HMAS Stawell (J348/M348) was a Bathurst-class corvette named for the town of Stawell, Victoria.[1] Sixty Bathurst-class corvettes were constructed during World War II, and Stawell was one of 36 initially manned and commissioned solely by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).[1]
 HMAS Stawell during 1944
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Australia | |
| Namesake | Town of Stawell, Victoria |
| Builder | HMA Naval Dockyard at Williamstown, Victoria |
| Laid down | 18 June 1942 |
| Launched | 3 April 1943 |
| Commissioned | 7 August 1943 |
| Decommissioned | 26 March 1946 |
| Motto | "Without Fear or Favour" |
| Honours and awards |
|
| Fate | Sold to RNZN |
| New Zealand | |
| Acquired | 5 March 1952 |
| Decommissioned | Late 1950s |
| Fate | Sold for scrap in 1968 |
| General characteristics during RAN service | |
| Class and type | Bathurst-class corvette |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 186 ft (57 m) |
| Beam | 31 ft (9.4 m) |
| Draught | 8.5 ft (2.6 m) |
| Propulsion | triple expansion engine, 2 shafts, 2,000 hp (1,500 kW) |
| Speed | 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) at 1,750 hp |
| Complement | 85 |
| Armament |
|
The corvette later served in the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) as HMNZS Stawell.
Design and construction
editIn 1938, the Australian Commonwealth Naval Board (ACNB) identified the need for a general purpose 'local defence vessel' capable of both anti-submarine and mine-warfare duties, while easy to construct and operate.[2][3] The vessel was initially envisaged as having a displacement of approximately 500 tons, a speed of at least 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph), and a range of 2,000 nautical miles (3,700 km; 2,300 mi)[4] The opportunity to build a prototype in the place of a cancelled Bar-class boom defence vessel saw the proposed design increased to a 680-ton vessel, with a 15.5 knots (28.7 km/h; 17.8 mph) top speed, and a range of 2,850 nautical miles (5,280 km; 3,280 mi), armed with a 4-inch (102 mm) gun, equipped with asdic, and able to fitted with either depth charges or minesweeping equipment depending on the planned operations: although closer in size to a sloop than a local defence vessel, the resulting increased capabilities were accepted due to advantages over British-designed mine warfare and anti-submarine vessels.[2][5] Construction of the prototype HMAS Kangaroo did not go ahead, but the plans were retained.[6] The need for locally built 'all-rounder' vessels at the start of World War II saw the "Australian Minesweepers" (designated as such to hide their anti-submarine capability, but popularly referred to as "corvettes") approved in September 1939, with 60 constructed during the course of the war: 36 (including Stawell) ordered by the RAN, 20 ordered by the British Admiralty but manned and commissioned as RAN vessels, and 4 for the Royal Indian Navy.[2][7][8][9][1]
Stawell was laid down by HMA Naval Dockyard at Williamstown, Victoria on 18 June 1942.[1] She was launched on 3 April 1943 by Mrs. J. J. Dedman, wife of the Minister for War Organisation, and commissioned into the RAN on 7 August 1943.[1]
Operational history
editRAN
editThe majority of Stawell's career was spent in three areas. Initially, she served as a convoy escort along the east coast of Australia.[1] Following this, Stawell participated in a variety of escort, minesweeping, and combat roles throughout New Guinea waters.[1] On 3 August 1945 she sank an armed Daihatsu barge in the Moluccas area.[10] In the final third of her career, the ship spent time in Hong Kong waters, performing minsweeping and anti-piracy duties.[1] Stawell returned to Brisbane in November 1945.[1]
The corvette received three battle honours for her wartime service: "Pacific 1943–45", "New Guinea 1943–44", and "Borneo 1945".[11][12]
RNZN
editStawell was removed from RAN service on 26 March 1946.[1] On 5 March 1952, Stawell and three other Bathurst-class corvettes (HMA Ships Echuca, Inverell, and Kiama) were transferred to the Royal New Zealand Navy.[13]
She was commissioned into the RNZN during May 1952 and given the prefix HMNZS.[14] Stawell operated primarily as a training vessel until 1959, when she was placed into reserve.[1][14]
Fate
editStawell was sold to Pacific Scrap Limited of Auckland, New Zealand, in July 1968, and was broken up for scrap.[1]
Citations
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "HMAS Stawell (I)". HMA Ship Histories. Sea Power Centre – Royal Australian Navy. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2008.
- ^ a b c Stevens, The Australian Corvettes, p. 1
- ^ Stevens, A Critical Vulnerability, p. 103
- ^ Stevens, A Critical Vulnerability, pp. 103–4
- ^ Stevens, A Critical Vulnerability, pp. 103–5
- ^ Stevens, A Critical Vulnerability, p. 104
- ^ Stevens, A Critical Vulnerability, pp. 105, 148
- ^ Donohue, From Empire Defence to the Long Haul, p. 29
- ^ Stevens et al., The Royal Australian Navy, p. 108
- ^ "HMAS Stawell". Retrieved 17 August 2022.
- ^ "Navy Marks 109th Birthday With Historic Changes To Battle Honours". Royal Australian Navy. 1 March 2010. Archived from the original on 13 June 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
- ^ "Royal Australian Navy Ship/Unit Battle Honours" (PDF). Royal Australian Navy. 1 March 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 June 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
- ^ "HMAS Inverell (I)". HMA Ship Histories. Sea Power Centre – Royal Australian Navy. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2008.
- ^ a b Gillett, Ross (1988). Australian and New Zealand Warships since 1946. Brookvale, NSW: Child & Associates. p. 140. ISBN 0-86777-219-0. OCLC 23470364.
References
editBooks
edit- Donohue, Hector (October 1996). From Empire Defence to the Long Haul: post-war defence policy and its impact on naval force structure planning 1945–1955. Papers in Australian Maritime Affairs. Vol. 1. Canberra: Sea Power Centre. ISBN 0-642-25907-0. ISSN 1327-5658. OCLC 36817771.
- Stevens, David (2005). A Critical Vulnerability: the impact of the submarine threat on Australia's maritime defense 1915–1954. Papers in Australian Maritime Affairs. Vol. 15. Canberra: Sea Power Centre Australia. ISBN 0-642-29625-1. ISSN 1327-5658. OCLC 62548623.
- Stevens, David; Sears, Jason; Goldrick, James; Cooper, Alastair; Jones, Peter; Spurling, Kathryn (2001). Stevens, David (ed.). The Royal Australian Navy. The Australian Centenary History of Defence (vol III). South Melbourne, VIC: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-554116-2. OCLC 50418095.
- Wright, Gerry (2015). Kiwi Bathurst Tales: Some stories from those who served in the four New Zealand Bathursts, HMNZ Ships Echuca, Stawell, Kiama and Inverell. Auckland: Gerry Wright. ISBN 9780473337193.
Journal and news articles
edit- Stevens, David (May 2010). "The Australian Corvettes" (PDF). Hindsight (Semaphore). 2010 (5). Sea Power Centre – Australia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 March 2011. Retrieved 13 August 2010.