View source for HMAS Kanimbla (C78)

{{other ships|HMAS Kanimbla}}
{{Use Australian English|date=April 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=[[File:Kanimbla at Fremantle C1945.jpg|300px|Kanimbla at Fremantle port, 1945]]
|Ship caption=HMAS ''Kanimbla'' at [[Fremantle Harbour]] 1945
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Ship country=United Kingdom / Australia
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|United Kingdom|naval}}
|Ship name=
|Ship namesake=[[Kanimbla Valley]]
|Ship builder=[[Harland & Wolff]], [[Belfast]]
|Ship original cost=
|Ship yard number=
|Ship way number=
|Ship laid down=July 1933
|Ship launched=15 December 1935
|Ship acquired=
|Ship commissioned=6 September 1939 ([[Royal Navy]])
|Ship recommissioned=1 June 1943 ([[Royal Australian Navy]])
|Ship decommissioned=25 March 1949
|Ship renamed=* ''[[Motor Vessel|MV]] Kanimbla'' (1936–1939)
*HMS ''Kanimbla'' (1939–1943)
*HMAS ''Kanimbla'' (1943–1950)
*''Oriental Queen'' (1961 onwards)
|Ship reclassified=*Passenger vessel (1936–1939)
*Armed merchant cruiser (1939–1943)
*Landing Ship Infantry (1943–1950)
*Passenger vessel (1950 onwards)
|Ship identification=
|Ship motto=
|Ship nickname=
|Ship honours=*'''Battle honours:'''
*[[New Guinea campaign|New Guinea]] 1944
*[[Battle of Leyte Gulf|Leyte Gulf]] 1944
*[[Invasion of Lingayen Gulf|Lingayen Gulf]] 1945
*[[Borneo campaign (1945)|Borneo]] 1945
*[[South West Pacific theatre of World War II|Pacific]] 1945
|Ship fate=Returned to civilian service
|Ship notes=
|Ship badge=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Ship tonnage= {{GRT|10,985}}
|Ship displacement=
|Ship length={{convert|468.8|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{convert|66.3|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship draught={{convert|24.4|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship propulsion=Diesel engines, twin screws. 10,000 horsepower
|Ship speed={{convert|19|kn}}
|Ship capacity=1,380 troops (as landing ship)
|Ship complement=345
|Ship armament=*'''(as merchant cruiser):'''
*7 × 6-inch guns
*2 × 3-inch anti-aircraft guns
*2 × [[Lewis gun|Lewis light machine gun]]s
*'''(as landing ship):'''
*1 × [[QF 4 inch Mk XVI naval gun|4-inch gun]]
*2 × [[Bofors 40 mm Automatic Gun L/60|40mm Bofors]] anti-aircraft guns
*2 × [[QF 2-pounder naval gun|2-pounder]] anti-aircraft guns
*12 × [[20mm Oerlikon]] anti-aircraft guns
|Ship notes=
}}
|}
'''HMAS ''Kanimbla''''' was a passenger ship converted for use as an [[armed merchant cruiser]] and [[landing ship infantry]] during [[World War II]]. Built during the mid-1930s as the passenger liner '''[[Motor Vessel|MV]] ''Kanimbla''''' for [[McIlwraith, McEacharn & Co]], the ship operated in Australian waters until 1939, when she was requisitioned for military service, converted into an [[armed merchant cruiser]], and commissioned in the [[Royal Navy]] as '''HMS ''Kanimbla'''''.

Initially used to board and take control of merchant vessels belonging to [[Occupied Europe]] and operating in Asian waters, ''Kanimbla'' led the raid to capture the Iranian port of [[Bandar Shahpur]] in August 1941, and was present during the covert Japanese midget submarine [[attack on Sydney Harbour]] in 1942. In 1943, the ship was converted into a [[Landing Ship Infantry]], transferred to the [[Royal Australian Navy]], and operated throughout the [[South West Pacific theatre of World War II|South West Pacific Theatre]] until the end of the war.

''Kanimbla'' was decommissioned and returned to her commercial owners in 1950. In 1961, she was sold to the [[Pacific Transport Company]] and renamed '''''Oriental Queen'''''. The ship operated as a liner throughout the Pacific and to Japan until 1973, when she was [[Ship breaking|broken up for scrap]].

==Construction==
[[File:MV Kanimbla.jpg|thumb|MV Kanimbla Mc Ilwraith Mc Eacharn's Line]]
The ship was laid down as motor vessel (MV) ''Kanimbla'' for [[McIlwraith, McEacharn & Co]] by [[Harland & Wolff]], [[Belfast]].<ref name=Bastock215/> She was launched on 15 December 1935 and completed in 1936.<ref>Kanimbla First of Large Fleet of New Aust Vessels ''[[Truck & Bus Transportation]]'' July 1936 page 15</ref><ref>Bastock, ''Australia's Ships of War'', pp. 215–6</ref>

The ship was named for the [[Kanimbla Valley]], west of [[Blackheath, New South Wales|Blackheath]] in the [[Blue Mountains (New South Wales)|Blue Mountains]] in [[New South Wales]].<ref name=Bastock217/> A [[Sydney Harbour]] ferry, launched in 1910 as ''[[Kanimbla (ferry)|Kanimbla]]'' gave up her name to the new larger vessel in 1936, and was renamed ''Kurra-Ba''.

==Operational history==
===Pre-war===
[[File:KANIMBLA off Gabo Island 16 June 1937.jpg|thumb|350px|MV Kanimbla off [[Gabo Island]] 16 June 1937]]
The ship arrived in Melbourne 12 June 1936 and operated a passenger service between [[Cairns]] and [[Fremantle]]. The ship accommodated 203 first class and 198 cabin class passengers. This passenger service continued until the outbreak of World War II.<ref name=Bastock216/>

Kanimbla carried its own broadcast radio station ([[History of broadcasting#Mobile stations|call sign 9MI]]), which broadcast programs to onshore listeners and other ships, as it passed along the coastline. It broadcast on [[Shortwave radio|short wave]], but sometimes its programs were relayed by onshore [[medium wave]] stations. It was conducted entirely by Eileen Foley. It broadcast between 1936 and 1939.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=McIlwainne|first=John|date=April 2021|title=Looking Back: The Great White Train|journal=Radio Waves|publisher=Historical Radio Society of Australia|issue=156|pages=7}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=A.W.A. Broadcasting Station 9MI (M/V KANIMBLA)|url=https://www.australianotr.com.au/awa-broadcasting-station-9mi-mv-kanimbla.html|access-date=2021-04-15|website=Australian Old Time Radio|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Grace|first=Isabelle|date=12 June 1936|title=First Shipboard Broadcasting Station|url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-676849864/view?sectionId=nla.obj-709095315&partId=nla.obj-676859831#page/n22/mode/1up|journal=Wireless Weekly|volume=27|issue=24|pages=23}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|date=5 April 1939|title=Kanimbla Station|url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-721954461/view?sectionId=nla.obj-723754539&partId=nla.obj-721970181#page/n34/mode/1up|journal=Wireless Weekly|volume=34|issue=2|pages=34}}</ref>

===World War II===
Om 5 September 1939, ''Kanimbla'' was requisitioned for military service, and underwent conversion to an [[armed merchant cruiser]] at [[Fleet Base East|Garden Island]] in [[Sydney]].<ref name=Bastock216>Bastock, ''Australia's Ships of War'', p. 216</ref> She was commissioned into the [[Royal Navy]] as HMS ''Kanimbla'', though with a largely Australian crew, on 6 September 1939.<ref name=Bastock216/> The ship was assigned the [[pennant number]] F23, although this was later changed to C78.<ref name=Bastock217/>

During 1940 and early 1941, ''Kanimbla'' was engaged in patrolling the coasts of Asia and boarding vessels of German or [[occupied Europe]] origin.<ref name=Bastock216/>

On 24 August 1941, as part of the [[Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran]], HMS ''Kanimbla'' carried an amphibious force that captured the port of [[Bandar Shahpur]]. She led seven other vessels, including the gunboat {{HMS|Cockchafer|1915|6}}, the corvette {{HMS|Snapdragon|K10|6}}, the [[naval trawler]] HMT ''Arthur Cavannagh'', the sloop {{HMIS|Lawrence|L83|6}}, an oil rig tugboat, and a [[dhow]]. In addition, ''Kanimbla'' carried 300 [[British Indian Army|Indian Army]] troops, including [[Gurkha]]s and soldiers from 3rd Battalion, [[10th Baluch Regiment]], whose task included securing the railhead, capturing eight Axis merchantmen (including the German cargo ship [[List of Empire ships - K#Empire Kamal|''Hohenfels'']]), two gunboats, and a [[Floating dry dock|floating dock]]. ''Kanimbla'' also provided artillery support with her deck guns.<ref>[http://www.australiansatwar.gov.au/stories/stories_ID=137_war=W2_next=yes.html Australians at War]</ref>

On the night of 31 May 1942, ''Kanimbla'' was one of several Allied vessels located in [[Port Jackson|Sydney Harbour]], during the covert [[Attack on Sydney Harbour|attack by Japanese midget submarines]] .<ref>{{cite book |last=Jenkins |first=David |title=Battle Surface! Japan's Submarine War Against Australia 1942–44 |year=1992 |publisher=Random House Australia |location=Milsons Point |isbn=0-09-182638-1 |pages=193–194}}</ref>

She arrived back in Sydney on 2 April 1943, was converted to a [[Landing Ship Infantry]] (LSI) and commissioned into the [[Royal Australian Navy]] as HMAS ''Kanimbla'' on 1 June 1943.<ref name=RAN>{{cite web |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/hmas-kanimbla-i |title=HMAS Kanimbla (I) |work=Ship Histories |publisher=Royal Australian Navy |access-date=16 June 2015}}</ref> She received the pennant number C78.<ref name=Bastock217>Bastock, ''Australia's Ships of War'', p. 217</ref> In this configuration, she could carry 1,280 troops, and carried up to 22 [[Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel|LCVPs]], plus two [[Landing Craft Mechanised]].<ref name=Bastock215>Bastock, ''Australia's Ships of War'', p. 215</ref>

The ship earned five [[battle honour]]s for her wartime service: "New Guinea 1944", "Leyte Gulf 1944", "Lingayen Gulf 1945", "Borneo 1945", and "Pacific 1945".<ref name=newhonours>{{cite news |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/Navy_Marks_109th_Birthday_With_Historic_Changes_To_Battle_Honours |title=Navy Marks 109th Birthday With Historic Changes To Battle Honours |date=1 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110613184920/http://www.navy.gov.au/Navy_Marks_109th_Birthday_With_Historic_Changes_To_Battle_Honours |archive-date=13 June 2011 |publisher=Royal Australian Navy |access-date=23 December 2012}}</ref><ref name=honourslist>{{cite web |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/w/images/Units_entitlement_list.pdf |title=Royal Australian Navy Ship/Unit Battle Honours |date=1 March 2010 |publisher=Royal Australian Navy |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614064156/http://www.navy.gov.au/w/images/Units_entitlement_list.pdf |archive-date=14 June 2011 |access-date=23 December 2012}}</ref>

===Post-war===
''Kanimbla'' paid off at Sydney on 25 March 1949 and was returned to her owners on 13 December 1950 after being converted back by the [[Cockatoo Docks & Engineering Company]]<ref name=RAN/><ref>[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/25168190 The Kanimbla Returns to Service] ''Avon Argus & Cunderdin-Meckering-Tammin Mail'' 28 December 1950 page 2</ref> with the ship subsequently bringing European migrants to Australia and later taking Australian tourists to Japan and other parts of Asia.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://collections.anmm.gov.au/objects/197157|title = Maintenance &#124; the Collection &#124; Australian National Maritime Museum}}</ref>  In 1961, the ship was sold to the [[Pacific Transport Company]] and renamed ''Oriental Queen''.<ref name=RAN/> For the next three years, the ship was chartered to transport pilgrims between Indonesia and [[Jeddah]].<ref name=RAN/> In 1964, ''Oriental Queen'' was chartered by a Japanese shipping company and served as a liner on the [[Yokohama]] – [[Guam]] route.<ref name=RAN/> The vessel was later sold outright to the Japanese charterer.<ref name=RAN/> ''Oriental Queen''{{'}}s career ended in 1973, with the ship's sale to Taiwanese [[Ship breaking|breakers]] for scrapping.<ref name=RAN/>

== Legacy ==
The suburb of [[Kanimbla, Queensland|Kanimbla]] in Cairns was named after the ship.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.queenslandplaces.com.au/cairns-suburbs|title=Cairns Suburbs|publisher=[[University of Queensland]] Centre for the Government of Queensland|access-date=30 July 2017}}</ref>

==Citations==
{{reflist}}

==References==
*{{cite book |last=Bastock |first=John |title=Australia's Ships of War |year=1975 |publisher=Angus and Robertson |location=Cremorne, NSW |isbn=0207129274 |oclc=2525523}}
*{{cite book |last1=Cannon |first1=Peter |title=Warship 2019 |date=2019 |publisher=Osprey Publishing |location=Oxford, UK |isbn=978-1-4728-3595-6 |pages=8–28 |editor1-last=Jordan |editor1-first=John |chapter=Armed Merchant Cruiser: The Conversion of HMS ''Kanimbla'', 1939}}
*{{cite book |title=Cruising Ships |first1=W.H. |last1=Mitchell |first2=L.A. |last2=Sawyer |publisher=Doubleday |year=1967 }}<!-- This source is not inline-cited in the text-->
*{{cite book|last1=Osborne|first1=Richard|last2=Spong|first2=Harry|last3=Grover|first3=Tom|title=Armed Merchant Cruisers 1878–1945|year=2007|publisher=World Warship Society|location=Windsor, UK|isbn=978-0-9543310-8-5|name-list-style=amp}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|IMO 5264936}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20171006073525/https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/35481/supplement/1106 Mentioned in dispatches] ''[[London Gazette]]'' 6 March 1942
*[http://www.uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/3356.html HMS Kanimbla at uboat.net]

{{RAN amphibious warfare ships}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kanimbla}}
[[Category:Amphibious warfare vessels of the Royal Australian Navy]]
[[Category:World War II Auxiliary cruisers of the Royal Navy]]
[[Category:Ships built in Belfast]]
[[Category:1935 ships]]
[[Category:Ships built by Harland and Wolff]]