FREE CRUISER: THE LIFE AND LOSS OF HMAS AND HER CREW PDF

Mike Carlton | 720 pages | 01 Dec 2011 | Random House Australia | 9781864711332 | English | North Sydney, Australia Cruiser: The Life and Loss of HMAS Perth and Her Crew by Mike Carlton

The lowest-priced item in unused and unworn condition with absolutely no signs of wear. The item may be missing the original packaging such as the original box or bag or tags or in the original packaging but not sealed. The item may be a factory second or a new, unused item with defects or irregularities. See details for description of any imperfections. Some amazing history. Verified purchase: Yes Condition: Pre-owned. Skip to main content. About this product. Make an offer:. Stock photo. New other : Lowest price The lowest-priced item in unused and unworn condition with absolutely no Cruiser: The Life and Loss of HMAS Perth and Her Crew of wear. Excellent condition. There is an inscription on the front facing page as shown in photo, but overall very good Cruiser: The Life and Loss of HMAS Perth and Her Crew new. Most were young - many were still teenagers - from cities and towns, villages and farms across the nation. See all 2 new other listings. Buy It Now. Add to cart. They were nearly lost in a hurricane in the Atlantic. In the Mediterranean in they were bombed by the Luftwaffe and the Italian Air Force for months on end until; ultimately, during the disastrous evacuation of the Australian army from Crete, their ship took a direct hit and thirteen men were killed. Off the. Firing until her ammunition literally ran out, she was sunk with the loss of of her crew, including her much- loved captain and the 's finest fighting sailor, 'Hardover' Hec Waller. Ather men were taken into Japanese captivity, most to become slave labourers in the infinite hell of the Burma-Thai railway. Many died there, victims of unspeakable atrocity. Only men, less than a third of her crew, survived to return home at war's end. Cruiser is their story. And the story of those who loved them and waited for them. Mike Carlton is one of Australia's best-known broadcasters and journalists. In a year career, he has been a radio and television news and current affairs reporter, foreign correspondent, radio host and newspaper columnist. Mike turned to talk radio infirst at Sydney's 2GB, and then for four years in London at Newstalk Mike has had a life-long passion for naval history. Show more Show less. Pre-owned Pre-owned. See all 8 - All listings for this product. Ratings and reviews Write a review. Most relevant reviews. Peterson Paperback 4. Van der Kolk Paperback, 4. Save on Non-Fiction Books Trending price is based on prices over last 90 days. You may also like. Life Sciences Books s. Perth Books. Perth Paperback Books. Weight Loss Weight Loss Books. Perth Non-Fiction Books in English. Marine Life Books. This item doesn't belong on this page. HMAS Perth (D29) - Wikipedia

Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Want to Read saving…. Want to Read Currently Reading Read. Other editions. Enlarge cover. Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Open Preview See a Problem? Details if other :. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Return to Book Page. Preview — Cruiser by Mike Carlton. This book tells their story. Get A Copy. Hardcoverpages. More Details Other Editions 4. Friend Reviews. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other Cruiser: The Life and Loss of HMAS Perth and Her Crew questions about Cruiserplease sign up. Lists with This Book. This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Community Reviews. Showing Average rating 4. Rating details. More filters. Sort order. Most were young, many were still teenagers. During the evacuation of the Australian Amy from Crete, the ship took a direct hit and thirteen men were killed. Off the coast of in Marchshe met an overwhelming enemy naval force. She fired until her ammunition ran out, and then she was sunk. Just over half of them - - were lost with the ship or in the struggle to stay afloat afterwards. Only men survived to return home at the end of the war. A direct hit by a bomb, dropped by an unseen aircraft, killed thirteen men four sailors and nine of the troops being evacuated from Crete. First the Perth and then the Houston succumbed to the overwhelming enemy firepower. And, almost 70 years after 1 Marchthere are few survivors left to provide their first-hand accounts. The death of her sister Sydney took a higher toll, of men killed, but the story of Perth is unique and hallowed because she fought to the last in a battle she could never have won and because so many of her crew survived the brutality of Japanese imprisonment to tell that story. It is a moving account of tragic and heroic events. The voices of the men who served on the HMAS Perth and the history of events are well presented in Mike Carlton's book, and there are extensive notes on sources for those who want to know more. I was moved by this book, and recommend it highly. Jennifer Cameron-Smith Jan 23, James Yong rated it it was amazing. A well written book about not just the life and loss of the HMAS Perth and her crew but the political climate and circumstances that put her there. A real window into the past. Mike's vivid descriptions have the effect of putting you right in the midst of World War 2. May 07, Cropredy rated it really liked it Shelves: history. It made quite an impression on me furthered by the prohibition on comic books in our household. The doomed Cruiser: The Life and Loss of HMAS Perth and Her Crew run after the disastrous was riveting to my pre-teen mind. Recently, one of my Goodreads "friends" Aussie Rick called my attention to this book. It had very good reviews and, h A long time ago when I was a kid, I had a comic book that featured the Battle of . It had very good reviews and, having grown up reading mostly American-centric WW II histories, an account from the Australian perspective would be welcomed. This book was actually quite good. The author, a journalist, is a very good writer and makes what can be dry unit history into a very interesting story. There are essentially four parts to the book: 1 - The pre-war Australian navy, commissioning of the Perth into the RAN, and staffing of the ship from mostly raw recruits 2 - Service in the European theatre including many air attacks during the Battles for Greece and Crete 3 - Service in the Pacific and ultimate sinking in Sunda Strait and the sruvival stories of the shipwrecked 4 - Stories of captivity including on the "Railway of Death" and finally repatriation of the survivors. The middle two sections were the best because the narrative was tightest - the crew members are all aboard the ship and the ship fought battles. It is a rare book that covers in detail events in the Mediterranean as well as the Pacific. Nevertheless some interesting perspectives in Australian upper command political and military as well as the POW repatriation procedure and experience. I have to give Australian authors credit for not being afraid to include graphic descriptions of sailor's leaves in brothels - something that no doubt happened in all armed forces but often left out of narrative histories. Australian authors also aren't afraid to rightfully toss blame at senior commanders both Aussie and Brit for vanity, idiocy, or cowardice. This makes for a refreshing read. Useful maps, some photos, excellent notes and a well-done epilogue. The author conducted in person interviews with survivors and greatly benefited from numerous first hand published and unpublished accounts. Mar 22, Lawrence rated it really liked it. Most were young—many were still teenagers—from cities and towns, villages and farms across the nation. They were nearly lost in a hurricane in the Atlantic. In the Mediterranean in they were bombed by the Luftwaffe and the Cruiser: The Life and Loss of HMAS Perth and Her Crew Air Force for months on end until, ultimately, during the disastrous evacuation of the Australian army from Crete, their ship took a direct hit and thirteen men were killed. Off the coast of Java in March that year she met an overwhelming enemy naval force. Another men were taken into Japanese captivity, most to become slave labourers in the infinite hell of the Burma-Thai railway. Many died there, victims of unspeakable atrocity. Cruiser, by journalist and broadcaster Mike Carlton, is their story. And the story of those who loved them and waited Cruiser: The Life and Loss of HMAS Perth and Her Crew them. Cruiser: The Life and Loss of HMAS Perth and Her Crew read the Kindle edition - the only downside not unusual for Kindle editions are the relatively Cruiser: The Life and Loss of HMAS Perth and Her Crew photographs. When I picked this book up in my local second hand book store the shiver that went up my spine told me I needed to read it. As one who has served in the and engine rooms of HMA ships I was struck by how close Carlton must have got to men whose stories he told. This is a long book, but not too long. Allow yourself to be immersed in the writing and the stories of gallant men to whom we owe so much and you will not be disappointed. We will remember them. Mar 22, Greg rated it really liked it. Great to revisit this history. We must look at what others had to endure to contribute to the society of today. Recommend to anyone who loves history. Apr 07, Dipra Lahiri rated it it was amazing Shelves:war. A riveting read, with the pace and energy of a thriller. HMAS Perth took part in many Cruiser: The Life and Loss of HMAS Perth and Her Crew across many theaters, but eventually succumbed. The story about her surviving crew is equally absorbing. Sep 16, Danntor rated it really liked it Shelves: military-history. When I purchased this all I thought it would be about the battle of the Sunda Strait but it starts off with the first ships crew manning it for the first time all the way to the men in the POW camps. A very good read, especially if you are an ex or current sailor. Feb 28, Tegan Mahoney rated it it was amazing. I'm not even a fan of military history, but the vivid detail in which Mike describes not only the military aspect of this era but also the general atmosphere at the time is just so alluring. Highly recommend. Dec 11, Andrew Parnell rated it it was amazing. Awesome book well written. May 16, B rated it it was amazing. Excellent can't put down reading. Oct 17, Jason added it. Michael rated it liked it Apr 29, Richard Downer rated it it was amazing May 15, Book about HMAS Perth | Cruiser: The Life and Loss of HMAS Perth and Her Crew Mike Carlton

At the start of World War II in September, the ship patrolled the Western Atlantic and the Caribbean in search of German shipping and escorting convoys for six months before she was ordered home in early The ship continued the same types of duties in Australian waters before she was transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet at the end of Perth then helped to escort numerous convoys to Malta in Cruiser: The Life and Loss of HMAS Perth and Her Crew and played a minor role in the Battle of Cape Matapan in March. She escorted convoys to Greece and Crete and helped to evacuate Allied troops from both places in the face of the victorious Axis forces. The ship was badly damaged by Axis aircraft in May during the evacuation of Crete. After repairs were completed in June, Perth provided naval gunfire support to Allied forces ashore during the Syria-Lebanon Campaign and bombarded Vichy French targets. She returned to Australia in mid and was tasked with the same sorts of missions as she had been performing at the beginning of the war. The ship continued to perform these tasks after the start Cruiser: The Life and Loss of HMAS Perth and Her Crew the in December until she was transferred to the American-British-Dutch-Australian Command in February to help defend the against the Japanese. Perth was not damaged during the Battle of the Java Seabut was torpedoed and sunk by the at the immediately afterwards. Over half her crew was killed in the battle and only about two-thirds of the survivors survived captivity to return home after the war. The ship's wreck was discovered in and was essentially intact; by the wreck had been partially stripped by Indonesian marine salvagers and was in even worse condition four years later. The design of the Leander -class cruisers was adapted for the — Naval Programme to separate their propulsion machinery arranged into separate units. This was intended to improve their survivability as each unit of paired and steam turbines could operate independently and a single hit could not immobilise the ship. This gave her a of 4. The modified Leander s were powered by four Parsons geared turbines, each driving one shaft, using steam provided by four Admiralty 3-drum boilers. For short-range air defence, the ship was fitted with three quadruple mounts for Vickers 0. Most of the armour protecting parts of the ship consisted of non-cemented armour. The sides of the magazines consisted of 3. Amphion was originally ordered for the RN as part of Cruiser: The Life and Loss of HMAS Perth and Her Crew — Naval Programme, but the order was suspended until the design of the Modified Leander class was finished. Amphion was commissioned on 15 June and was completed on 6 July. The base for a rotating aircraft catapult and its associated crane were also installed. Amphion was sold to the RAN and was commissioned into service on 29 June On entry into Australian service, the ship's company stood at 35 officers and ratings. The cause was orders that sailors ashore for shore leave would have to return to the ship at and change from white uniforms to blue uniformsalthough the overall treatment of the sailors by the officers had been an issue since the cruiser was taken over by the RAN. Over 60 sailors gathered on the ship's forecastlewhere they were confronted by officers with side arms the first time RAN officers had been armed to deal with a mutiny and were ordered below decks, but they refused. The 's commanding officer, Captain Harold Farncombnext approached the sailors and informed them that if they did not follow orders to disperse, he would treat their actions as a mutiny. The standoff could be seen from the wharfside, and a heavily armed force from the New York City Police Department was dispatched, but did not intervene. Farncomb successfully defused the situation by making the offer that any sailor wanting to wear blue uniform all day ashore could do so after asking permission; an offer taken up by almost every sailor taking shore leave. The ship was assigned to convoy escort duty and patrols along the Australian coasts in May. During in early Januarythe ship escorted a convoy from Malta to Alexandria along with other elements of the Mediterranean Fleet. The cruiser departed Malta that evening and reached Alexandria on the 18th where she entered the dockyard for temporary repairs. The ship entered the floating drydock on 9 February and remained there for 10 days. During this time, her catapult was removed and replaced by a pair of captured Italian millimetre 0. In addition a non-rotating Type search radar was installed. Arriving there that night, the British ships found that the Italians had reinforced their garrison; after landing the reinforcements, the army commanders decided to evacuate the island as they were outnumbered by the garrison. Beginning on 7 March, Perth supported the Allied reinforcement of Greece by transporting soldiers from Alexandria to along with patrolling the waters between Greece and Crete. On 17—24 March she escorted another convoy to Malta. The troops and refugees were loaded at night to minimise the ability of the Axis forces to interfere with them and the ships had strict orders to depart in time to be well away from the coast by dawn, even if troops remained ashore. He sent a forward to reconnoitre the situation in the port while his other ships remained offshore. When the destroyer reported fighting in the harbour, he decided that it was not worth risking his ships being silhouetted again the fires and explosions in the port and ordered a return to Crete. By the time that the destroyer was able to report that the harbour had been secured, Bowyer-Smyth felt it was too late to return. When the Germans invaded Crete on 20 May, Perth was part of Force C that consisted of two cruisers and four , patrolling in the vicinity of the Kasos Straitnortheast of Crete. The following day they were repeatedly attacked by German and Italian Cruiser: The Life and Loss of HMAS Perth and Her Crew that sank one of the destroyers. Now assigned to Force D, Perth and her consorts intercepted a German invasion convoy of small ships on the morning of the 22nd, escorted by the Italian Sagittario. Perth sank a straggler from another convoy before the main convoy was spotted at The torpedo boat had been trying to collect stragglers and her commander ordered his convoy to disperse while he laid a smokescreen and then engaged the Cruiser: The Life and Loss of HMAS Perth and Her Crew ships with little effect. His diversion and the lack of visibility caused by his smokescreen, coupled with repeated aerial attacks Cruiser: The Life and Loss of HMAS Perth and Her Crew peppered the ships with shrapnel, allowed the convoy to escape with only the loss of two ships. Upon her return to Alexandria, Perth spent a few days under Cruiser: The Life and Loss of HMAS Perth and Her Crew. On the evening of 28 May, the ship was assigned to Force D, three cruisers, three destroyers and a troopshipwhich was sent to evacuate soldiers from Sphakiaa small port on the southern coast of Crete, after their defeat by German paratroopers. Perth carried two small to ferry troops aboard. The Allied ships were not attacked during the following day as they embarked the soldiers and they departed before dawn on the 30th. Beginning at Force D was repeatedly attacked by German aircraft, with Perth suffering several near-misses before being struck by a bomb which exploded in the forward boiler room shortly before with 4 of her sailors and 9 of the 1, embarked soldiers killed. The explosion temporarily knocked out her power and the cruiser came to a halt before it could be restored a half-hour later. It also bent the starboard inner propeller shaft and badly damaged the galleythe high-angle fire-control computerthe Admiralty Fire Control Table for the six-inch guns and started many leaks in the hull plating. The cruiser was able to reach Alexandria the next day and was under repair until 22 June. Perth sailed for HaifaBritish Palestinethree days later to participate in the invasion of Vichy Syria and Lebanon. On the 27th she helped to lay a minefield off Damour and then provided gunfire support to Allied Cruiser: The Life and Loss of HMAS Perth and Her Crew and bombarding Vichy facilities through to the end of the campaign before returning to Alexandria on 15 July. While she was waiting to be relieved by her sister Hobartthe quadruple "pom-pom" and the two Breda guns were removed and her catapult was reinstalled. Perth returned to Australia for permanent repairs, arriving in Sydney on 12 August. The release of her crew for shore leave was delayed by a speech from Menzies that same day that was not well-received. In addition to the required repairs, the Type radar was removed and two quadruple 0. She also probably received four millimetre Oerlikon AA guns in single mounts installed on the superfiring turrets' roofs and in the superstructure near the . Completion of the refit at Cockatoo Island was delayed by a month after a fire melted the electrical cables leading to the director-control tower on the roof of the bridge; on 24 November the ship conducted her full-power sea trials. She arrived at Tanjong PriokJava, on 24 February and was not damaged by a Japanese air raid later in the day. On the evening of the 26th, they sortied in an unsuccessful search for the Japanese ships. The Japanese received reports that the Allied ships were near their planned route at on the 27th. Their cruisers launched floatplanes to confirm these reports and they spotted Doorman's ships heading east at Five minutes later Doorman turned south to refuel in . The Cruiser: The Life and Loss of HMAS Perth and Her Crew observed this turn and they decided to continue with the landing at He reversed course almost immediately intending to attack the convoy. The Japanese floatplanes observed his movements, despite attacks by Allied fighters at andand their report caught the invasion force widely separated as it prepared to conduct the landing that evening. The Allied heavy cruisers returned Nachi ' s fire three minutes later. At Doorman turned slightly southwards to prevent the Japanese from crossing his 'T' and Rear-Admiral Takeo Takagicommander of the invasion escort force, turned slightly away to open up the range as the shooting on both sides had been accurate, although no hits were made. Doorman turned west southwest at Cruiser: The Life and Loss of HMAS Perth and Her Crew better prevent his 'T' from being crossed, a manoeuvre that kept the range too far for the Allied light cruisers to contribute their gunfire. Both Japanese destroyer squadrons were manoeuvring during this time to make torpedo attacks using their powerful Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedoes. Nachi ' s sister Haguro contributed eight torpedoes at at long range, which also missed. About the same time, Doorman turned slightly northwards, closing the range. Atone of Nachi ' s millimetre shells struck Exeterdetonating inside one of her boiler rooms. The shell set the ship on fire and knocked six of her eight boilers offline. The British cruiser fell out of formation and rapidly began to lose speed. The following cruisers assumed that this turn was deliberate and followed Exeter ; once Waller realised that she had been crippled, he ordered Perth to circle her, laying a smokescreen to conceal her. Doorman needed some time to reorganise his forces and ordered Exeter to head back to Surabaya, escorted by the British destroyers and the surviving Dutch destroyer. The remaining ships laid copious amounts of smoke and circled around as the Japanese attempted to sink the crippled ship with torpedoes. The light cruisers were the first to fire at and were followed by the heavy cruisers and the destroyers; a total of 98 torpedoes that all missed. Two of the British destroyers charged through the smoke in an attempt to disrupt the attacks, Electra being sunk in the manoeuvre, and the Allied cruisers took up a course parallel to Exeter ' s. At the American destroyers also charged out of the smoke and fired 24 of their torpedoes at Nachi and Haguroall of which missed. By this time, Takagi could see the lighthouse at Surabaya and he decided to break contact in the gathering darkness lest any of his ships enter a minefield defending the port. Doorman was determined to continue the battle and reversed course at and his ships were spotted on their new course at The Japanese ships were widely dispersed after their attacks and it took Takagi some time to organise Cruiser: The Life and Loss of HMAS Perth and Her Crew. In the meantime, Nishimura ordered the invasion convoy to turn westward at The American destroyers, low on fuel and out of torpedoes, independently decided Cruiser: The Life and Loss of HMAS Perth and Her Crew return to Surabaya at that same time. As Doorman was turning his ships north atJupiter struck a Dutch mine and lost all power before sinking. At Naka ' s floatplane relieved it, but it lost contact with Takagi at which left both sides searching blindly. At Nachi ' s lookouts spotted the Allied cruisers and the sisters manoeuvred to deliver a torpedo attack. Doorman's ships spotted the Japanese cruisers about the same time and they opened fire at The Japanese ships fired a dozen torpedoes at and De Ruyter and Java were each struck by one and sunk. Perth and Houston were the only large Allied ships to survive the battle, and they withdrew to Tanjong Priok afterwards on the morning of 28 February. The two ships attempted to resupply, but fuel shortages meant that Perth could only load half her normal fuel capacity, and a lack of ammunition left her with only the six-inch shells remaining after the previous day. The cruisers and the Dutch destroyer Evertsen were ordered to sail for Tjilatjap via the Sunda Strait that night.