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HMAS Diamantina (K377)

 

 
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HMAS Diamantina (K377)
 
 
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HMAS Diamantina (K377/F377/A266/GOR266), named for the Diamantina River
Diamantina River

The Diamantina River is a river in Queensland, Australia. Rising north-west of Longreach, Queensland, it flows in a south-westerly direction through central Queensland and Channel Country to form the Warburton River, which, in extremely wet years, flows as far as Lake Eyre....
 in Queensland, is a River class frigate
River class frigate

The River class frigate was a ship class of 151 frigates launched between 1941 and 1944 for use as anti-submarine convoy escorts in the North Atlantic....
 that served the Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy

The Royal Australian Navy is the navy of the Australian Defence Force. Established in 1901, the RAN was formed out of the Commonwealth Naval Forces to become the small navy of Australia after federation, consisting of the former colonial navies of the new Australian states....
 (RAN). Constructed in the mid-1940s, Diamantina was active from 1945 until 1946, was placed in reserve, then was recommissioned as a survey ship from 1959 until 1980.

Following her second decommissioning, the frigate was preserved at the Queensland Maritime Museum
Queensland Maritime Museum

The Queensland Maritime Museum is located on the southern bank of the Brisbane River just south of the South Bank Parklands, Brisbane precinct of Brisbane, and close to the Goodwill Bridge, Brisbane....
 as a museum ship
Museum ship

A museum ship, or sometimes memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public, for educational or memorial purposes....
.






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HMAS Diamantina (K377/F377/A266/GOR266), named for the Diamantina River
Diamantina River

The Diamantina River is a river in Queensland, Australia. Rising north-west of Longreach, Queensland, it flows in a south-westerly direction through central Queensland and Channel Country to form the Warburton River, which, in extremely wet years, flows as far as Lake Eyre....
 in Queensland, is a River class frigate
River class frigate

The River class frigate was a ship class of 151 frigates launched between 1941 and 1944 for use as anti-submarine convoy escorts in the North Atlantic....
 that served the Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy

The Royal Australian Navy is the navy of the Australian Defence Force. Established in 1901, the RAN was formed out of the Commonwealth Naval Forces to become the small navy of Australia after federation, consisting of the former colonial navies of the new Australian states....
 (RAN). Constructed in the mid-1940s, Diamantina was active from 1945 until 1946, was placed in reserve, then was recommissioned as a survey ship from 1959 until 1980.

Following her second decommissioning, the frigate was preserved at the Queensland Maritime Museum
Queensland Maritime Museum

The Queensland Maritime Museum is located on the southern bank of the Brisbane River just south of the South Bank Parklands, Brisbane precinct of Brisbane, and close to the Goodwill Bridge, Brisbane....
 as a museum ship
Museum ship

A museum ship, or sometimes memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public, for educational or memorial purposes....
. She was the last World War II-era frigate to leave RAN service, and of the 151 River class frigates constructed, which saw service in 19 navies worldwide from 1942 onwards, Diamantina is the only one preserved as a museum ship.

Design and construction

Diamantina had a displacement of 2,120 tons fully loaded, or 1,420 standard displacement tons. She was equipped with two triple expansion engines driving twin screws at 5500 l.h.p. She had a range of at , with a top speed of .

Diamantina was laid down on 12 April 1943 at Walkers Limited in Maryborough, Queensland
Maryborough, Queensland

Maryborough is a city located on the Mary River in South East Queensland, Australia, approximately 300 kilometres north of the state capital, Brisbane....
. She was launched on 6 April 1944, and commissioned into the RAN at Hervey Bay, Queensland
Hervey Bay, Queensland

Hervey Bay is a city in south eastern Queensland, Australia. The city is situated approximately 292 kilometres north of the state capital, Brisbane, and lies on the coast of a natural bay between the Queensland mainland and nearby Fraser Island....
 on 27 April 1945 carrying pennant number
Pennant number

In the modern Royal Navy and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth of Nations, ships are identified by pennant numbers . The name pennant number arises from the fact that ships were originally allocated a pennant identifying a flotilla or particular type of vessel: for example, in the Royal Navy, the burgee for torpedo boats, :Image:I...
 K377. She was named for the Diamantina River
Diamantina River

The Diamantina River is a river in Queensland, Australia. Rising north-west of Longreach, Queensland, it flows in a south-westerly direction through central Queensland and Channel Country to form the Warburton River, which, in extremely wet years, flows as far as Lake Eyre....
 in Queensland, and was one of eight River Class frigates built for the RAN during World War II.

Operational history


1945-1946

Diamantina provided fire support to the Australian Army operating in Bougainville in July and August 1945.

The frigate carried Lieutenant General Kanda and Vice Admiral Baron Samejima, officers of the Japanese Imperial High Command to the surrender of Torokina on 8 September 1945. She was also involved in the surrenders of Nauru on 13 September and Ocean Island on 1 October; both ceremonies conducted on her quarterdeck.

Diamantina returned to Sydney, arriving at Garden Island on 13 December 1945 with 86 passengers embarked. The ship remained in Sydney until 1 February 1946, when she departed for a patrol in New Guinea waters. Diamantina returned to Sydney on 14 June, and was paid off into reserve on 9 August 1946.

1959-1980

Diamantina was recommissioned as an oceanographic survey ship on 22 June 1959. She carried the pennant numbers F377, A266, and GOR266 at various points throughout this period of her career. After successfully completing her first oceanographic survey in July, she embarked on her first oceanographic cruise on 20 August. On 20 September, the ship performed the first survey of the Montebello Islands
Montebello Islands

The Montebello Islands are an archipelago of around 174 small islands located off the Pilbara region of Western Australia coast of North West Australia....
 following the British atomic test, Operation Hurricane
Operation Hurricane

Operation Hurricane was the test of the first United Kingdom Nuclear weapon on 3 October 1952. A plutonium Nuclear weapon design#Implosion method was detonated in the lagoon between the Montebello Islands, Western Australia....
. On 22 October, Diamantina carried out the first survey of the waters around Christmas Island
Christmas Island

The Territory of Christmas Island is a Territory of Australia in the Indian Ocean. It is located northwest of the Western Australian city of Perth, Western Australia, south of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, and ENE of the Cocos Islands....
.

Diamantina’s most notable achievement during her second commission was the discovery of the deepest known part of the Indian Ocean on 7 February 1960, which was named Diamantina Deep
Diamantina Deep

Diamantina DeepIs located in the Diamantina Trench south west of Perth, Western Australia. The Diamantina Trench is in the eastern part of the larger Diamantina Fracture Zone which stretches from the Ninety East Ridge to the Naturaliste Plateau which lies of the lower part of Southwest Australia....
 after the ship.

Based in Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle, Western Australia

Fremantle is a port city in Western Australia, located southwest of Perth, Western Australia, the state capital, at the mouth of the Swan River on Australia's western coast....
, Diamantina remained in service as an oceanographic vessel until 1980.

Decommissioning and preservation

Diamantina paid off from the RAN on 29 February 1980, and was the last World War II-era frigate to serve Australia. Diamantina was handed over to the Queensland Maritime Museum
Queensland Maritime Museum

The Queensland Maritime Museum is located on the southern bank of the Brisbane River just south of the South Bank Parklands, Brisbane precinct of Brisbane, and close to the Goodwill Bridge, Brisbane....
 where she is permanently berthed in the drydock located on the Brisbane River
Brisbane River

The Brisbane River is the longest river in South East Queensland Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay....
 at South Brisbane.

In March 2006, Diamantina was towed out into the river to allow repairs to the dock, which had been flooded since the seals failed in 1998. As of July 2006, she has been returned to the dry dock adjacent to the Queensland Maritime Museum, where she is used as a self-touring museum ship.