Today we put HMAS Warramunga in the spotlight. Renowned for their speed and excellent sea-keeping abilities, she and her sister ships became highly regarded. During the Second World War, Warramunga served in the Pacific region as part of Task Force 74. She was later deployed in the Korean War.
Her three drum boilers supplied steam to Parsons impulse-reaction turbines, which delivered 44,000 shaft horsepower to her propellers. This power enabled her to reach a top speed of 36.5 knots.
She was heavily armed with six 4.7-inch guns mounted in three twin turrets and two 4-inch guns in another twin turret. This main armament was complemented by six 20 mm Oerlikon guns, one quad-barrelled 2-pounder “Pom-Pom,” a quadruple 21-inch torpedo tube set, and a depth charge rail.
During the Korean War, she became more specialized in anti-submarine warfare, with one 4.7-inch twin turret replaced by a Squid anti-submarine mortar. She later became one of the first Australian vessels to serve with the Far East Strategic Reserve before being decommissioned in 1959.
Olivier Goossens
Heart of Oak 
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