HMAS Tamworth (J181)
Template:Short description Template:Use Australian English Template:Use dmy dates
Template:Infobox ship imageTemplate:Infobox ship careerTemplate:Infobox ship careerTemplate:Infobox ship careerTemplate:Infobox ship characteristicsHMAS Tamworth (J181/B250/A124), named for the city of Tamworth, New South Wales, was one of 60 Template:Sclasss constructed during World War II and one of 20 built on Admiralty order but manned by personnel of and later commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).<ref name=spc>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Tamworth later saw service in the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) and in the Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL).<ref name=spc/>
Design and construction
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} 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 Mk XIX 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 ordered by the RAN, 20 (including Tamworth) 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/>
Tamworth was laid down by Walkers Limited at Maryborough, Queensland on 25 August 1941.<ref name=spc/> She was launched on 14 March 1942 by Mrs. A. M. Horsburgh, the wife of one of the shipyard's directors, and commissioned on 8 August 1942.<ref name=spc/>
Operational history
From February 1943 until January 1945, Tamworth was assigned to the British Eastern Fleet.<ref name=spc/> Following this, she was deployed with the British Pacific Fleet.<ref name=spc/> Tamworth returned to Australian operational control on 28 September 1945.<ref name=spc/> Tamworth earned two battle honours for her wartime service, "Pacific 1942–45" and "Indian Ocean 1943–44".<ref name=newhonours>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=honourslist>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
After a brief period of service as a training vessel in Australian waters was transferred to the Royal Netherlands Navy on 30 April 1946.<ref name=spc/> In RNLN service, the ship operated under the name HNLMS Tidore, and served until December 1949.<ref name=spc/>
Following this, the ship was transferred to the Indonesian Navy, renamed RI Pati Unus, and served until disposal in 1969.<ref name=spc/>