HMAS Waree
HMAS Waree (W128) was a tug boat operated by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) during World War II. She operated as a tug boat for the Waratah Tug and Salvage Company before being requisitioned by the RAN in 1942, and operating in northern Australia and Papua. She sank on 17 October 1946 off the New South Wales coast while sailing to Sydney from Thursday Island. Construction and design
Laid down on 4 July 1938, Waree was built by the Cockatoo Docks & Engineering Company at Cockatoo Island Dockyard in Sydney and launched on 21 January 1939 for the Waratah Tug Company. Construction was completed on 12 April 1939. Measuring 233 gross register tons, the ship was  long and had a beam of  and a draught of . Powered by a single screw triple expansion steam engine producing , the ship was capable of steaming  and had a crew of 13, including two officers. In RAN service, the ship was fitted with 2 × .303-inch Vickers machine guns for self-defence. Operational history and fate
Warree was requisitioned by the RAN on 4 September 1942 and after fitting out she was commissioned on 18 September 1942. She was sent to Port Moresby, Territory of Papua, where she served until 30 January 1945. She returned to Australia where she operated in the waters off North Queensland and the Northern Territory. While steaming to Sydney from Thursday Island with cargo on 17 October 1946, Waree began taking on water and was run aground near the entrance of the Clarence River at Yamba, New South Wales. She was declared a total loss. All crew members were rescued after a long swim to shore. A court martial later found Warees captain, Lieutenant Bill Boas, culpable for her loss. References
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1939 ships
Ships built in New South Wales
Tugboats of the Royal Australian Navy
Shipwrecks of the Richmond-Tweed Region
Maritime incidents in 1946
Iron and steel steamships of Australia