List of Bathurst-class corvettes

The Bathurst-class corvettes were a ship class of sixty vessels built in Australia during World War II and initially operated by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), the British Admiralty (although the ships were crewed by and commissioned into the RAN) and the Royal Indian Navy. Following the conclusion of World War II, many of the ships were sold or transferred to other organisations, and saw service in the Royal Navy, Royal Netherlands Navy, Royal New Zealand Navy, Indonesian Navy, Turkish Navy, Pakistan Navy and civilian service.

Four Australian Bathurst-class corvettes alongside a depot ship at Columbo, Ceylon in November 1944

This list is divided into two sections. The first section, Primary service, lists the sixty vessels during their initial period of service, up until their decommissioning. Secondary service lists any vessels which later served in other navies, entered civilian service, or were recommissioned into the RAN for training purposes.

Primary service

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36 of the Bathurst class were constructed for and crewed by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). All of the four corvettes lost during activities related to World War II are in this group.

20 Bathurst-class ships were constructed for the British Admiralty, but were crewed by and commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy.

4 Bathurst-class corvettes were constructed for the Royal Indian Navy (RIN). On 15 August 1947, India gained independence from the British Empire. After this date, the navy was referred to as the Indian Navy, and the prefix of all ships was changed from HMIS to INS.

Bathurst-class corvettes - Primary service
Prefix Name Operator Builder Laid down Launched Commissioned Paid off Fate
HMAS Ararat RAN Evans Deakin & Company 6 July 1942 20 February 1943 16 June 1943 11 April 1947 Sold into private ownership, 6 January 1961
HMAS Armidale RAN Mort's Dock & Engineering Company 1 September 1941 24 January 1942 11 June 1942 - Sunk by 13 Japanese aircraft, 1 December 1942
HMAS Ballarat Admiralty HMA Naval Dockyard 19 April 1940 10 December 1940 30 August 1941 27 September 1946 Sold into private ownership
HMAS Bathurst Admiralty Cockatoo Island Dockyard 10 February 1940 1 August 1940 6 December 1940 27 September 1946 Sold for scrap, 21 June 1948
HMAS Benalla RAN HMA Naval Dockyard 24 March 1942 19 December 1942 27 April 1943 28 January 1946 Sold for scrap, 20 February 1958
HMAS Bendigo Admiralty Cockatoo Island Dockyard 12 August 1940 1 March 1941 10 May 1941 1946-09-27 Sold into private ownership, 5 May 1947
HMIS Bengal RIN Morts Dock & Engineering Company 3 December 1941 7 July 1942 8 August 1942 1960 -
HMIS Bombay RIN Morts Dock & Engineering Company 19 July 1941 6 December 1941 24 April 1942 1960 Sold for scrap, 1961
HMAS Broome Admiralty Evans Deakin & Company 3 May 1941 6 August 1941 29 June 1942 29 June 1946 Transferred to the Turkish Navy
HMAS Bowen RAN Walkers Limited 9 February 1942 28 July 1942 9 November 1942 17 January 1946 Sold for scrap, 18 May 1956
HMAS Bunbury RAN Evans Deakin & Company 1 November 1941 16 May 1942 3 January 1943 26 August 1946 Sold for scrap, 6 January 1961
HMAS Bundaberg RAN Evans Deakin & Company 7 June 1941 1 December 1941 12 September 1942 1946-03-26 Sold for scrap, 6 January 1961
HMAS Burnie Admiralty Morts Dock & Engineering Company 4 June 1940 25 August 1940 15 April 1941 5 July 1946 Transferred to the Royal Netherlands Navy, 5 July 1946
HMAS Cairns Admiralty Walkers Limited 31 March 1941 7 October 1941 11 March 1942 17 January 1946 Transferred to Royal Netherlands Navy, 17 January 1946
HMAS Castlemaine RAN HMA Naval Dockyard 17 January 1941 7 August 1941 17 June 1942 14 December 1945 Training hulk at HMAS Cerberus until 1973-09, museum ship since late 1973
HMAS Cessnock Admiralty Cockatoo Island Dockyard 16 April 1941 17 October 1941 26 January 1941 12 July 1946 Sold for scrap, 23 April 1947
HMAS Colac RAN Morts Dock & Engineering Company 18 April 1941 30 August 1941 6 January 1942 30 January 1953 Tank cleaning vessel until 1983-09-30, sunk as a target by HMAS Ovens on 1987-03-04
HMAS Cootamundra RAN Poole & Steel 26 February 1942 3 December 1942 30 April 1943 8 June 1959 Sold for scrap, 1962-03-28
HMAS Cowra RAN Poole & Steel 12 August 1942 27 May 1943 8 October 1943 26 June 1953 Sold for scrap, 1961-01
HMAS Deloraine RAN Morts Dock & Engineering Company 19 March 1941 26 July 1941 22 November 1941 30 June 1948 Sold for scrap, 1956-08-08
HMAS Dubbo RAN Morts Dock & Engineering Company 13 October 1941 7 March 1942 31 July 1942 7 February 1947 Sold for scrap, 20 February 1958
HMAS Echuca RAN HMA Naval Dockyard 22 February 1941 17 January 1942 7 September 1942 28 June 1948 Transferred to the Royal New Zealand Navy, 1952-03-05
HMAS Fremantle RAN Evans Deakin & Company 11 February 1942 18 August 1942 24 March 1943 25 January 1946 Recommissioned as training ship, 1952
HMAS Gawler Admiralty BHP 24 January 1941 4 October 1941 14 August 1942 5 April 1946 Transferred to the Turkish Navy, 1946-04-05
HMAS Geelong RAN HMA Naval Dockyard 16 October 1940 22 April 1941 16 January 1942 - Sunk following collision, 18 October 1944
HMAS Geraldton Admiralty Poole & Steel 20 November 1940 16 August 1941 6 April 1942 14 June 1946 Transferred to the Turkish Navy, 14 June 1946
HMAS Gladstone RAN Walkers Limited 4 August 1942 26 November 1942 22 March 1943 16 July 1956 Sold into civilian service, 1956
HMAS Glenelg RAN Cockatoo Island Dockyard 2 March 1942 25 September 1942 16 November 1942 14 January 1946 Sold for scrap, 2 May 1957
HMAS Goulburn Admiralty Cockatoo Island Dockyard 10 July 1940 16 November 1940 28 February 1941 27 September 1946 Sold into civilian service, 13 October 1947
HMAS Gympie RAN Evans Deakin & Company 27 August 1941 30 January 1942 4 November 1942 23 May 1946 Sold for scrap, 6 January 1961
HMAS Horsham RAN HMA Naval Dockyard 26 June 1941 16 May 1942 18 November 1942 17 December 1945 Sold for scrap, 8 August 1956
HMAS Inverell RAN Morts Dock & Engineering Company 7 December 1941 2 May 1942 17 September 1942 14 June 1946 Transferred to the Royal New Zealand Navy, 5 March 1952
HMAS Ipswich Admiralty Evans Deakin & Company 6 March 1941 11 August 1941 13 June 1942 5 July 1946 Transferred to the Royal Netherlands Navy, 5 July 1946
HMAS Junee RAN Poole & Steel 17 February 1943 16 November 1943 11 April 1944 21 January 1946 Recommissioned as training ship, 25 February 1953
HMAS Kalgoorlie Admiralty BHP 27 July 1940 7 August 1941 7 April 1942 1946-05-08 Transferred to the Royal Netherlands Navy, 8 May 1946
HMAS Kapunda RAN Poole & Steel 27 August 1941 23 June 1942 21 October 1942 14 January 1946 Sold for scrap, 6 January 1961
HMAS Katoomba RAN Poole & Steel 9 September 1940 16 April 1941 17 December 1941 2 August 1948 Sold for scrap, 2 May 1957
HMAS Kiama RAN Evans Deakin & Company 2 November 1942 3 July 1943 26 January 1944 3 April 1946 Transferred to the Royal New Zealand Navy, 1952-03-05
HMAS Latrobe RAN Morts Dock & Engineering Company 27 January 1942 19 June 1942 6 November 1942 13 March 1953 Sold for scrap, 18 May 1956
HMAS Launceston Admiralty Evans Deakin & Company 23 December 1940 30 June 1941 9 April 1942 23 March 1946 Transferred to the Turkish Navy, 1946
HMAS Lismore Admiralty Morts Dock & Engineering Company 26 February 1940 10 August 1940 24 January 1941 3 June 1956 Transferred to the Royal Netherlands Navy, 3 June 1946
HMAS Lithgow RAN Morts Dock & Engineering Company 19 August 1940 21 December 1940 14 June 1941 8 June 1948 Sold for scrap, 8 October 1956
HMAS Maryborough Admiralty Walkers Limited 16 April 1940 17 August 1940 12 June 1941 1945-12 Sold into private ownership, 9 May 1947
HMIS Madras RIN Cockatoo Island Dockyard 4 August 1941 17 February 1942 12 May 1942 1960 -
HMAS Mildura RAN Morts Dock & Engineering Company 23 September 1940 15 March 1941 23 July 1941 21 May 1948 Recommissioned as training ship, 1951
HMAS Pirie Admiralty BHP 19 May 1941 3 December 1941 10 October 1942 5 April 1946 Transferred to the Turkish Navy, 5 April 1946
HMAS Parkes RAN Evans Deakin & Company 16 March 1943 30 October 1943 25 May 1944 17 December 1945 Sold for scrap, 2 May 1957
HMIS Punjab RIN Morts Dock & Engineering Company 26 May 1941 10 October 1941 20 March 1942 1949 Transferred to Pakistan during Partition of India.
HMAS Rockhampton RAN Walkers Limited 6 November 1940 26 June 1941 21 January 1942 5 August 1946 Sold for scrap, 6 January 1961
HMAS Shepparton RAN HMA Naval Dockyard 14 November 1941 15 August 1942 1 February 1943 10 May 1946 Sold for scrap, 20 February 1958
HMAS Stawell RAN HMA Naval Dockyard 18 June 1942 3 April 1943 7 August 1943 26 March 1946 Transferred to the Royal New Zealand Navy, 5 March 1952
HMAS Strahan RAN NSW State Dockyard 9 October 1942 12 July 1943 14 March 1944 25 January 1946 Sold for scrap, 6 January 1961
HMAS Tamworth Admiralty Walkers Limited 25 August 1941 14 March 1942 8 August 1942 30 April 1946 Transferred to the Royal Netherlands Navy, 30 April 1946
HMAS Townsville RAN Evans Deakin & Company 16 November 1940 13 May 1941 19 December 1941 5 August 1946 Sold for scrap, 8 August 1956
HMAS Toowoomba Admiralty Walkers Limited 6 August 1940 26 March 1941 9 August 1941 5 July 1946 Transferred to the Royal Netherlands Navy, 5 July 1946
HMAS Wagga RAN Morts Dock & Engineering Company 8 March 1942 25 July 1942 18 December 1942 28 November 1945 Recommissioned as training ship, 12 December 1951
HMAS Wallaroo RAN Poole & Steel 24 April 1941 18 February 1942 15 July 1942 - Sunk following collision, 11 June 1943
HMAS Warrnambool RAN Morts Dock & Engineering Company 13 November 1940 8 May 1941 23 September 1941 - Sunk by mine, 13 September 1947
HMAS Whyalla Admiralty BHP 24 June 1940 12 May 1941 8 January 1942 16 May 1946 Sold into private ownership, 10 February 1947
HMAS Wollongong Admiralty Cockatoo Island Dockyard 29 January 1941 5 July 1941 23 October 1941 11 February 1946 Transferred to the Royal Netherlands Navy, 11 February 1946

Secondary service

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Bathurst class corvettes - Secondary service
Prefix Name Original name Operator Origin Commissioned/entered service Decommissioned/left service Fate
HMNZS Inverell HMAS Inverell Royal New Zealand Navy Acquired from RAN 5 March 1952 19 August 1976 Sold for scrap, 1 November 1977
Isobel Queen HMAS Maryborough Australian General Trading and Shipping Syndicate Purchased from RAN 9 May 1947 c. 1953 Sold for scrap in 1953
HMAS Mildura HMAS Mildura Royal Australian Naval Reserve Recommissioned as training vessel for National Service trainees 20 February 1951 11 September 1953 Towed to Brisbane for use as immobilised training hulk
Mildura HMAS Mildura Royal Australian Naval Reserve Used as immobilised training hulk 8 December 1954 c. 1965 Sold for scrap on 8 September 1965
HMS Pirie HMAS Pirie Royal Navy Acquired from RAN 5 April 1946 c. 1946 Transferred into the Turkish Navy
TCG Amasra HMAS Pirie Turkish Navy Acquired from Royal Navy c. 1946 26 March 1984 Left service
HMNZS Stawell HMAS Stawell Royal New Zealand Navy Acquired from RAN 5 March 1952 c. late 1950s Sold for scrap in July 1968
HNLMS Tidore HMAS Tamworth Royal Netherlands Navy Acquired from RAN 30 April 1946 c. December 1949 Transferred to the Indonesian Navy
KRI Pati Unus HMAS Tamworth Indonesian Navy Acquired from the Royal Netherlands Navy c. December 1949 c. 1969 Left service
HNLMS Boeroe HMAS Toowoomba Royal Netherlands Navy Acquired from RAN 5 June 1946 c. 1958 Left service
HNLMS Morotai HMAS Ipswich Royal Netherlands Navy Acquired from RAN 5 July 1946 c. 1949 Transferred to the Indonesian Navy
KRI Hang Tuah HMAS Ipswich Indonesian Navy Acquired from the Royal Netherlands Navy c. 1949 28 April 1958[1] Destroyed by mercenaries[1]
HMAS Wagga HMAS Wagga Royal Australian Naval Reserve Recommissioned as training vessel for National Service trainees 12 December 1951 28 October 1960 Sold for scrap in March 1962
Rip HMAS Whyalla Victorian Public Works Department Acquired from RAN 10 February 1947 c. 1984 Sold to Whyalla City Council
HMAS Whyalla HMAS Whyalla Whyalla City Council Victorian Public Works Department c. late 1984 - Museum ship
HMAS Ararat Burns Philp of Darwin Acquired from RAN 6 January 1961 c. 1961 Sold to Fujita Salvage Company of Japan
HMAS Ararat Fujita Salvage Company of Japan Acquired from Burns Philp of Darwin c. 1961 Scrapped
Carmencita HMAS Ballarat Ta Hing Company (Hong Kong) Ltd Acquired from RAN December 1950 c. 1953 Sold for scrap
Cheung Hing HMAS Bendigo Ta Hing Company (Hong Kong) Ltd Acquired from RAN 5 May 1947 - Acquired by People's Liberation Army Navy
Loyang HMAS Bendigo People's Liberation Army Navy Acquired from Ta Hing Company (Hong Kong) Ltd - c. 1988 Last record of service
HMNZS Kiama HMAS Kiama Royal New Zealand Navy Acquired from the RAN date unknown 19 August 1976 Disposed of
HNLMS Ceram HMAS Burnie Royal Netherlands Navy Acquired from the RAN 5 July 1946 1958 Left service
HNLMS Ambon HMAS Cairns Royal Netherlands Navy Acquired from the RAN 17 January 1946 1950 Transferred to the Indonesian Navy
KRI Banteng HMAS Cairns Indonesian Navy Acquired from the Royal Netherlands Navy 6 April 1950 c. 1968 Sold for scrap

Citations

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Unless indicated here, all information is taken from each ship's corresponding Ship History page on the Sea Power Centre website.

  1. ^ a b Lew Lind, 1986, The RAN - Historic Naval Events Year by Year, pg 236

References

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  • Various. "Ship Histories (and subpages)". HMA Ship Histories. Sea Power Centre - Royal Australian Navy. Archived from the original on 24 January 2010. Retrieved 29 January 2010.
  • Lind, Lew (1986) [1982]. The Royal Australian Navy - Historic Naval Events Year by Year (2nd ed.). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Reed Books. ISBN 0-7301-0071-5. OCLC 16922225.