TUG - HMAS FORCEFUL
IN AUSTRALIAN WATERS
DURING WW2

The  115ft. 1 in. long Tug "Forceful", 288 gross tons, was built by Alex Stephen & Son Ltd., Glasgow, Scotland in 1925. In late 1941 the tug "Forceful" together with the tug "Beaver", towed a floating dock to Darwin. On 4 December 1941, Forceful was chartered by the British Government for service in the Middle East. Approval for "Forceful" to leave Australian waters was withdrawn in January 1942 after the Japanese had entered the war.  "Forceful" had actually already just left Fremantle and was ordered to return to port. 

"Forceful" was requisitioned by the Royal Australian Navy on 31 January 1942, an on 16 February 1942 she became known as "HMAS Forceful". She was armed with a 20mm Oerlikon Machine Gun and a .303" Vickers Machine Gun and two PAC projectors. She initially operated out of Fremantle but relocated to Darwin on 20 October 1942.

On 4 November 1942, HMAS Forceful was involved in the rescue of six men from a crashed B-26 Marauder off Cape Helvetius on Bathurst Island. "Forceful" was returned to her owners on 11 October 1943.

"Forceful" is now located at the Queensland Maritime Museum at the South Brisbane Dry Dock adjacent to South Bank parklands.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Paul Clothier for his assistance with this home page.

REFERENCES

"Royal Australia Navy A - Z Ships, Aircraft and Shore Establishments"
by J.H. Straczek

Can anyone help me with more information?

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products

This page first produced 2 January 2002

This page last updated 15 January 2020