HMAS Vampire (D68)
| Navy: | Royal Australian Navy |
| Type: | Destroyer |
| Class: | Admiralty V & W Destroyer |
| Pennant: | D 68 |
| Built by: | J. S. White & Co. (Cowes, U.K.) |
| Laid down: | 10 Oct, 1916 |
| Launched: | 21 May, 1917 |
| Commissioned: | 11 Oct, 1933 |
| Complement: | 134 |
| Lost: | 9 Apr,1942 (Cdr.W.T.A.Moran, RAN.)(c7-30'N, 82-00'E) Indian Ocean off south east coast of
Ceylon was sunk by Japanese aircraft bombs east of Ceylon while
escorting HMS Hermes. Immediately the carrier vanished(sank) the dive
bombers turned their attention to VAMPIRE. Fighting back she shot down at
least one of the Japanese aircraft before she broke in half and sank in
less than ten minutes. Nineteen officers and 288 ratings of HMS Hermes were
lost. Also the Commanding Officer and eight ratings of VAMPIRE were lost or died of wounds. Some 600 were rescued by the hospital ship VITA, others were picked up by local craft and a few swam ashore. |
| History: | Completed as HMS Vampire on 22 September 1917. Transferred to Australia and commissioned into the RAN. on 11 October 1933. |
| Former name: | HMS Vampire |
