On her return
to Australia PERTH underwent a long refit which included
the fitting or two more 0.5mgs on the quarter deck and 20mm mgs
in tubs on "B" and "X" turret. Capt.
Sir Philip Bowyer-Smyth left the ship on the 1st September and
Commander Reid took over temporary command. On 24th
September, Capt. H.M.L. Waller became Captain.
PERTH
left for Melbourne on 26th November and then escorted the liner
MARIPOSA from mid Tasman to Sydney. On 8th December
(EST) war was declared on Japan. PERTH patrolled
the Tasman with CANBERRA and after calling at Brisbane,
both ships sailed for New Caledonia arriving off there on the
18th December. After escorting a convoy to Brisbane both
ships returned to Sydney.
On 28th
December, PERTH, AUSTRALIA, and CANBERRA escorted
a convoy to Port Moresby, New Guinea, arriving on 3rd January
1942. She then left for Noumea where, after staying a few
days, escorted a convoy bound for Fiji. She left Lautoka
for exercises and arrived back in Sydney on 19th.
She exercised off Sydney with AUSTRALIA, ADELAIDE, and
HMNZS LEANDER before escorting troopships off the NSW coast.
HMAS
PERTH left Sydney for the last time on 31st January 1942 and
proceeded to Fremantle via Melbourne, arriving on 8th February.
She escorted two convoys to Java but both were turned back due
to the worsening situation. On 21st February she escorted
a convoy to within 600 miles of Sunda Strait but was ordered to
turn back. About 700 miles from Fremantle she ordered
to leave the convoy and proceed to Java. After a short diversion
towards Christmas Island, she sailed through Sunda Straits at
night and arrived at Batavia on the morning of 24th February 1942.
