[Swagman]

Brave sailors recalled

HMAS Yarra sunk 4 March 1942 - 65th commemoration

From Ahoy - Mac's Web Log

With the bright dawning of sunrise on the morning of the 4th. of March (1942) the top masts of a Japanese Naval Squadron was visible approaching from the north north east. It was Admiral Kondo with three heavy cruisers, Atago, Takao, and Mayo, each mounting 10 by 8 inch guns, and two destroyers Arashi and Nowaki. The destroyers alone would have coped with the tiny Yarra, and her 3 by 4 inch guns.

To quote from Gill 's Royal Australian Navy 1939-42,

"Yarra's clanging alarm rattlers struck a chill to the hearts of men who were hoping to be in Australia within four days."

Rankin sent off an enemy sighting report, told his charges to scatter, made smoke in an attempt to allow the convoy to escape, and turned his ship to face an impossible task, 3 heavy cruisers and 2 destroyers versus one puny sloop.

There was no way any of the Allied ships were going to escape! The cruisers opened fire beyond the range of Yarra's 4 inch guns, Asking was sunk within 10 minutes, losing an officer and 25 sailors.

The crew of MMS NO. 51 scuttled and abandoned ship, which soon sank. Francol stayed afloat for an hour until 0730 ( 7.30 AM ) Yarra kept on firing although her engine room and steering were destroyed, she was listing to port and the Captain ordered "Abandon Ship." only a few minutes before an 8 inch shell destroyed the bridge, killing Rankin.

The little Sloop was blasted from the ocean, by shells, and bombs dropped from the Cruiser's aircraft, at 0800 ( 8 AM ) Yarra gave up and slipped beneath the waves. Leading Seaman Ronald Taylor ignoring his Captain's command to "Abandon Ship" kept firing his 4 inch gun as his ship sank beneath him.

Aboard the Japanese cruiser Maya, some survivors of HMS Stronghold, sunk two days earlier, watched in horror as Yarra was battered to death, one of them reported:-

" Yarra was the only ship left afloat, the two destroyers were circling her, she appeared to be stationary, and were pouring fire into her. She was still firing back, we could see odd gun flashes....the last we saw of Yarra was a high column of smoke, but we were vividly impressed by her fight."

The gun flashes observed must have come from Taylor, still manning his 4 inch mounting.

From Yarra's crew of 151, only 34 survivors were still alive on two rafts. The Japanese force now made off to the north, picking up one boatload of survivors from Francol, a pasing Dutch vessel Tawali, rescued 57 officers and men from Anking, but missed seeing another 14 in two carley floats from MMS No.51, but on the 7th. of March they were lucky to be picked up by the Dutch steamer Tjimanoek.

The Yarra survivors were not so lucky, they were missed, their two rafts drifting at the mercy of the ocean currents prevailing, wounds, exposure and thirst taking their toll. By the 9th. of March, when the Dutch Submarine K11 found them, only 13 of the 34 were still alive. A large boatload of survivors from Francol were never seen again.

The Captain of Yarra and all his officers perished, either in the action, or died later on the rafts.

Lieutenant Commander Rankin and most of his crew died trying to defend their convoy, they made no attempt to try and escape themselves.

There have been 1354 recipients of the Victoria Cross (by British & Commonwealth service personnel) since its inception in 1856 through the Falklands War in 1981. For reasons known only within the respective British and Australian naval bureaucracies, no Australian sailor has ever been awarded the Victoria Cross, but surely the actions of Lieutenant Commander Rankin and Acting Leading Seaman Ron (Buck)Taylor in the face of impossible odds should have seen the first VC's awarded in the RAN.

Lt Comm Rankin has recently had a Submarine named after him (HMAS Rankin) however to my knowledge 18 year old 'Buck' Taylor received no significant decoration

[Maxim Litvinov]

The Falklands War was in 1982.

[imagicnation]

but surely the actions of Lieutenant Commander Rankin and Acting Leading Seaman Ron (Buck)Taylor in the face of impossible odds should have seen the first VC's awarded in the RAN.

It's probably because the British didn't want to give it to someone who:
a)Died
or
b) Didn't make much of a difference in the battle, as in, the ship was still sunk, it's not like they were able to sink 5 of the Jap ships or anything.

[soron]

Didn't make much of a difference in the battle, as in, the ship was still sunk, it's not like they were able to sink 5 of the Jap ships or anything.

Then again, who says you have to succeed ? A valiant sacrifice might be regarded just as highly. For example the American Kidd class destroyers are often referred to as "Dead Admiral" class.
The "Dead Admirals" nickname came about because of the USN admirals for whom they are named, all of whom died in combat in the Pacific in World War II.

Funny thing, considering that, on the other hand, there hasn't been a USS Chesapeak ever since a ship of that name was lost to the Brits in 1813.

[Spin]

a)Died

Both Falklands War VCs were posthumous. There is/was never any problem with posthumous awards.

It was probably because they didn't really affect the battle. But surely some sort of medal ought to have been awarded.

[Swagman]

My theory is that it is just a technicality.

Lieutenant Commander Rankin only did what any RN officer would have been expected to do in such circumstances and therefore the act was not considered remarkable.

Acting Leading Seaman Taylor in actuality disobeyed an order from his Captain to "abandon ship" and is therefore guilty of a serious offence given that the ship was in action.

At the commemoration Vice Admiral Russ Shalders said "Leading Seaman Taylor made his choice -- and he died at his gun," which maybe backs this view?

[imagicnation]

And so you didn't say that first thing first, why?

[Swagman]

Because,...'Y' is a crooked letter...and you can't straighten it....