Author: William Blunt

Publisher:

Published: 2020-05

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 9780648842002

On the 22nd of November 1941, the Sydney based motor cruiser, Lolita, was commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy as HMAS Lolita. She was one of thirteen 'pleasure' cruisers requisitioned by the Navy to form its Sydney fleet of Channel Patrol Boats (CPB). That fleet became known as the Hollywood Fleet. Throughout the years of war in the Pacific, those Channel Patrol Boats with their crews worked to protect Australia. Several, including HMAS Lolita, fought in the Battle of Sydney Harbour. At least one of the fleet operated in Darwin during the Japanese bombing raids. She was later joined by two others. Another served on the south-west coast of New Guinea while two others reached the north coast of New Guinea with one eventually serving in Indonesia. One of the vessels which served on the north coast of New Guinea was HMAS Lolita before she was destroyed by a massive explosion. That explosion took the lives of two naval mechanics and injured others. Three other cruisers of the Hollywood Fleet were destroyed whilst on naval service. Another was gutted by fire whilst on patrol, but was salvaged and rebuilt and remarkably, remains afloat today along with two other vessels of the fleet. The whereabouts of the other six, remain to be discovered.This is the historical record of Lolita and HMAS Lolita, and the other motor cruisers that formed the Hollywood Fleet. It is also the record of how Lolita and her commander and crew were written out of history, and how they and their sister ships of the Hollywood Fleet and their crews, deserve their recognition and place in Australia's history.