Bathurst Class Corvettes Read more here: Battle for Australia Council When war looked imminent after the Munich crisis in 1938, the Royal Australian Navy realised it needed a fleet of escort ships to guard convoys and keep the sea lanes open - and needed them urgently. First it looked for ships in Britain, but it was like Goldilocks trying out the porridge and beds - none was just right, so there was no alternative. Australia would have to design and build its own escort ships. The result was a ship as Australian as a kangaroo - designed by Australians who had never designed warships before, built by Australians who had never built ships before and manned by Australians most of whom had never been to sea before. They were 700 tonnes, could do 16 knots, had a crew of 67 ratings and five officers and were called corvettes. By the end of the war they had so much extra equipment that they were 1000 tonnes and had a ship's company of about 100. The keel of the first was laid down in February 1940. She was launched in August 1940 and commissioned in December as HMAS Bathurst. In accordance with naval tradition, the entire class was called the Bathurst class. Ships were soon sliding down the slipways of eight shipyards and corvettes were being commissioned at the rate of one every 26 days. The program called for ingenuity as well as hard work - when one shipyard in Queensland could not get tallow to grease the slipway they used bananas. The engines were made in railway workshops all over Australia. In all, 60 were built, four of which were for the Indian Navy. Corvettes were to the Navy what jeeps were to the army and DC3s to the Air Force - they did everything, everywhere, and they did it with grit and dash. They served in every theatre of war, from the Atlantic to Tokyo. They served along the Australian coast, around New Guinea, the Halmaheras, Borneo, Brunei and took part in the island-hopping right up to Okinawa and Tokyo Bay. They served in the Indian Ocean, the Persian Gulf, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. Two of them, HMA Ships Maryborough and Wollongong, served in every theatre of war except the Arctic. They escorted convoys, sank submarines, shot at and sometimes shot down planes, swept mines, ferried troops, bombarded enemy shore guns, surveyed uncharted waters under the noses - and the guns - of the Japanese, towed damaged ships to safety and they even landed spies. The only thing they did not do was to stay long in harbour. They steamed a total of 11 million kilometres during the war, nearly all of it in dangerous waters, often behind enemy lines. In 1942 HMA Ships Maryborough, Wollongong, Toowoomba, Bathurst, Burnie, Goulburn and Ballarat fought in the Malayan campaign in the waters around Singapore. They were the last Allied ships to leave Singapore when it fell, then the last to leave Java when it, too, fell. They sneaked through Japanese naval patrols, hid in rain squalls, dodged enemy bombs and got safely back to Australia. While the seven corvettes were battling it out with the Japanese around Singapore and Java, other corvettes were tackling the Japanese around Darwin and across northern Australia. HMAS Deloraine, which had been in commission only eight weeks, took on a huge Japanese submarine, the I-124, 80 kilometres west of Darwin and sank it. By June 1942, there were 24 corvettes based on Australian ports, convoying merchant ships around the coast where Japanese submarines were operating. One of the heaviest attacks by Japanese submarines came on June 15, 1943, when the five corvettes, Warrnambool, Deloraine, Kalgoorlie, Cootamundra and Bundaberg, were escorting ten merchant ships and three landing ships. They were 150 kilometres off Smokey Cape when two of the ships were torpedoed. Warrnambool and Kalgoorlie carried out depth charge attacks and the rest of the convoy escaped unharmed. In the first half of 1943, the RAN kept up a hazardous ferry service on the northern coast of New Guinea, transporting soldiers and equipment between Milne Bay and Oro Bay, where some of the fiercest fighting of the campaign was raging. It was much the same as the RAN ferry service between Alexandra and Tobruk, except that the Oro Bay run was done not by destroyers but corvettes, and the sailors were not seasoned veterans, but Reservists getting their first taste of battle. The corvettes were HMA Ships Ballarat. Bendigo, Bowen, Broome, Bunbury, Colac, Echuca, Glenelg, Gympie, Kapunda, Katoomba, Latrobe, Lithgow, Pirie, Wagga and Whyalla. On April 11, 1943, HMAS Pirie was making her fifth trip to Oro Bay when the Japanese attacked the troops ashore with a force of 22 bombers and 72 fighters. Twelve of the force broke off and tackled the corvette at mast height. A bomb hit the bridge, killing the Gunnery Officer, then exploded on the upper deck, killing all but one of the seven sailors manning the for'ard gun. Pirie managed to get back to Australia, where it was patched up and sent back to the war zone. Corvettes were required not only to get troops there but also to go in beforehand to reconnoitre new areas and act as pathfinders. The Pacific war presented special problems because very little surveying had been done. As a result, eight corvettes were converted to survey ships - HMA Ships Whyalla, Shepparton, Benalla, Broome, Echuca, Castlemaine, Horsham and Junee. Since they had to work close in-shore, they were painted the same colour as the shore - some were olive with chocolate patches, others a mixture of pale and dark green. They carried out the meticulous task of surveying, often in full view of the Japanese, from New Guinea right up to Leyte Gulf, in the Philippines.
I love the names given to RAN ships - HMAS Wollongong is a particular favourite!! A lot of the individual ships' histories are available. If you use the wiki list for each ship and then click on the external link it will take you to the relevant Australian Navy page: Bathurst class corvette - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia For example: HMAS ARARAT (I) - HMA Ship Histories (Sea Power Centre - Australia) HMAS ARMIDALE (I) - HMA Ship Histories (Sea Power Centre - Australia) Welcome Aboard - HMAS Benalla (Royal Australian Navy) HMAS WOLLONGONG (I) - HMA Ship Histories (Sea Power Centre - Australia)
HMAS Goulburn was the escort of the Japanese vessel that was later to earn fame as the "Krait". At the Goulburn War Memorial Museum we have the jackstaff, ship's bell and some of the radios from the "Goulburn" as well as a scale model. The ensign used at the HMAS Goulburn Assoc last reunion is laid up in the Soldiers' Chapel St Saviours Cathedral in Goulburn alongside the guidon of the 7th Light Horse/Motor Rgt after it was disbanded. In the book HMAS MkIV there's a little story on some of Goulburn's actions Rod
Cheers digger. The RAN site has a good summary of her service too: HMAS GOULBURN - HMA Ship Histories (Sea Power Centre - Australia)
Good to see that this memorabilia is there for our children and their children to remember their deeds.
Indeed...and two of the ships still survive. hmas castlemaine world war 2 warship pictures weapons photos Historic Naval Ships Visitors Guide - HMAS WHYALLA
Sure is Spidge and it became possible after the Snapper Island Museum had to close because of development/insurance premium hassles and so some history has been returned to where it has some ties. From what I've heard of the Castlemaine she could almost go to sea her condition's that good Rod
Hi guys Interesting subject - can anyone suggest where I may be able to locate information on these Corvettes' camouflage schemes, and particularly that of HMAS Bundaberg? It would appear that up until about 1942, these ships had elaborate colour schemes, with up to about three colours, but were they shades of green or blue? Judging by black & white photographs, by 1943 most ships appear to have been repainted with a two-colour horizontal scheme with a dark colour from the water line to upper deck and a lighter colour above that. By 1944, with the advent of radar, the ships reverted to a wartime grey over all. And then there is the question of the anti-fouling paint; was it a black or a red? A model in the AWM of a Bathurst Class Corvette shows the anti-fouling to be light green, which appears to be unlikely. Can anyone direct me to a reliable source for the schemes applied throughout WWII, please? Any help would be most appreciated. Regards John
Welcome to the forum John. This is not an area I know about however someone may be able to lead the way.
Funnily enough, Jodi and I sat next to a lady on the plane back from Melbourne yesterday. Her husband served on the HMAS Bendigo. Unfortunately, I have a cold so my hearing was almost negligible on the plane and couldn't hear all of what she was saying. Welcome John. Good to have you on board. Have you come across this? Corvettes I'm sure you've seen that link before but it might help. It would be worth asking Hugh on this forum as he has an extensive knowledge of the Merchant Navy side of things so might be able to point you in the right direction for researching something nautical. What we need is a colour photo of one of these old girls in dry dock...like that'll happen! Just remembered that I have a small book on the Corvettes produced by The West Australian newspaper over here. I will dig it out, please remind me if I don't. I can pretty much guarantee it'll all be in black and white but there might be some interesting references.
John, were you aware of the existence of this painting? After formal art training, Lawrence studied oil painting under professional artist Frank Cullen. Painted with the Marrickville Art Society for a number of years, during which time regular exhibitions were held. Commissioned by the crew of the HMAS Bundaberg to do an oil painting of the ship which was then presented to the Mayoress of Bundaberg on Anzac day 1994, and now hangs in the Council's Chambers. A reproduction of the painting is now with the Australian War Memorial in Canberra. Lawrence has sold work throughout Australia and overseas, and has had two painting selected for the Sultan of Brunei. Artists
Have a few hours this arvo so just tying up a few loose ends and remembered this thread. I attach an interesting (bloody funny at the end) piece on the HMAS Parkes which shows off her camouflage well. Will load when forum lets me! Message says Mods have been informed.
Welcome John, I don't know if this will help you but I offer it anyway: Warship Colour Schemes of World War I Warships Perspectives RN Camo Volume 1 Warships Perspectives RN Camo Volume 2 Camouflage Regards Hugh
Excellent links, Hugh. Good to know someone's examined this subject. I love the schemes used on C'th ships. B*stard to paint on 1/600 Airfix models though! LOL. 1/350 with brass etched parts etc as they do these days for sharp detail is just too expensive for me! Still, one day, just building one would be nice!
