It was not at all surprising
that Krait was taken for a Japanese fishing boat for, in fact, that
was exactly what she was. This robust little vessel with its 24
metre long, teak plank, copper-sheathed hull had begun its life
as the Kofuku Maru. Before WWII she operated from Singapore
in the abundant fishing grounds off the Malay and Dutch East Indies
Coast.
When the war in the
Pacific broke out in late 1941 the Kofuku Maru was seized by the
British Government in Singapore and interned. A few weeks before
the colony was occupied by the rapidly advancing Japanese Army early
in 1942 command of the vessel was bestowed upon Bill Reynolds, an
Australian who had lived in Malaya and new the local waters extremely
well.
Reynolds sailed the Kofuku Maru to the
Rhio Archipelago, where she was put to work as a ferry to evacuate
the hordes of refugees fleeing before the Japanese down the Malay
Peninsular. As well as a human ferry she also acted as a guide ship
for all the smaller boats trying to cross the Straits of Malacca.
The Kofuku Maru was more than likely
the only Japanese vessel to be commanded by an Australian during WWII.
She carried out her duties well and under the very noses of the advancing
Japanese. Finally it was time for Bill and his new vessel to flee
also.
Strafed by Japanese fighters she ran
the gauntlet of the Malacca Straits and disappeared into the vast
Indian Ocean. At last the Australian owned Japanese fishing boat made
it to Ceylon, a little battered but still sea worthy. From there she
was sent on to Bombay, India. A name change was now in order so whilst
at Bombay she was given a new name which would forever become part
of Australian Naval history - Krait.
Krait is the name of a tiny but extremely
deadly venomous snake found on the Indian subcontinent. It would become
very appropriate, for like the reptile she was named after; Krait
was able to strike swiftly and surely before her victim realized she
was there.
At this point of time in India a plan
to hit back at the all conquering Japanese was being hatched. This
plan included striking at Japanese shipping at the now occupied island
of Singapore. Being Japanese built and of a type very common in the
waters around the former British Colony, krait seemed the perfect
choice to infiltrate enemy lines. the best starting point for such
an operation was Australia for the approaches to Singapore via Ceylon
or India were heavily patrolled by the Japanese. So it was that bill
Reynolds was ordered to sail Krait on the long and dangerous journey
across the indian Ocean to Fremantle in Western Australia.
After the Singapore raid Krait was sent
to Darwin to join the Lugger Maintenance Patrol of the famous Z Special
Unit. At the end of WWII she was taken over by the occupation authorities
at Labuan Island off British North Borneo and sold to a local trading
company which for the next twenty years used her to haul timber down
the jungle rivers of Borneo.
In 1963 The Krait Committee
was formed in Sydney with the aim of bringing her back to Australia
for permanent preservation. The money was raised with the aid of newspaper
appeals and the like and also as I was a sailor during that time we
received letters onboard from the committee asking the Ship's Company's
of RAN warships to donate to the fund. So it was that in march 1964
a rather battered Krait arrived in Brisbane aboard the P&O ship Nellore.
On ANZAC Day 1964 Krait sailed proudly into Sydney Harbour, to be
escorted down Port Jackson by an armada of small craft. Received by
the State Governor at historic Farm Cove she was dedicated as a floating
war memorial, then presented to the Volunteer Coastal Patrol to use
in training and rescue work. She now resides peacefully at the National
Maritime Museum in Darling Harbour, Sydney. The brave little fishing
boat is now home to stay.
Previous
Page Operation Jaywick
Z Special Unit
Other sections in Gun Plot about Z Special Unit, Krait,
Services Reconnaisance Department (SRD) & Costwatchers
The Coastwatchers In The Pacific - HERE
KRAIT - HERE
SRD - HERE