Raaf Boat Thread, Was "SAR Boats - Where Are They Now"

[Luig]

OUTSTANDING Shep, Thanks very much for that search/info. Yes IF we don't learn something new every day.... DID not know that about surface tension.

[Martin Edwards]

I'm glad that you two guys sorted that out.
Sometimes I know something to be true but proving it to the skeptics can be difficult.
Well done.

[Luig]

Your statement needed qualification/context and it has that now.

[Martin Edwards]

Another view of the boats on Ross Creek at Townsville
Photo from Townsville Library
I can think of many a worse way to spend your time.

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[Invader26]

I was OIC boats for a period when based at TVL. A NAVEX to Dip Reef was a great way to spend a day - not to mention great fishing..

[Martin Edwards]

‎Teresa Charchalis‎ to Tea Gardens Hawks Nest Community Noticeboard
#throwbackthursday #historylesson ☺️❤️
This is what your local ferry MV Tea Gardens looked like in 1944. Originally commissioned as a bomb scow for the RAAF Marine Section, she was used to transport munitions to Catalina flying boats. As part of the war effort during WWII, Slazengers (the tennis people) built a shipyard at Putney on the Parramatta River, and went into the ship building game, with local shipwright Bill Fisher overseeing the project. Slazenger’s was the first plant in Australia to use creosote in the construction of timber vessels - a treatment that prevents teredo worm (enemy number one of timber vessels). The hull of MV Tea Gardens was designed for massive tidal variations; it’s made of Australian hardwood and has a very shallow draught (1.6m). When the tide goes out it will sit safely on the bottom without heeling over. The RAAF commissioned Slazengers to build 26 of these bomb scows, though they only completed 16 before the war ended in 1945. A number of scows were sent up to New Guinea, they were also used to transport munitions from Newcastle harbor down to Rathmines on Lake Macquarie. In 1948 she was converted into a ferry by Atlas Engineering, and was purchased by the Port Jackson & Manly Steamship Company. She’s a rustic old thing, but reliable as the day is long. Wishing you a happy and safe Easter, see you on the merry-go-round soon.

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[Martin Edwards]

Same vessel in 2019 Photo Stephen Brown

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[Martin Edwards]

Well Shep, terrific reply as usual.

I bow to your superior knowledge of all naughty things, sorry nautical things and I totally agree with your findings

This thread has just passed its seventh anniversary so I feel time has come for me to put its contents towards the creation of a page dedicated to the RAAF Marine Section.

In an earlier post I had mentioned Slazengers as the builders of the 011 class of boats,
Does your book agree with that?


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[Martin Edwards]

HMAS Air Spray was one of 21 air/sea rescue vessels originally built in the USA and Canada between 1943 and 1945, and transferred to the RAN under the Lend-Lease Agreement. These vessels were originally designed as anti-submarine craft but their high speed and manoeuvrability made them ideal as search and rescue vessels. In this role, their hulls were painted black and their upper decks and superstructure painted bright yellow. One vessel, HMAS Air Sprite, was built locally in 1960 to an almost identical design.
She was transferred to the RAAF in 1949. She was returned to the RAN in 1965 and was listed as a miscellaneous auxiliary allocated to HMAS Cerberus. She was sold on 28 August 1969.

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[Martin Edwards]

Back to bomb scows

RAAF Type 010 Bomb Scow AWM 3878982

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[Martin Edwards]

BRISBANE, QLD. BOMB SCOW, RAAF TYPE 010-, AT TOP SPEED (10 KNOTS BEING ATTAINED IN SMOOTH WATER)

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[Martin Edwards]

Slazengers building boats, that's a bit of a racquet

[Martin Edwards]

OK back to seriousness.
I think that Teresa Charchalis the author of the Tea Gardens post was confused by this listing of RAAF boat types on Wikipedia
Confusingly class 15 was a bomb scow but also included requisitioned vessels and cargo vessels which is what 015-71 was.

This list also helps to understand why there are differences in boats carrying the same prefix such as the 48ft 02-14 and the 63 ft Air View 02-109

Vessel classifications
01 - Armoured Target Launch
02 - Rescue Launches
03 - Torpedo Recovery Launch
04 - Refueling Barge
05 - Refueling Barge
06 - Store Vessels, Large Ketches and Lighters
07 - Small Cabin Launch Tender & General Work Boat
08 - Crash Boat
09 - Aircraft Maintenance Scows
10 - Bomb Scows
11 - Open Hull Work Boat
12 - Whaler
13 - Pulling Dinghy
14 - Sailing Dinghy
15 - Requisitioned Vessels, Cargo Vessels and Bomb Scows
EDIT; This s incorrect it should be 015 Cargo Vessels 56 feet, Gray Marine Diesel 180hp, 8 knots. Used as inter island
cargo boats. Had two masts and sails.
16 - Supply Craft
17 - Work Boat for General Duties
18 - Powered Landing Barge
19 - Small Lighter with a loading Derrick/Dumb Barge
20 - Fire Boat
21 - Refrigerator Freezer Barge

This post has been edited by Martin Edwards on Apr 26 2019, 12:15 PM

[Martin Edwards]

I'm not sure if I would like to be crew on a Class 01 Armoured Target Launch

Description
C.1942. ARMOURED TARGET LAUNCH 01-5, SHOWING HULL AND ARMOUR PLATING. THESE LAUNCHES WERE USED AS TARGETS FOR BOMB AIMING PRACTICE FROM RAAF AIRCRAFT. (DONOR: P. E. ANDREAS)

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[Martin Edwards]

It seems sanity prevailed

C.1942. TARGET LAUNCH 01-6. THIS IS AN ARMOURED TARGET LAUNCH 01-5 MODIFIED. THE ARMOUR HAS BEEN REMOVED AND CABIN CONSTRUCTED. RAAF BOMB AIMING IS DIRECTED AT A SPRAY TARGET TOWED AT SOME DISTANCE BEHIND THE CRAFT. THIS LAUNCH PROVED TO BE MUCH FASTER THAN THE 01-5 AND COULD BE USED SATISFACTORILY AS A CRASH LAUNCH. (DONOR: P. E. ANDREAS)

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[Martin Edwards]

A2-1022 with 016-100 off Newcastle in a photo dated 3rd August 1973.
Photo RAAF Williamtown Official via Kym Manuel collection.

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[Martin Edwards]

This list is from
“MARINE SECTION”
The Forgotten Era of MEN & VESSELS
by Leslie R. Jubbs

Type Description
01. Armoured Target Launch, 40 feet long, three 100hp Meadow engines, 20knots.
Later towed targets on a long cable.
02. Rescue Launches, 46 feet long, Chrysler Royal engines, 17 knots. Some were
armed with machine guns.
Note: The 02. "Air Boats" ASR 63 feet, 33 knots would later be allocated this Type
number.
03. Torpedo Recovery Launch, 60 feet, with three Chrysler Royal Marine engines
giving 12 knots. Also used as A.S.R.
04 Refueling Barge, 2600 gallons
05 Refueling Barges powered by Ford V Eight engines, 38 feet long. 1500 gallons.
06 Motor Lighters, 122 feet, 350 ton displacement, 2 Diesel engines, 9 knots
Note: Large Ketches (06.11 "Yalata", 06.9 "Betty Joan") and large Schooners (06.8
"Wynana" and 06.10 "Ena") would be re-numbered from the 015 Type.
07 Small Cabin Launch Tender & General Work Boat
08 Crash Boat, 38 feet, Chrysler Royal 8 engine 20 knots. Also used to lay
flarepaths and accompany flying boats during take off and landings.
09. Aircraft maintenance Scows, 33 foot long.
010 Bomb Scows, open hull, 32 feet,Chapman 10hp engine or Grey Sea Scout
011 Open Hull Work Boat to ferry Air Crews, as tugs, with a 6 Cylinder Chrysler
engine 25 foot long.
012 Whaler 27-foot long, no engine
013 Pulling Dinghy
014 Sailing Dinghy
015 Cargo Vessels 56 feet, Gray Marine Diesel 180hp, 8 knots. Used as inter island
cargo boats. Had two masts and sails.
016 Supply Craft 60/80 foot with Gardner Diesel
017 Work Boat for General Duties, 40 feet, had Diesel or Petrol engine.
018 Powered Landing Barge, 60 feet, Gray Marine or Ford V 8 engines
019 Small Lighter with a loading Derrick, also a Dumb Barge which had to be towed
020 Fire Boat.
021 Refrigerator Freezer Barge

[Martin Edwards]

Returning to bomb scows for a moment.
This is a photo from the UK however it does show the clearance needed to fit under the wing of flying boat.
In this case loading a 450lb depth charge into a Short Sunderland of No 10 Squadron RAAF at Pembroke Dock, May 1941.

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[Invader26]

Martin's pic of 21st Apr looks like mail bags being loaded into a Dornier DO-24K of 41 Sqn..

[Martin Edwards]

Invader 26 you are absolutely correct

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