Fleet Ledger

Naval wars from the age of sail to the present day

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Sinking of Parramatta

Sinking of Parramatta

27 November 1941, Off Tobruk, Libya

German success; Parramatta sunk

While the Eighth Army fought to relieve Tobruk in Operation Crusader, the sloop Parramatta and the destroyer Avon Vale were escorting the ammunition ship Hanne towards the port. Shortly after midnight on 27 November U-559, under Hans Heidtmann, hit Parramatta with a single torpedo. Her captain had time only to order her abandoned before she rolled over and sank. Of the 162 men aboard, 24 were saved.

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AWM caption : "AERIAL PORT SIDE VIEW OF THE SLOOP HMAS PARRAMATTA (II). NOTE THE 4 INCH MARK XVI GUNS IN A TWIN MARK XIX MOUNTING FORWARD AND A SINGLE MARK XX AFT. A QUADRUPLE .5 INCH AA MACHINE GUN IS MOUNTED IN B POSITION. FIRE CONTROL WAS PROVIDED THE HIGH ANGLE CONTROL SYSTEM SITED BEHIND THE BR Image: photographer not identified, Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Britain + Australia

2 ships, 1 lost

Royal Navy

1 ship, none lost

Flotillas and other craftNumberLost

Hunt-class destroyer

Avon Vale, which picked up the survivors.

10

Royal Australian Navy

1 ship, 1 lost

ShipTypeOutcome
HMAS Parramatta

138 killed

Sloop

Grimsby class

Sunk

Kriegsmarine (Germany)

1 ship, none lost

ShipTypeOutcome
U-559

Hans Heidtmann

Submarine

Type VIIC class

Survived

Map