4 March 1942
The Grimsby-class sloop HMAS Yarra served in the Mediterranean until early December 1941. After the Japanese attacks on British outposts in the Pacific, Yarra and other ships raced back to defend Australia. By the end of January 1942, the British had withdrawn from Malaya and were preparing to defend Singapore.
In early February, a large convoy entered Sunda Strait, bound for Singapore. As the ships approached Singapore, Japanese aircraft attacked the convoy. The escorting warships were:
- HMAS Yarra
- HMS Danae
- HMIS Sutlej.
They fought the enemy off, but the 17,000-ton troopship Empress of Asia was left burning uncontrollably. The escort ships were accompanied by the Australian corvettes HMA Ships Bendigo and Wollongong. They managed to rescue the survivors before the transport sank.
After Singapore fell on 15 February 1942, Yarra continued escort duties from a base in Batavia (Jakarta). This lasted until the Battle of the Java Sea at the end of the month ended any hope of stopping the Japanese advance. Yarra and the Indian sloop HMS Jumna began escorting a convoy to Tjilatjap, but Japanese naval presence in the region was increasing, so the convoy split. Yarra and 3 ships to made for Fremantle, while Jumna took its charges to Colombo.
At sunrise on 4 March, the lookout in Yarra spotted the Imperial Japanese Navy heavy cruisers Atago, Takao, and Maya. The task was hopeless: each of the Japanese ships mounted ten 8-inch guns; Yarra had only three 4-inch guns. Lieutenant Commander Robert Rankin RAN, commanding Yarra, nonetheless ordered the sloop to lay smoke and open fire on the approaching cruisers.
Japanese salvoes struck the 3 convoy ships and Yarra. The convoy ships sank first. Aboard Yarra, an 8-inch salvo killed Rankin and others on the bridge just after he gave the order to abandon ship. The sloop sank soon after 8am.
Days later, on 9 March, the Dutch submarine K11 picked up 13 ratings from Yarra who were drifting on rafts. These men were the only survivors of Yarra’s total complement of 151.
For their extraordinary gallantry in action, the crew of HMAS Yarra (II) were awarded a Unit Citation for Gallantry, the highest Australian award for collective endeavour.