1993-PM HMAS Waterhen Commemorative

  • Category
  • Design
    Warships of World War II
  • Year
    1993
  • Mint
    Pobjoy Mint
  • Mintage
    30,000
  • Designer
    Raphael David Maklouf
  • Composition
    Silver (.925)
  • Diameter
    38.61mm
  • Weight
    28.28g

Launched on 26th March 1918 HMAS Waterhen was one of the most formidable destroyers in the Australian Royal Navy. Weighing in at 1,100 tons and bristling with firepower, the Waterhen packed 4 massive 4ft. guns and boasted 5 smaller guns with G 21 inch tubes. Throughout 1941 HMAS Waterhen had helped to keep open the lifeline of supplies to Tobruk. Under the command of Lieutenant Commander J. H. Swain, she was ferrying troops when she was attacked and disabled between 20:05 and 20:29 by German aircraft off Sidibarani in the Eastern Mediterra- nean on 30th June 1941. Whilst being towed to safety by another vessel in the fleet - The Defender - the Waterhen capsized and sunk. But although there were 134 people on board when The Waterhen was this battle-hardened bombed, campaigner of the Australian Royal Navy went down without a single casualty.