martialed for negligence during Mach 1950, but were found to be not guilty.[2][3] In April that year the coroner ruled that the explosion was accidental, and most likely caused by an electric arc from a fan in a compartment of the ship which had filled with petrol fumes.[4]

Tarakan never returned to seagoing service following the incident in 1950. She was sold for breaking up on 12 March 1954.[1] The ship caught fire again while she was being scrapped in the Sydney suburb of Balmain during September 1950, but damage was minimal and there were no serious injuries.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c "HMAS Tarakan (I)". Sea Power Centre Australia. Retrieved 31 May 2010.
  2. ^ "COURT EXONERATES OFFICER OF H.M.A.S. TARAKAN". The Examiner (Tasmania). Vol. CIX, , no. 9. Tasmania, Australia. 22 March 1950. p. 9. Retrieved 26 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
  3. ^ "Captain freed on negligence charge". The Age. No. 29, 618. Victoria, Australia. 31 March 1950. p. 5. Retrieved 26 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ^ "Accidental Finding: Tarakan Explosion". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 35, 054. New South Wales, Australia. 27 April 1950. p. 7. Retrieved 26 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ "Men Escape By Seconds In "Hoodoo " Ship Fire". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 36, 428. New South Wales, Australia. 22 September 1954. p. 1. Retrieved 26 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.