An Annual Event Hosted by The

An annual event hosted by the

NEDLANDS YACHT CLUB

PREVIOUS WINNERS

YEARBOAT NAMECLASSSKIPPER

1981Just PennySignetBrian Kerman

1982Chalewa TuSignetBert Pielage

1983Mucky DuckFlying AntMark Beissel

1984Good IdeaMirrorT.Leahy

1985Mucky DuckFlying AntDavid Bramley

1986Heather TwoFlying AntRichard Gee

1987StubbyMirrorAndrew Candy

1988OutrageManly JuniorEdward Bannerman

1989Rip OffManly JuniorKim Case

1990Limited StopsFlying IIK. Kullman

1991OutrageManly JuniorKim Mullaley

1992VenomManly JuniorMatthew Fry

1993WindriderJDBen Mawson

1994HornetMirrorN. Ellement

1995Patrol BoatsJay DeeMark O`Malley

1996Commander Jay DeeSam Gill

1997OutrageManly JuniorC. Gabriels

1998CommanderJayDeeH Mahar

1999Terminator 11Jay DeeB. Powel

2000StingrayMirrorT Mirsky

2001Batteries not includedJay DeeC Spargo

2002Electric FerretManly JuniorR McPharlin

2003Electric FerretManly JuniorR McPharlin

2004Fast n FuriousJay DeeS. Vance

ABOUT THIS REGATTA

When she was sunk in the Battle of Sunda Strait, on the 1st March 1942, HMAS Perth had a total complement of 682 officers and men.

Three hundred and fifty three were killed during the action. Some of the remaining 329 were picked from the sea by Japanese ships, some made the shores of Java or Sumatra on rafts or lifeboats - but eventually all were made prisoners by the Japanese, many serving time as slave labour on the notorious Burma-Thailand Railway. One hundred died whilst in captivity. Two hundred and twenty nine survived to return to Australia. Nine of the survivors are living in WA in 2004.

Nedlands Yacht Club hosts the HMAS Perth Memorial Regatta in February each year to assist these survivors honour the memory of their ship and shipmates including Captain Hector Waller.

This unique Regatta provides a chance for all who enjoy the freedom of sailing for pleasure on the Swan River today the opportunity to contribute to a memorable day for these WA survivors; and show our respect and appreciation for services and sacrifices they made as young sailors.

“Let us give Honour where Honour is due; Lest we Forget”

Launch at Portsmouth

HMAS Perth was launched at Portsmouth in January 1934 and subsequently commissioned in the Royal Navy as HMS Amphion in June1936. After service in South Africa the ship returned to Portsmouth for a refit to modernise her anti-aircraft guns and was purchased by the Australian Government and renamed HMAS Perth on 10th July 1939.

The vessel started service under the Australian Flag on 26th July 1939, sailing first to New York and then the West Indies, operating from a base in Kingston, Jamaica, on patrols and Atlantic Convoy escorts. In March 1940, HMAS Perth sailed for Australia via the Panama canal arriving in Sydney on 31st March 1940 and for the next nine months was on patrol and convoy escort duties, mainly in Australian waters.

In December 1940 - after an escort terminating in Colombo, Sri Lanka – the ship sailed for the Mediterranean and after escort duties along the NE coast of Africa, passed through the Suez Canal to reach Alexandria on 1st January 1941.

She took part in the evacuations of Crete and Greece; saw action off the coasts of Syria and Tripoli; escorted Malta Convoys suffering damage in a severe air blitz whilst in port at Malta; and played a major role in the Battle of Cape Matapan in the Ionian Sea, in which the Italian Navy suffered substantial losses.

Captain Waller takes Command

In July 1941, HMAS Perth was ordered to return to Australia for a refit. During the refit Captain Sir Phillip Bowyer-Smyth relinquished command and Captain Hector M.L. Waller, DSO, RAN, assumed command on 24th October 1941. Six weeks later, in early December 1941, Japan invaded Malaya and Thailand and devastated the US Fleet in Pearl Harbour bringing WW2 close to Australia.

During December 1941 and January 1942 HMAS Perth engaged with other Australian, New Zealand and Free French ships in patrols and escorts along the east coast of Australia and beyond to New Zealand and Fiji. These duties included escorting Australian troops to Port Moresby and US troops en route to Australia..

In early February 1942 she sailed for Fremantle and after the fall of Singapore on 15th, was ordered to join a combined American, British, Dutch and Australian naval force (ABDAFLOAT) organised for the defence of Java.

On 25th February 1942 at 1500 hrs HMAS Perth proceeded east from Tanjong Priok joining the Eastern Force to counter a large Japanese invasion fleet advancing from the east. The allied fleet comprised: HMAS Perth; a British cruiser; two Dutch cruisers; the USS cruiser Houston; and nine destroyers.

On 27th February 1942 the allied force engaged the Japanese fleet in the Battle of the Java Sea which continued from late afternoon until midnight when only HMAS Perth, USS Houston and four US destroyers remained operational.

Continuous Action

Captain Waller, the most senior officer surviving, ordered the surviving ships to disengage and after a feint to the SE, lead USS Houston for Tanjong Priok for refuelling and more ammunition arriving about 14:30 hrs on 28th February 1942.

The refuelling depot had been largely destroyed by air-raids and there was only sufficient supplies available to refuel HMAS Perth to 50 per cent capacity. During refuelling the port was subject to another air-raid and HMAS Perth and USS Houston set sail intending to exit the Java Sea via the Sunda Strait. By this time, the crews had been in continuous action for three days and were near exhaustion.

The protective minefields around the port were cleared about 21:00 hrs. Two hours later at 23:05 hrs an enemy destroyer was sighted and engaged.

More enemy ships were sighted and it became apparent the two allied cruisers had run smack into the main Japanese landing force of about 60 loaded transports; an aircraft carrier; seven cruisers and at least 20 destroyers en route to invade Java.

Fight for Life

A violent and confused battle action followed with both HMAS Perth and USS Houston moving independently at 20 knots in the middle of the invasion fleet avoiding enemy torpedoes and fighting for their lives. HMAS Perth was hit by three shells between 23:26 hrs and 23:50 hrs on 28th Feb. when Captain Waller, having inflicted damage to the enemy ships, made the attempt to head direct for the Sunda Strait at 28 knots.

The first torpedo struck 15 minutes later at 00:05 hrs on 1st March and a second torpedo a few minutes later when the order was given to abandon ship. Ten minutes after the first torpedo a third and shortly thereafter a fourth torpedo struck the ship, she heeled over and sank about 00:25 hrs on 1st March 1942.

The US Houston, already on fire, was hit by several torpedos from short range and sank shortly after.

The remains of HMAS Perth were located by diver Dave Burchell in 1967, 200 ft below the surface near Sunda Strait. The USS Houston remains were located in 1973, about 1 mile from HMAS Perth.