HMAS Warrego (D70) - Design and Construction

Design and Construction

Warrego had a displacement of 700 tons, a length overall of 246 feet (75 m), and beam of 24 feet 3.5 inches (7.404 m), and a maximum draught of 8 feet 10 inches (2.69 m). The destroyer was powered by three Yarrow oil-burning boilers connected to Parsons turbines, which delivered 10,000 shaft horsepower to three propeller shafts. Warrego's maximum speed was 26 knots (48 km/h; 30 mph), and she had a cruising speed of 11.5 knots (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph), giving the ship a range of 2,690 nautical miles (4,980 km; 3,100 mi). The ship's company consisted of between 66 and 73 personnel, including five officers.

The destroyer's main armament consisted of a single BL 4-inch Mark VIII naval gun, supplemented by three QF 12 pounder 12 cwt naval guns.She was also fitted with three .303-inch machine guns and three single 18-inch torpedo tubes. Later in Warrego's career, the destroyer was fitted with four chutes and two throwers for depth charges.

Warrego, along with sister ships Yarra and Parramatta, were ordered on 6 February 1909; the first ships to be ordered for the Commonwealth Naval Forces, the post-Federation amalgamation of the Australian colonial navies. Warrego was laid down by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, but when she reached launch condition, the destroyer was disassembled and transported to Australia by ship. She was re-laid at Cockatoo Island Dockyard in December 1910. The reasoning behind this was to raise the standard of the Australian shipbuilding industry by giving Cockatoo Island hands-on experience in warship construction. The destroyer was launched on 4 April 1911 by the wife of George Pearce, the Minister for Defence. Warrego was completed on 1 June 1912, and was commissioned into the RAN that day. The destroyer's name comes from the Warrego River.