SS Indarra
|
Template:Infobox ship begin Template:Infobox ship image Template:Infobox ship career Template:Infobox ship characteristics |
SS Indarra, was a passenger liner built for the Australasian United Steam Navigation Company (A.U.S.N. Co.). It was built in Dumbarton, Scotland in 1912 and was the largest ship on the Australian coastal trade prior to WWI. It was sold in 1920 and, after passing through several other owners, was sunk as a Japanese troopship in 1942.
Initial Career
[edit]The SS Indarra, was built by William Denny and Brothers, Dumbarton for the Australasian United Steam Navigation Company.
Indarra arrived at Fremantle, her Port of Registry on 1 January 1913 and then continued around the coast as far as Brisbane. She was without doubt the most palatial liner ever to serve on the Australian coast. Among other fittings she had a marble open air swimming pool, a gymnasium and an electric elevator between decks that impressed the public. Accommodation was provided for 150 first class, 200 second class and 120 third class passengers. [1]
Technical Issues
[edit]It soon became apparent that she had some serious problems, the most noticeable being an eight degree list to port that raised questions of stability. The addition of 80 tons of stone ballast solved this issue, but other problems became evident. Being longer than previous ships it was found that difficulties arose when she was being manoeuvred at the company docks in Melbourne and Sydney. At Albany, Western Australia it was impossible to berth her at all if there was a wind blowing. As coaling had to be done from each side, this necessitated the ship being turned when in dock. It soon became clear that her engines had a heavy demand for coal. Crossing the Great Australian Bight was very uncomfortable as Indarra had a heavy roll which gave rise to rumours that the ship was top heavy. [1]
WW1 Service
[edit]Indarra was left on the coastal services until requisitioned on the 29th October 1917. She was converted by Sid Heatley to a troopship at Sydney and then went to Melbourne to embark a thousand troops. Indarra was later inducted into a convoy of liners to carry troops from Alexandria to Marseilles. [2]
After the Armistice in 1918, she was used to repatriate British soldiers from India and other areas and in July of 1919 embarked Australian troops and carried them home. The liner was returned to the AUSN on 24th September 1919 but because of the uncertain state of the coastal trade at that time the company decided against returning her to her former service. She was then chartered to the Orient Steam Navigation Company, but she was proved to be too slow and unreliable.
Later Career
[edit]In October of 1920 she was purchased by the Compagnie Maritime Belge and renamed Pays de Waes. It had been planned for a River Plate service and it sailed in 1921 to Buenos Aires, Argentina. [3] . The company also launched a Belgium-South Africa service using the vessel with Prince Leopold amongst passengers on the first voyage. [4]
In 1923, she was repossessed by A.U.S.N. Co. and sold to Osaka Shosen Kaisha and renamed Horai Maru. She was given an extensive refit during which the upper part of the superstructure was removed resulting in a reduction in draft that made the vessel more stable. For many years the Horai Maru operated between Kobe and Keelung in Japanese-occupied Formosa, until the Japanese went to war in 1941 and the vessel was converted into a troop transport.
Fate
[edit]On March 1st 1942, the Horai Maru came under allied air attack in the Battle of the Java Sea. In the midst of the battle, the Japanese cruiser Mogami fired a spread of torpedoes with USS Houston as intended target, missed the Houston and instead sank minesweeper W-2 and sank the Horai Maru, hitting also the Ryuho Maru, Tatsuno Maru and Sakura Maru, with the latter three ending up beached. [5] The shot has, ironically, been described as the best shot of torpedoes ever recorded, hitting five friendly ships at the same time.
In 1947 the wreck of the Horai Maru was raised by Japanese salvage companies and towed away to be broken up.
Gallery
[edit]-
First Class Smoking Room -
Second Class Dining Saloon -
Indarra at Walsh Bay, Sydney
.jpg)
References
[edit]- ↑ a b Plowman, Peter (2007) Coast to Coast: The Great Australian Coastal Liners, Rosenberg Publishing, Kenthurst
- ↑ [[cite web|title= J. E. Morrison diary, 29 October 1918-8 September 1919, Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales|url=http://acms.sl.nsw.gov.au/_transcript/2012/D15069/a3672.htm%7Caccess-date[dead link] = 2 January 2021}}
- ↑ LIST OF PASSENGERS OF THE SHIP PAYS DE WAES TO ARGENTINA. Retrieved on 2 January 2021.
- ↑ Other Africa Lines. Retrieved on 02 January 2021.
- ↑ Branfill-Cook, Roger (2014) Torpedo: The Complete History of the World's Most Revolutionary Naval Weapon, Pen & Sword Books, Barnsley
Bibliography
[edit]- Burchell, David (1971) The Bells of the Sunda Strait, Adelaide, Australia: Rigby
- D'Albas, Andrieu (1965) Death of a Navy: Japanese Naval Action in World War II, Devin-Adair Pub ISBN: 0-8159-5302-X.
- Dull, Paul S. (1978) A Battle History of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1941–1945, Annapolis: Naval Institute Press ISBN: 0-87021-097-1.
- Grove, Eric (1993) Sea Battles in Close-Up: World War II, vol. 2, Annapolis: Naval Institute Press ISBN: 0-7110-2118-X.
- Holbrook, Heber (1981) U.S.S. Houston: The Last Flagship of the Asiatic Fleet, Dixon, CA, USA: Pacific Ship and Shore
- Hornfischer, James D. (2006) Ship of Ghosts: The Story of the USS Houston, FDR's Legendary Lost Cruiser, and the Epic Saga of Her Survivors, Bantam ISBN: 0-553-80390-5.
- Lacroix, Eric (1997) Japanese Cruisers of the Pacific War, Annapolis: Naval Institute Press ISBN: 0-87021-311-3.
- Schultz, Duane (1985) The Last Battle Station: The Story of the USS Houston, St Martins Press ISBN: 0-312-46973-X.
- Thomas, David A. (1968) The Battle of the Java Sea, Category:New York: Stein & Day ISBN: 0-330-02608-9.
- van Oosten, F. C. (1976) The Battle of the Java Sea (Sea battles in close-up; 15), Naval Institute Press ISBN: 0-87021-911-1.