HMAS Perth (I)

HMAS Perth (I) was a modified Leander class cruiser that operated during the Second World War. It was built by the Royal Navy in 1933 and named HMS Amphion. The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) purchased the cruiser in 1939. It was commissioned into the RAN on 29 June 1939.

HMAS Perth (I) arriving in Port Jackson, Sydney, in 1939

During the Second World War, Perth carried out escort and patrol duties in the West Indies and western Atlantic.

In January 1941 Perth transported troops to Crete and Malta. While in port at Malta, Perth was damaged in an air raid. From 9 to 20 February it was in dock at Alexandria for repair.

In the first half of March the ship took part in the reinforcement of forces in Greece. It took two trips with troops from Alexandria to Piraeus. 

During the night of 28 March, Perth played a minor role in the Battle of Matapan. In that battle, the Italian Navy lost three cruisers and two destroyers. The British lost five Fleet Air Arm aircraft.

In late April 1941 Perth evacuated troops from Greece to Crete. On 28 April 1941, Perth’s aircraft was shot down off Suda Bay, but its crew of three was rescued.

Perth continued with patrols and convoy escort duties in May 1941. The cruiser had escaped damage in German air attacks several times. On 22 May enemy aircraft succeeded in damaging the ship by a near miss. Perth had urgent repairs at Alexandria from 24 to 28 May. 

On 28 May, Perth sailed for Crete to assist in the evacuation. The cruiser was attacked en route by a German aircraft but escaped damage. The convoy was attacked five times on the return from Crete. On 30 May Perth was hit by a bomb in a boiler room. The cruiser had 1188 passengers on board. Two cooks, two sailors and nine passengers were killed. The boiler room was put out of action. 

Late in June, Perth operated off Syria against Vichy French forces. It bombarded shore positions and patrolled. 

On 14 February 1942, Perth sailed for Java. It arrived on 24 February at Batavia (Tanjong Priok). It was attacked by Japanese aircraft on 24 and 25 February, but was not damaged. 

During the night of 27 February Perth participated in the Battle of the Java Sea. A 14 ship American, British, Dutch and Australian force engaged Japanese naval forces. Five Allied ships were lost. Perth and USS Houston were lucky to survive.

Loss at the Battle of Sunda Strait

On 28 February Perth received air intelligence of an enemy force sighting. It consisted of 10 transports escorted by two cruisers and three destroyers. They were spotted 50 nm north east of Batavia proceeding on an easterly course. 

According to Lieutenant John Harper RN, Perth’s navigation officer, Captain Hector ML Waller RAN DSO, thought that the Japanese would land at night, east of Batavia. Captain Waller did not think the invasion convoy escort would interfere Perth and Houston’s passage through the Sunda Strait.

Perth led Houston on a course along the Java coast. Perth sighted Babi Island on the starboard beam 1.5 miles distant at 22:45. At that time, the Japanese Western Invasion Convoy had already entered Bantam Bay. 

Perth appears to have been first sighted by Japanese destroyer Fubuki. Fubuki was on patrol north-east of Bantam Bay before the Japanese were spotted by the Allied cruisers. 

At 23:06 a lookout in Perth saw a vessel about five miles off St Nicholas Point. It was a Japanese destroyer, believed to be Harukaze. Perth and Houston immediately engaged it. Soon, other destroyers appeared to the north.

Perth received its first hit at 23:26, its second at 23:32 and a third at 23:50. Lieutenant Peter Hancox RAN reported that ammunition was reduced to a few 6-inch practice shells and some star shells. 

Captain Waller decided to force a passage through Sunda Strait. He ordered full speed and altered course for Toppers Island. Perth had barely steadied on course when it was struck on the starboard side by a torpedo at 00:05. A few minutes later Perth received a second torpedo hit on the starboard side. Captain Waller gave the order to abandon ship. Perth sank at approximately 00:25. It had been hit two more torpedoes–one on its starboard side, the other on the port.

Houston was still fighting although on fire. It was hit by torpedoes and sank shortly after Perth. Fire from Perth and Houston destroyed the Japanese transport Sakura Maru, and three other transports including the headquarters ship Ryujo Maru.

Most of Perth’s crew abandoned ship between the second and third torpedoes. However, it is doubtful if any of the boats successfully launched. During the abandon ship operation, Perth was under fire from several destroyers at close range. Many crew members were killed or wounded in the water by the explosion of the last two torpedoes and by shells exploding in the water.

At the time of its loss, Perth’s ship’s company totalled 681. This included: 

• 671 naval personnel
• six Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) personnel (for operating and servicing the ship's aircraft) 
• four civilian canteen staff.

Its numbers were increased by crew who were to join HMAS Hobart on 24 February, but could not be transferred due to an air raid on Tanjong Priok. 

Casualties included:

• 347 naval personnel (including Captain Waller)
• three RAAF personnel
• three canteen staff.

Four naval personnel are known to have died ashore on Java. A further 106 men died in captivity (105 naval personnel and one RAAF airman). 

Four sailors were recovered from captivity in September 1944 when they were rescued by a United States submarine after the sinking of a Japanese cargo ship. 

After the end of hostilities, another 214 men (211 naval, two RAAF and civilian canteen assistant Alfred Hawkins) were recovered from Japanese prisoner of war camps and repatriated to Australia.

HMAS Perth’s ships’ bells

Perth kept the two original bells from when the cruiser operated as HMS Amphion. The bells were engraved ‘HMAS PERTH 1939’ on the reverse, so they carried the names of both ships.

One bell was salvaged from Perth’s wreck. In the 1980s it was put on display in the foyer of the Perth City Hall. The other bell was retrieved by an Indonesian diving team in 1974. The Indonesian Government presented it to the Australian Government. It was displayed in the Second World War gallery at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

On the 75th anniversary of Perth’s loss, the bell was placed in the forecourt of the Australian War Memorial. There it was rung to honour those who died in the Battle of Sunda Strait.

Read more about Perth’s bells.