HMAS Culgoa

For other ships with the same name, see USS Culgoa.

HMAS Culgoa (K408/F408/A256), named for the Culgoa River, was a Modified River (or Bay)-class frigate that served in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

Culgoa on Port Phillip in April 1947 shortly after commissioning
History
Australia
Namesake	Culgoa River
Builder	Williamstown Dockyard, Melbourne
Laid down	15 July 1943
Launched	22 September 1945
Completed	24 December 1946
Commissioned	1 April 1947
Decommissioned	15 April 1954
Honours & awards	Battle honours: Korea 1953
Fate	Sold for scrap in 1972
General characteristics
Class & type	Modified River (or Bay)-class frigate
Displacement	1,537 tons (standard), 2,200 tons (full load)
Length	301 ft (92 m)
Beam	36 ft (11 m)
Draught	12 ft (3.7 m)
Propulsion	Triple expansion, 2 shafts, 5,500 ihp (4,100 kW)
Speed	19.5 knots (36.1 km/h; 22.4 mph)
Complement	175
Armament	4 × 4-inch guns 3 × 40 mm Bofors 4 × 20 mm Oerlikons 1 × Hedgehog 4 × depth charge Throwers

Construction

Culgoa was laid down by Williamstown Dockyard, Melbourne on 15 July 1943, launched on 22 September 1945 by Mrs. Showers, wife of the Second Naval Member of the Australian Commonwealth Naval Board and completed on 24 December 1946. She was immediately placed in reserve until her commissioning on 1 April 1947.^[1]

Operational history

Culgoa served in the Korean War.^[1] She received the battle honour "Korea 1953" for this deployment.^[2]

Decommissioning and fate

Culgoa paid off into reserve on 15 April 1954, and used as an accommodation ship by personnel at HMAS Waterhen until she was sold for scrap to NW Kennedy of Vancouver, Canada on 15 February 1972.^[1] Culgoa left Sydney under tow for Taiwan in March 1972.^[1]