AHS Centaur
Encyclopedia
Australian Hospital Ship (AHS) Centaur was a hospital ship
which was attacked and sunk by a Japanese submarine off the coast of Queensland
, Australia
, on 14 May 1943. Of the 332 medical personnel and civilian crew aboard, 268 were killed.
The Scottish-built vessel was launched in 1924 as a combination passenger liner/freighter and operated a trade route between Western Australia and Singapore via Indonesia, carrying passengers, cargo, and livestock. Centaur served in both civilian and military capabilities during her career, and she was involved in recovering German survivors of the engagement between Kormoran and HMAS Sydney.
Following her early-1943 conversion to a hospital ship, Centaur served as a medical transport between New Guinea
and Australia. Before dawn on 14 May 1943, while on her second voyage, Centaur was torpedoed and sunk by a Japanese submarine off North Stradbroke Island
, Queensland. The majority of the 332 aboard died in the attack; the 64 survivors had to wait for 36 hours before they were rescued. The attack resulted in public outrage as it was considered to be a war crime
. Protests were made by the Australian and British governments to Japan and efforts were made to discover the people responsible so they could be tried at a war crimes tribunal. Despite this, it was not until the 1970s that identity of the attacking submarine, |chapter=Appendix V |chapterurl=http://www.navy.gov.au/w/images/PIAMA15_appendices.pdf |accessdate=2 June 2009}}
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Hospital ship
A hospital ship is a ship designated for primary function as a floating medical treatment facility or hospital; most are operated by the military forces of various countries, as they are intended to be used in or near war zones....
which was attacked and sunk by a Japanese submarine off the coast of Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, on 14 May 1943. Of the 332 medical personnel and civilian crew aboard, 268 were killed.
The Scottish-built vessel was launched in 1924 as a combination passenger liner/freighter and operated a trade route between Western Australia and Singapore via Indonesia, carrying passengers, cargo, and livestock. Centaur served in both civilian and military capabilities during her career, and she was involved in recovering German survivors of the engagement between Kormoran and HMAS Sydney.
Following her early-1943 conversion to a hospital ship, Centaur served as a medical transport between New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
and Australia. Before dawn on 14 May 1943, while on her second voyage, Centaur was torpedoed and sunk by a Japanese submarine off North Stradbroke Island
North Stradbroke Island
North Stradbroke Island is an Australian island in the state of Queensland, 30 km southeast of the capital Brisbane. Before 1896 the island was part of the Stradbroke Island. In that year a storm separated it from South Stradbroke Island, forming the Jumpinpin Channel. It is known...
, Queensland. The majority of the 332 aboard died in the attack; the 64 survivors had to wait for 36 hours before they were rescued. The attack resulted in public outrage as it was considered to be a war crime
War crime
War crimes are serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict giving rise to individual criminal responsibility...
. Protests were made by the Australian and British governments to Japan and efforts were made to discover the people responsible so they could be tried at a war crimes tribunal. Despite this, it was not until the 1970s that identity of the attacking submarine, |chapter=Appendix V |chapterurl=http://www.navy.gov.au/w/images/PIAMA15_appendices.pdf |accessdate=2 June 2009}}
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External links and further reading
- Centaur Personnel – List of personnel aboard AHS Centaur at the time of the sinking
- Hospital Ship Mystery – Find the Centaur – Collection of news articles from The Courier-MailThe Courier-MailThe Courier-Mail is a daily newspaper published in Brisbane, Australia. Owned by News Limited, it is published daily from Monday to Saturday in tabloid format. Its editorial offices are located at Bowen Hills, in Brisbane's inner northern suburbs, and it is printed at Murarrie, in Brisbane's...
relating to the hospital ship and the leadup to the December 2009 search - Search diary – Search for AHS Centaur - David Mearns' daily reports on the progress of the 2009 search
- Two-part article by Trevor Jackson on diving the assumed wreck of AHS Centaur
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