SS Centaur
From Our Contribution
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| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | AHS Centaur |
| Owner | Ocean Steamship Company |
| Builder | Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Greenock |
| Launched | 5 Jun 1924 |
| Completed | 29 Aug 1924 |
| Fate | Sunk by Japanese submarine I-177 on 14 May 1943 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 3,222 |
| Length | 96 m (315 ft) |
| Beam | 14.7 m (48 ft) |
| Depth | 6.1 m (20 ft) |
| Propulsion | Single screw |
| Speed | 12.5 knots (23.2 km/h) |
| Capacity | 75 crew, 252 bed patients OR 72 passengers and 450 cattle |
Remarks
Built to operate on the Fremantle to Singapore trade route, which included an ablility to rest on mud flats when the tide was out. It had decks below the water line wider than those above and had a flat bottom, she could simultaneously transport livestock, cargo and passengers. On 26 Nov 1941 she was responsible for 'rescuing' 62 German navy sailors from the Kormoran which had sunk HMAS Sydney seven days earlier, by towing them in small boats behind the ship to Carnarvon, and then onboard with an escort from Carnarvon to Fremantle.
At the beginning of 1943, Centaur was taken over by the Department of Defence for conversion as a hospital ship with the intention of operating between New Guinea ports and Townsville. However, given the number of casualties she undertook the longer voyage to Sydney, requiring further changes which delayed her availability until 12 Mar 1943 when she sailed from Sydney with the 2/12th Australian Field Ambulance personnel board.
In the early morning of 14 May 1943 when off the northern tip of North Stradbroke Island, Queensland, the Centaur was torpedoed, set on fire and was taking on water very quickly, preventing the launch of lifeboats. Many perished immediately, and of the 332 personnel, only 64 were rescued, including only one of the nurses, and one of the doctors. Surviors spent 36 hours in the water using wreckage to stay afloat before being rescued by USS Mugford.