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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

HMAS Sprightly (A203)
ex
 HMRT Sprightly (W103)

BAT-12

BAT-12 transferred to the Royal Navy in 1942, transferred to Australia in 1944
Favourite Class Rescue Tug:
  • Laid down, 17 June 1942, as Levingston Hull 249, at Levingston Shipbuilding Co., Orange, TX.
  • Launched, 7 August 1942
  • Delivered to the U.S. Navy and transferred to Great Britain, 23 November 1942, under terms of the Lend Lease Act.
  • Commissioned into the Royal Navy as His Majesty's Rescue Tug HMRT Sprightly (W103)
  • Transferred to the Commonwealth of Australia Salvage Board, 23 February 1944
  • Commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy as HMAS Sprightly (A203)
  • Returned to US custody, 2 September 1945, simultaneously Lend Lease to Australia
  • Paid off by Australia (decommissioned) 23 February 1946
  • Returned to U.S. custody, 2 August 1948
  • Sold by the U.S. Maritime Commission Foreign Liquidation Sales, 2 August 1948, to Australia
  • Recommissioned by Australia, 23 November 1952
  • Paid off by Australia, 31 March 1958
  • Leased commercial, 1961-3
  • Sold by the Royal Australian Navy, 29 August 1969
  • Placed in service as the Oceanographic Research Ship Sprightly in 1973
  • Final Disposition, scrapped in 1992
    Specifications:
    Displacement 835 t.(fl)
    Length 143'
    Beam 33' 10" (extreme)
    Draft 13' 2" (limiting)
    Speed 13 kts. (trial)
    Complement
    5 Officers
    40 Enlisted
    Largest Boom Capacity 4 t.
    Armament
    one 3"/50 dual purpose gun mount
    two 20mm single gun mounts
    Fuel Capacity
    Diesel 1300 Bbls
    Propulsion
    one General Motors Diesel-electric model 12-278A
    single Fairbanks Morse Main Reduction Gear
    Ship's Service Generators
    one Diesel-drive 60Kw 120V D.C.
    one Diesel-drive 30Kw 120V D.C.
    single propeller, 1,500shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    BAT-12 302k HMAS Sprightly (A203) underway in November 1956, location unknown.
    Photo for the collection of Graeme Andrews, RAN 1955-1968, RANR 1980.    		 Robert Hurst
    BAT-12
    0940b1202    		 129k HMAS Sprightly (A203) in port, Melboune, Australia during World War II, circa 1944-1945.
    Photo from www.flickriver.com by gorgs8    		 John Spivey
    BAT-12
    0940b1203    		 159k Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) research vessel RV Sprightly (Ex-HMAS Sprightly(A203), 5 May 2004, location unknown.
    Photo courtesy CSIRO. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.    		 Robert Hurst
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    Last Updated 2 May 2025