page_title: US Naval Ammunition Depot (7 NAD), Springhill near Northam
section_title: Establishment
hierarchical_section_title: US Naval Ammunition Depot (7 NAD), Springhill near Northam / Establishment
caption_attribution_description: English: Ammunition Bunker looking out, US Navy 7NAD, Springhill
context_page_description: US Navy 7 Naval Ammunition Depot (7 NAD) was located at Springhill, near Northam, Western Australia. It was one of three US Naval Ammunition Depots developed across Australia during World War II to support the service's operations in the South West Pacific.
context_section_description: 7 NAD was attached to the 137 Ammunition and Ordnance Unit more commonly referred to as Navy 137, located predominately at Springhill except for a torpedo technical depot established in Subiaco in Perth becoming operational in July 1943. To facilitate the transfer of ordnance from Springhill, 100 kilometres to the harbour at Fremantle, magazines were also constructed at Fremantle (HMAS Leeuwin now Leeuwin Barracks) and Woodman Point. These technical workshops checked and readied the torpedoes for loading onto submarines in the Fremantle Harbour.
  Navy 137 was used for the storage of torpedoes, naval and army gun ammunition, anti-tank mines and small arms ordnance with approximately 4,000 tons of ordnance being stored and maintained which arrived by rail from the Fremantle Harbour each rail load weighing 400 tons. For security, personnel from the nearby 7 Supply Depot at Spencers Brook were utilised as guards and concrete anti-tank defences were constructed surrounding the Springhill depot site, which fortunately were never put to the test.
  The mission of the US Naval Magazine, Navy 137, Springhill was to:
  Stow, issue, and receive ammunition for Service Force Subordinate Command Seventh Fleet. Conduct prescribed Bureau of Ordnance tests; namely tests of smokeless powder, monthly breakdown and inspection report. Approximately 4000 tons of ammunition maintained.
  7 NAD Springhill predominately stored the Mark 14 torpedo which was the primary submarine-launched, anti-surface ship torpedo used in World War II until the introduction of the electric Mark 18 Torpedo. Approximately 4,000,000 tons of enemy shipping were sunk by the Mark 14 torpedo. Originally introduced for use as mechanically-set torpedo, the Mark 14 was modified for use with modern fire control systems and designated Mod 5.
  7 NAD was one of three other US Naval Ammunition Depots in Australia with the other two at Mount Coot-tha, Brisbane (Navy 134) and at Newington, Sydney (Navy 135).
  Whilst they were designed to exclude the use of mechanical handling equipment or palletisation methods, these storehouses, as later Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps (RAAOC) units could testify, made excellent wine cellars and mushroom farms.
caption: Ammunition Bunker looking out, US Navy 7NAD, Springhill
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