Island, Papua New Guinea, arriving on 25 October. Australian troops aboard HMS Empire Battleaxe took part in the Bougainville Campaign. She departed Bougainville Island on 14 January 1945 and sailed to Hollandia, Dutch New Guinea, arriving on 2 February. HMS Empire Battleaxe then joined a convoy bound for the Philippines. She was towing a number of LCMs which reduced her speed to . She arrived at Lingayen Gulf on 18 February where her Landing Craft were involved in the retaking of the Philippines from the Japanese. HMS Empire Battleaxe departed the Lingayen Gulf with a consignment of American ex-PoWs, arriving at Sydney, Australia on 19 March. HMS Empire Battleaxe departed Sydney on 11 April 1945, bound for Falmouth where she was to be refitted. In 1945 she was renamed HMS Donovan, under which name she served out the remainder of the war. After the war ended she was returned to the Ministry of Transport in 1946, her name reverting to Empire Battleaxe. During this time, Empire Battleaxe was employed on trooping duties in the Mediterranean. In July 1946, the crew were told that on arrival at Naples, Italy from Alexandria, Egypt, the ship would sail for Liverpool, United Kingdom. However, on arrival at Naples, orders were received to make another return trip to Alexandria. About three-quarters of her crew refused to sail. The British Consul in Naples visited the ship to warn the strikers of the consequences of their actions. After he had departed, new orders were issued to sail to Liverpool. The explanation given was that the original orders had been issued because it was thought that ships being sent to relieve Empire Battleaxe would not reach Naples in time. Once it was realised that the relief would arrive in time, the order was cancelled. She was returned to the United States Maritime Commission in 1947 and renamed Cape Berkeley in 1948. It was then proposed to sell her to China, where she was to be named Hai C. The sale was subsequently cancelled. She was renamed Empire Battleaxe in 1950 and laid up in the James River, Virginia. Empire Battleaxe was scrapped at Kearny, New Jersey in May 1966. Official Numbers and Code Letters Cape Berkeley used the Code Letters KYFJ in 1943 Empire Battleaxe had the UK Official Number 169703 and used the Code Letters MYMN. Notes References External links Combined Ops 1943 ships Type C1-S ships