HMAS Rockhampton
Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Australian English
Template:Infobox ship imageTemplate:Infobox ship careerTemplate:Infobox ship characteristicsHMAS Rockhampton (J203/M203), named for the city of Rockhampton, Queensland, 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>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
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 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 Rockhampton) 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/>
Rockhampton had a slightly wider beam than other Bathurst class corvettes; Template:Convert greater.<ref name=SPC/>
Rockhampton was laid down by Walkers Limited at Maryborough, Queensland on 6 November 1940, launched on 26 June 1941, and commissioned into the RAN on 21 January 1942.<ref name=SPC/>
Operational history
Rockhampton began her career as a convoy escort along the east coast of Australia.<ref name=SPC/> Following a series of Japanese submarine attacks along the east coast of Australia, a convoy system was established.<ref name=SPC/> Rockhampton and Template:USS escorted the first Sydney to Brisbane convoy.<ref name=SPC/> The corvette remained in this role until January 1944, when she began escorting convoys to and from New Guinea.<ref name=SPC/> She underwent refit in Sydney over April and May 1944, before returning to escort duties in New Guinea waters.<ref name=SPC/> Rockhampton operated in both Australian and New Guinea waters up until the end of World War II.<ref name=SPC/>
Following the end of the war, Rockhampton was involved in the rescue of Dutch and Indonesian prisoners-of-war and the occupation of Ambon.<ref name=SPC/> On 8 October 1945, the corvette carried the Sultan of Ternate on his return home.<ref name=SPC/> Rockhampton returned to Sydney in November 1945, where she was assigned to minesweeping duties off the east coast of Australia.<ref name=SPC/> She later participated in survey duties off the coast of South Australia, before returning to Sydney on 29 April 1946.<ref name=SPC/>
The corvette received two battle honours for her wartime service: "Pacific 1942–45" and "New Guinea 1944".<ref name=newhonours>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=honourslist>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Fate
Rockhampton paid off to reserve on 5 August 1946, and was sold to Kino Shito (Australia) Pty Ltd for scrap on 6 January 1961.<ref name=SPC/> She departed Australia for Japan under tow by the tug Benton Maru in 1962.
Citations
References
- Books
- Journal and news articles