HMAS Ararat (K34)

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HMAS Ararat (K34/M34), named for the city of Ararat, Victoria, was one of 60 Bathurst-class corvettes constructed during World War II, and one of 36 initially manned and commissioned solely by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).<ref name=SPC>Template:Cite web</ref>

Ararat is the only ship of the Bathurst class to carry a pennant number with the flag superior 'K': to honour Flower-class corvette lead ship Template:HMS, which was sunk in October 1941.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Ref

Design and construction

Template:Main In 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.<ref name=Hindsight1>Stevens, The Australian Corvettes, p. 1</ref><ref name=StevensACV103>Stevens, A Critical Vulnerability, p. 103</ref> The vessel was initially envisaged as having a displacement of approximately 500 tons, a speed of at least Template:Convert, and a range of Template:Convert<ref name=StevensACV103.4>Stevens, A Critical Vulnerability, pp. 103–4</ref> 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 Template:Convert top speed, and a range of Template:Convert, armed with a 4-inch 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.<ref name=Hindsight1/><ref>Stevens, A Critical Vulnerability, pp. 103–5</ref> Construction of the prototype Template:HMAS did not go ahead, but the plans were retained.<ref name=StevensACV104>Stevens, A Critical Vulnerability, p. 104</ref> 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 Ararat) ordered by the RAN, 20 ordered by the British Admiralty but manned and commissioned as RAN vessels, and 4 for the Royal Indian Navy.<ref name=Hindsight1/><ref>Stevens, A Critical Vulnerability, pp. 105, 148</ref><ref name=Donohue29>Donohue, From Empire Defence to the Long Haul, p. 29</ref><ref name=Stevens108>Stevens et al., The Royal Australian Navy, p. 108</ref><ref name=SPC/>

Ararat was laid down by Evans Deakin & Co in Brisbane on 6 July 1942.<ref name=SPC/> She was launched on 20 February 1943 by the wife of Arthur Fadden, then leader of the Australian Country Party and the Federal Opposition, and commissioned on 16 June 1943.<ref name=SPC/>

Operational history

Ararat entered active service in August 1943 escorting convoys firstly along the east coast of Australia, and later between Queensland and New Guinea.<ref name=SPC/> She continued in this role until March 1944, when she was transferred to Langemak, New Guinea for two months, performing escort and patrol duties in the waters of New Guinea and New Britain.<ref name=SPC/> During this time, she was the first ship of her class to visit several recently recaptured areas in New Britain.<ref name=SPC/>

The corvette was under refit in Melbourne from May until July 1944, and on completion returned to New Guinea.<ref name=SPC/> She was transferred to United States Naval command on 11 August 1944, and was used to patrol the forward areas of the Allied offensive.<ref name=SPC/> During this time, Ararat was involved in the transportation of survivors from sister ship Template:HMAS following her collision with United States tanker York on 19 October.<ref name=SPC/> Ararat left US command at the end of 1944, and spent the early part of 1945 operating in the Morotai area. She briefly visited Townsville in March 1945, and in June, the corvette was deployed to Borneo to support Australian troops.<ref name=SPC/> Ararat returned to Australia on 22 July for refits, and was in dock when the war ended.<ref name=SPC/> The corvette's wartime service was recognised by the battle honours "Pacific 1943–45" and "New Guinea 1943–44".<ref name=honourslist/>

Ararat was assigned to the 20th Minesweeping Flotilla on 22 October 1945, and was involved in clearing mines laid during the war; first in Australian waters, then around New Britain, New Ireland, and the Solomon Islands.<ref name=SPC/> This assignment was completed in November 1946, and on 11 April 1947 was decommissioned into reserve.<ref name=SPC/>

Ararat remained in reserve until 6 January 1961, when she was sold to Burns Philip & Co Ltd of Darwin.<ref name=SPC/> She was later sold on to the Fujita Salvage Company of Japan, who used her to perform salvage operations in Darwin Harbour.<ref name=SPC/> Ararat left Darwin for Japan on 20 July 1961, towing a crane.<ref name=SPC/> After arriving in Japan, she was broken up for scrap.Template:Citation needed

Footnotes

1. Template:Note Although the source states that Gladiolus was a ship of the Royal Canadian Navy, the only ship of that name and pennant served with the Royal Navy.

References

Books

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