View source for Bathurst-class corvette

{{Short description|Class of corvette in use by Royal Australian Navy}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}}
{{Use Australian English|date=January 2012}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=[[File:Latrobe (AWM 044738).jpg|300px|{{HMAS|Latrobe}}]]
|Ship caption=HMAS ''Latrobe''
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
|Builders=
*[[Mort's Dock & Engineering Company|Mort's Dock]] (15)
*[[Evans Deakin & Company|Evans Deakin & Co.]] (11)
*[[Williamstown Dockyard|HMA Naval Dockyard]] (8)
*[[Cockatoo Docks & Engineering Company|Cockatoo Docks & Eng. Co.]] (7)
*[[Walkers Limited]] (7)
*[[Poole & Steel]] (7)
*[[Whyalla Steelworks|BHP Shipyards]] (3)
*[[State Dockyard]] (1)
|Operators= '''World War II'''
:{{Naval|Australia|1913}}
:{{naval|India|1928|name=Royal Indian Navy}}
'''Post-war'''
:{{naval|India}}
:{{naval|Indonesia}}
:{{naval|New Zealand|1941}}
:{{naval|Netherlands}}
:{{naval|Turkey}}
:{{naval|CHN}}
:{{naval|Pakistan}}{{citation needed|date=October 2014}}
|Class after={{sclass2|Ton|minesweeper|1}} (RAN)
|Cost=[[Australian pound|A£]]250,000 per vessel
|Built range=1940–1942
|In commission range=1940–1960 (RAN)
|Total ships completed=60
|Total ships cancelled=3, plus a 1938 prototype
|Total ships lost=5
|Total ships retired=
|Total ships preserved=2
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Ship type=Australian minesweeper ([[corvette]])
|Ship displacement=1,025&nbsp;tons (full war load)
|Ship length={{convert|186|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{convert|31|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship draught={{convert|8.5|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship propulsion=Triple expansion, 2 shafts. 2,000&nbsp;hp
|Ship speed={{convert|15|kn}}
|Ship range=
|Ship complement=Normally 85
|Ship sensors=Type 128 asdic
|Ship armament=*Varying, but generally:
*1 × [[QF 12-pounder 12 cwt naval gun|12-pounder (76-mm) gun]]
*or 1 × [[QF 4 inch Mk XIX naval gun|4&nbsp;inch (102-mm) Mk XIX gun]]
*1 × [[Bofors 40 mm Automatic Gun L/60|40 mm Bofors gun]]
*2–3 × [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon|20 mm Oerlikon guns]]
*up to 40 [[depth charge]]s
|Ship notes=Characteristics varied between vessels, see individual ships for details
}}
|}
The '''''Bathurst''-class corvettes''' were a [[ship class|class]] of general purpose vessels designed and built in Australia during World War II. Originally classified as [[minesweeper]]s, but widely referred to as [[corvette]]s, the ''Bathurst''-class vessels fulfilled a broad [[Anti-submarine warfare|anti-submarine]], [[Naval mine#Countermeasures|anti-mine]], and convoy escort role.

A total of 60 ''Bathurst''-class corvettes were built, at eight Australian shipyards: 36 were paid for by the Australian government and 24 were built on [[British Admiralty]] orders. Of these UK-owned vessels, 20 were officially commissioned into the [[Royal Australian Navy]] (RAN), and manned by RAN personnel, while four served in the [[Royal Indian Navy]]; none of the UK-owned vessels was commissioned into the Royal Navy. An order for three more ''Bathurst''s, to be constructed in India, was cancelled before they were laid down.

Although the ''Bathurst''s were designed for the anti-submarine and anti-mine roles, they also served as troop and supply transports, provided air defence for convoys and disabled ships, participated in [[Naval gunfire support|shore bombardments]], and undertook [[Hydrography|hydrographic surveys]]. Three ships were lost during the war: one to an air attack and two to collisions with friendly merchant ships. (Following the war, a fourth vessel sank after hitting a mine while sweeping the Great Barrier Reef.)

After the war, the Admiralty ships were sold to the [[Turkish Navy]], [[Royal Netherlands Navy]], and civilian operators, while several RAN-owned vessels were transferred to the [[Royal New Zealand Navy]], temporarily reactivated to facilitate National Service Training, or sold to civilians. Four of the Dutch ''Bathurst''s were transferred to the [[Indonesian Navy]]; one of these was destroyed in 1956 by [[Guided Democracy (1957–1965)|anti-government rebels]]. The rest of the RAN and Admiralty ships were [[Ship breaking|sold for scrap]] to help fund other projects. Two vessels are preserved as [[museum ship]]s.

==Background==
In 1937, in an initially-unrelated development, the [[Australian Commonwealth Naval Board]] (ACNB) approved the procurement of three [[boom defence vessel|net-laying]] boom defence vessels.<ref name="StevensACV103.4"/> However, in February 1938, the ACNB also identified a need for a [[ship class|class]] of general purpose, '[[local defence vessel]]s' that were easy to construct and operate. (This need emerged from plans for a training tender attached to the [[HMAS Rushcutter (naval base)|RAN anti-submarine warfare training school]].)<ref name=Hindsight1>''The Australian Corvettes'', p. 1</ref><ref name=StevensACV103>Stevens, ''A Critical Vulnerability'', p. 103</ref> The ships had to be capable of both [[anti-submarine warfare|anti-submarine]] and [[Naval mine#Mine sweeping|minesweeping]] duties.<ref name=StevensACV103/> Consequently, the number of {{sclass2|Bar|boom defence vessel|0}} boom defence vessels ordered was reduced to two, and resources for the third were re-allocated to a prototype local defence vessel.<ref name="StevensACV103.4"/>

During July 1938, the RAN Director of Engineering, Rear Admiral Percival McNeil, was instructed to develop plans for a local defence vessel, with a [[displacement (ship)|displacement]] of approximately 500 tons, a speed of at least {{convert|10|kn}}, and a range of {{convert|2000|nmi}}.<ref name="StevensACV103.4">Stevens, ''A Critical Vulnerability'', pp. 103–104</ref> McNeil completed his drawings in February 1939; his proposal called for a 680-ton vessel, with a speed of {{convert|15.5|kn}}, and a range of {{convert|2850|nmi}}.<ref name=Hindsight1/> McNeil's unbuilt prototype – sometimes known as HMAS&nbsp;''Kangaroo'' – more closely resembled a [[sloop-of-war|sloop]] than the original concept of a local defence vessel; the increase in size and speed also meant the vessel would have been more versatile than originally envisioned.<ref name=Hindsight1/> It would have been equipped with a 4-inch gun, [[ASDIC]] and either [[depth charge]] launchers or minesweeping equipment, depending on operational requirements.<ref name=Hindsight1/> In the meantime, however, the order for three net-laying vessels was re-instated before construction of McNeil's prototype could begin.<ref name=StevensACV104>Stevens, ''A Critical Vulnerability'', p. 104</ref> (The second of these Bar-class boom vessels to be commissioned was instead named {{HMAS|Kangaroo||2}}.)

[[File:HMAS FremantleSLV Green.jpg|thumb|left|{{HMAS|Fremantle|J246|6}}.]]
Although McNeil's "Kangaroo class" was never built, his general concept attracted interest in Australian naval circles, as it offered advantages over existing minesweeper and anti-submarine classes and could be built in Australia with local resources, with the exception of weapons and some specialised instrumentation.<ref name=Hindsight1/><ref name=StevensACV105>Stevens, ''A Critical Vulnerability'', p. 105</ref> Although not perfectly suited for any specific role, the all-round general capability for minesweeping, anti-submarine warfare, patrol, and escort duties was seen as a good short-term solution until better vessels could be requisitioned or constructed.<ref name=Donohue29>Donohue, ''From Empire Defence to the Long Haul'', p. 29</ref><ref name=StevensACV148>Stevens, ''A Critical Vulnerability'', p. 148</ref>

In September 1939, following the [[World War II#War breaks out in Europe (1939–40)|outbreak of war]], there was a new procurement process for seven ships of a design based on McNeil's concept.<ref name=Hindsight1/><ref name=StevensACV105/> Additional orders were soon placed by both the ACNB and the British [[Admiralty (United Kingdom)|Admiralty]], and a total of 60 ''Bathurst''-class ships were built, including 36 ordered by the RAN for home duties and 24 paid for by the Admiralty. Of these British-ordered vessels, 20 vessels were commissioned into the RAN and crewed by Australian personnel, on the understanding that they would be attached to [[Royal Navy]] fleets; a further four vessels were commissioned into the [[Royal Indian Navy]].<ref name=Donohue29/>

The ''Bathurst'' class were officially classified as "Australian Minesweepers" (AMS) to hide their intended primary role in anti-submarine duties, although the ''Bathurst''s were popularly referred to as [[corvette]]s.<ref name=Donohue29/><ref name=Stevens108>Stevens et al., ''The Royal Australian Navy'', p. 108</ref>

==Design==
{{expand section|A paragraph providing cited characteristics for the ships|date=August 2010}}
Each ship's company varied in size: the standard complement was 85{{Citation needed|date=March 2010}}, including 6 commissioned and 12 to 13 non-commissioned officers.<ref name=FrameBaker165>Frame & Baker, ''Mutiny!'', p. 165</ref> Over 20,000 personnel served on a ''Bathurst'' during the war: the early ships were primarily manned by reservists, while the majority of the 'Hostilities Only' personnel recruited during the war served on a ''Bathurst''-class vessel sometime during their career.<ref name=Donohue29/><ref>Stevens et al., ''The Royal Australian Navy'', p 115</ref> Sailors were accommodated in ten-man [[messdeck]]s, which were small, poorly lit rooms that were perpetually damp from seawater and sweat.<ref name=FrameBaker165/> In anything but calm weather, hatches and portholes would have to be closed: sunlight and fresh air was a rarity inside the hull.<ref name=FrameBaker165/> Because of the conditions, high rates of sickness (particularly [[pneumonia]] and [[tuberculosis]]) were experienced.<ref name=FrameBaker165/> Officers slept in cabins with bunks (as opposed to hammocks), and ate and relaxed in each ship's [[wardroom]], complete with bar and [[Steward's department|steward]] service. The difference in conditions between officers and sailors prompted tensions between these two groups.<ref name=FrameBaker165/>

Six large escort vessels based on a scaled-up version of the ''Bathurst'' design were considered for construction in mid-1941, but the design was determined to be inferior to the {{sclass2|River|frigate}}.<ref name=StevensACV166>Stevens, ''A Critical Vulnerability'', .p 166</ref>

===Armament and equipment===
The most common armament for ''Bathurst''-class corvettes was a [[QF 12 pounder 12 cwt naval gun|12-pounder gun]] or a [[QF 4 inch Mk XIX naval gun|4-inch Mark XIX high-angle gun]], three [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon]]s, two [[Lewis Gun|Lewis .303 machine guns]], and two [[Vickers machine gun|.303 Vickers machine guns]].<ref name="SPC-Goulburn"/><ref name="SPC-Glenelg"/><ref name=Lind173>Lind, ''The Royal Australian Navy – Historical Naval Events Year by Year'', p. 173</ref> The corvettes carried up to 40 [[depth charge]]s, which were [[Depth charge#Delivery mechanisms|deployed by]] 4 throwers and 2 chutes.<ref name="SPC-Goulburn">''HMAS Goulburn – HMA Ship Histories''</ref><ref name="SPC-Glenelg">''HMAS Glenelg – HMA Ship Histories''</ref> Many of the 12-pounder carrying corvettes were refitted with the 4-inch during their service life, while one of the Oerlikons was often replaced with a [[Bofors 40 mm Automatic Gun L/60|Bofors 40 mm gun]].<ref name="SPC-Gympie">''HMAS Gympie – HMA Ship Histories''</ref> ''Bathurst''s equipped with the 4-inch main gun were primarily allocated to northern waters, because of the increased air threat and the greater anti-aircraft capabilities of the 4-inch compared to the 12-pounder gun mounted on other corvettes.<ref name=StevensACV228>Stevens, ''A Critical Vulnerability'', p. 228</ref>

[[File:HMAS Cowra gun crew (109986).jpg|thumb|left|{{HMAS|Cowra}}'s [[QF 4 inch Mk XIX naval gun|4-inch Mk XIX gun]] during a training exercise in 1945]]
Due to the variety of shipyards constructing the corvettes, as well as the varying roles the ''Bathurst''s were pressed into, there was no true standardisation of armament. Some ships varied significantly from the common armament profile, while an individual ship's weapons outfit could vary significantly for different periods of her career.<ref name=Lind173/> At one stage, {{HMAS|Geraldton|J178|6}} carried six Oerlikon cannons, a number later reduced to four.<ref name="SPC-Geraldton1">''HMAS Geraldton (I) – HMA Ship Histories''</ref> By comparison, the outfit of {{HMAS|Junee}} consisted of a single 4-inch gun and a single 40&nbsp;mm gun.<ref name="SPC-Junee">''HMAS Junee – HMA Ship Histories''</ref>

The ''Bathurst''s were equipped with modified Type 128 asdic equipment, redesigned to be used without a gyroscopic stabiliser.<ref>Stevens, ''A Critical Vulnerability'', pp 154–155</ref> Minesweeping equipment also varied across the class: ships equipped with the newer 'LL' minesweeping gear were distributed as evenly as possible throughout major Australian ports.<ref name=StevensACV228/>

Each was fitted with a [[triple expansion steam engine]] (usually fabricated by railway workshops) to drive two propellers at a theoretical maximum speed of {{convert|15.5|kn}}, although this required ideal conditions and was rarely achieved.<ref name=FrameBaker164>Frame & Baker, ''Mutiny!'', p. 164</ref>

==Construction==
[[File:Morts Dock 1941 (009316).jpg|thumb|right|Minutes after the launch of {{HMAS|Deloraine}} at [[Mort's Dock & Engineering Company]] workers begin preparations to lay down the next vessel.]]
Construction of the ships required a significant expansion of the Australian shipbuilding industry. This was achieved by bringing disused dockyards back into production and establishing new facilities.<ref>Mellor, ''The Role of Science and Industry'', p. 455</ref> The lead shipyard was [[Cockatoo Docks & Engineering Company]] in Sydney, which laid down the first ship, {{HMAS|Bathurst|J158|6}}, in February 1940, and produced a further seven vessels.<ref name=Stevens108/><ref name=StevensACV152>Stevens, ''A Critical Vulnerability'', p. 152</ref><ref name=Mellor457>Mellor, ''The Role of Science and Industry'', p. 457</ref> The other seven shipyards involved were [[Walkers Limited]] in [[Maryborough, Queensland]] (7 ships), [[Evans Deakin & Company]] in Brisbane (11 ships), [[Mort's Dock & Engineering Company]] in Sydney (14 ships), [[Poole & Steel]] in Sydney (7 ships), [[State Dockyard]] at [[Newcastle, New South Wales]] (1 ship), [[Williamstown Dockyard|HMA Naval Dockyard]] at [[Williamstown, Victoria]] (8 ships), and [[Whyalla Steelworks|BHP]] at [[Whyalla]], [[South Australia]] (4 ships).<ref name=Mellor457/><ref name="Gill104">Gill, ''Royal Australian Navy, 1942–1945'', p. 104</ref> Each ship cost approximately [[Australian pound|A£]]250,000 to build.<ref name=Stevensopp112/>

The initial rate of construction was slow, due to a variety of factors: delays in equipment delivery from overseas, industrial problems, a lack of qualified labour, and the difficulty of naval overseers in supporting all eight shipyards at once primary among them.<ref name=Hindsight1/><ref name=StevensACV152/> The initial prediction was that two vessels per month would enter service through 1941, but by June 1940, only five of the seventeen ordered so far had been laid down, and the RAN was advised at the end of 1940 that only seven would be completed December 1940.<ref name=StevensACV152/> The prioritisation of Admiralty orders by the Australian government meant that RAN-ordered ships were further delayed, although the Admiralty later allowed the first four of their ships to remain in local waters until replacements entered service.<ref name=Hindsight1/> Rate of construction increased by late 1941, although the increasing need of shipbuilding resources for repairs as the war progressed slowed the rate of construction back down.<ref>Stevens et al., ''The Royal Australian Navy'', pgs. 121, 132</ref> The corvette's build time was comparable to that of an {{sclass|Essex|aircraft carrier}}; the fourteen-month construction time for {{USS|Franklin|CV-13|6}} was equal to or faster than the individual build time of half the corvettes.<ref>Colebatch, ''The enemy within that killed Curtin''</ref>

Three additional ''Bathurst''s were to be built for the Royal Indian Navy by [[Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers|Garden Reach]] of Calcutta.<ref name=Lenton258>Lenton,''British and Empire Warships of the Second World War'', p. 258</ref> All three were laid down on 3 May 1943, but were cancelled and broken up on the slipways in March 1945.<ref name=Lenton258/> Instead, three [[Flower-class corvette]]s were transferred from the Royal Navy to India.<ref name=Lenton258/>

==Role==
The two main purposes the ships were intended for were minesweeping and anti-submarine escort. However, the corvettes found themselves performing a wide range of duties, including troop and supply transport, bombardment, assault landings support, survey and hydrography mapping, and providing aid to disabled ships.<ref name=Donohue29/><ref name=OxCom78>Dennis et al, ''The Oxford Companion to Australian military history'', p. 78</ref> The ''Bathurst''s were seen as 'maids of all work' by the RAN, even though the design was inappropriate for some roles; being too small, too slow, or inadequately armed or equipped.<ref name=Stevens108/> It was not until March 1943 that sufficient ships were available to take the individual variations and capabilities of the ''Bathurst''s into account: prior to this, they were the first (and often only) available vessel.<ref name=StevensACV227>Stevens, ''A Critical Vulnerability'', p 227</ref>

Because of the dual, conflicting roles of local defence vessel and ocean-going escort, ''Bathurst''s based in Australia were under two different controllers for the first part of the Pacific War; operationally under the US Navy's Naval Commander [[South West Pacific Area]] Forces (COMSOUWESTPAC), and administratively under the Naval Officer In Charge (NOIC) of the ship's homeport.<ref name=StevensACV188>Stevens, ''A Critical Vulnerability'', p. 188</ref> Following multiple incidents where a ship would be assigned to two different tasks simultaneously; conflicts between local needs, escort schedules, and maintenance requirements; and protests from the NOIC in Fremantle and Darwin, the Australian-based corvettes were placed completely under NOIC control in May 1942.<ref name=StevensACV189>Stevens, ''A Critical Vulnerability'', p. 189</ref> Instead of directly assigning ships to convoys, COMSOUWESTPAC would indicate that ships would be needed from a particular port for escort duties, leaving the NOIC of that port free to allocate available ships.<ref name=StevensACV189/>

''Bathurst''-class ships were assigned up to three different [[pennant number]]s during the course of their career. With the exception of {{HMAS|Ararat|K34}}, all of the ''Bathurst''-class corvettes were given numbers with the 'J' [[Pennant number#Flag superiors|flag superior]], designating them as minesweepers.<ref name=Lind315>Lind, ''The Royal Australian Navy – Historic Naval Events Year by Year'', p 315</ref> Ships of the class that served with the [[British Pacific Fleet]], like many other ships serving with the fleet, had their pennant numbers changed to ones with a 'B' flag superior.<ref name=Lind315/> At the end of World War II, a reorganisation of the pennant system saw the Bathursts given new numbers with 'M' as the flag superior, which was the new designator for minesweepers.<ref name=Lind315/>

==Operational history==

===World War II===
In the early part of their war service, ''Bathurst''s were involved in the evacuation of several locations which fell to the initial Japanese advance, and in the transportation of supplies and reinforcements to Australian and Dutch guerrilla operations in [[Timor]].<ref>Stevens et al., ''The Royal Australian Navy'', pp. 129–30</ref> {{HMAS|Armidale|J240|6}} was the only ship of the class destroyed by enemy action;<ref name=Stevensopp112/> she was sunk by torpedoes from Japanese aircraft on the afternoon of 1 December 1942 while transporting personnel of the Netherlands East Indies Army to [[Betano]], Timor.<ref>''HMAS Armidale (I) – HMA Ship Histories''</ref> It was for exemplary courage during this action that [[Ordinary Seaman]] [[Teddy Sheean]] was awarded, posthumously, the [[Victoria Cross]].

The ''Bathurst''s were involved in several attacks on submarines during the war.<ref name=Hindsight2/> On 20 January 1942, the {{Jsub|I-124}} was sunk outside Darwin.<ref name=StevensACV183>Stevens, ''A Critical Vulnerability'', p. 183</ref> This, the first RAN kill of a full-size submarine, was credited to {{HMAS|Deloraine}}, with sister ships {{HMAS|Katoomba||2}} and {{HMAS|Lithgow|J206|2}} assisting.<ref name=StevensACV183/> On 11 September 1943, {{HMAS|Wollongong|J172|6}} assisted in the destruction of the German submarine {{GS|U-617||2}}.<ref name=OxCom78/> On 11 February 1944, the corvettes {{HMAS|Ipswich|J186|2}} and {{HMAS|Launceston|J179|2}}, along with the Indian sloop {{HMIS|Jumna|U21|6}}, were responsible for the sinking of the {{Jsub|Ro-110}} in the Bay of Bengal.<ref>Stevens et al., ''The Royal Australian Navy'', p. 148</ref>

In November 1942, an Indian ''Bathurst'', {{HMIS|Bengal|J243|6}}, along with the Dutch tanker {{MV|Ondina||2}} she was escorting, engaged and sank the Japanese commerce raider {{ship||Hōkoku Maru}}, and drove off her sister ship {{ship||Aikoku Maru|1940|2}}.<ref name=Visser>{{cite web |last=Visser |first=Jan |url=https://warfare.gq/dutcheastindies/ondina.html |title=The Ondina Story |date=1999–2000 |work=Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110321233336/http://www.dutcheastindies.webs.com/ondina.html |archive-date=21 March 2011 }}</ref>

In early 1943, HMA Ships {{HMAS|Benalla|J323|2}} and {{HMAS|Shepparton|J248|2}} were modified to serve as [[hydrographic survey]] ships.<ref name=Hindsight2/> The corvettes were assigned to Task Group 70.5 of the [[United States Seventh Fleet]], and were used to survey waters prior to several amphibious landings during the war.<ref name=Hindsight2/>

Eight corvettes were deployed to the Mediterranean in May 1943.<ref name=Stevens141>Stevens et al., ''The Royal Australian Navy'', p. 141</ref> Their anti-aircraft armament made them appropriate for escort duties during the [[Allied invasion of Sicily]].<ref name=Stevens141/> A month later, four Bathursts were part of an eight-ship escort for a 40-strong convoy to Gibraltar when it was attacked by 50 German torpedo bombers; the corvettes' air defence destroyed nine aircraft, and only two merchant ships received damage.<ref name=Hindsight2/> During their time in the Mediterranean, several corvettes reached the Atlantic Ocean.<ref name=Hindsight2/>

[[File:Hmas bendigo.jpg|thumb|right|{{HMAS|Bendigo|J187|6}}, one of 18 ''Bathurst''-class corvettes assigned to the British Pacific Fleet, underway in 1945]]
In early 1945, eighteen ''Bathurst''-class corvettes were assigned to the [[British Pacific Fleet]].<ref>Dennis et al, ''The Oxford Companion to Australian military history'', p. 113</ref> Eight of these ships cleared [[Victoria Harbour]] before the BPF arrived in Hong Kong at the end of the [[Japanese occupation of Hong Kong|Japanese occupation]], while three-{{HMAS|Ballarat|J184|2}}, {{HMAS|Cessnock|J175|2}}, and {{HMAS|Ipswich|J186|2}}-were present in [[Tokyo Bay]] when the [[Japanese Instrument of Surrender]] was signed.<ref name=Hindsight2>''The Australian Corvettes'', p. 2</ref><ref>''Allied Ships Present in Tokyo Bay During the Surrender Ceremony, 2 September 1945''</ref>

The poor working and living conditions aboard the ships, combined with the heavy and often difficult workloads, led to [[mutiny|mutinous acts]] aboard four ships during the war: {{HMAS|Toowoomba|J157|2}}, {{HMAS|Lithgow|J206|2}}, {{HMAS|Geraldton|J178|2}}, and {{HMAS|Pirie|J189|2}}.<ref name=FrameBaker161>Frame & Baker, ''Mutiny!'', p. 161</ref> The incidents in ''Geraldton'' and ''Lithgow'' were minor and resolved without disciplinary charges, while the 'mutiny' aboard ''Toowoomba'' was caused by a lack of communication: after a hard day loading supplies, the sailors did not respond to an order to assemble on the quarterdeck as they felt they had laboured enough that day, but changed their mind when informed that the order to assemble was so the captain could thank them for their efforts, and reward them with drinks.<ref name=FrameBaker161/> However, the ''Pirie'' mutiny was far more serious: the ship's company were unable to respect their commanding officer, who was an ineffective leader but an overly strict disciplinarian with a [[superiority complex]].<ref>Frame & Baker, ''Mutiny!'', pp. 164–7</ref> This lack of respect was compounded while repairs were made to the corvette following an air attack off [[Oro Bay]] in April 1943, when the captain forced the rest of the company to live aboard, while he took residence at a hotel.<ref name=FrameBaker171>Frame & Baker, ''Mutiny!'' p. 171</ref> A lack of pay, mail, and shore leave contributed to the sailors' frustration, and in response, 45 junior sailors refused to report for duties on 9 May until they could present their grievances to the commander.<ref name=FrameBaker173>Frame & Baker, ''Mutiny!'' p. 173</ref> In response, he had the ship surrounded by armed guards and disabled the main gun.<ref name=FrameBaker173/> A [[Board of Inquiry]] failed to identify any ringleaders, and the problem was handed back to ''Pirie''{{'}}s commander to solve as he saw fit: fourteen men were charged with mutiny, with ten sent to prison.<ref>Frame & Baker, ''Mutiny!'' pp. 179–80</ref> Relationships between commander and company did not improve until he was replaced at the end of 1943 for his botched handling of the event.<ref>Frame & Baker, ''Mutiny!'' pp. 182–4</ref>

Only three ''Bathurst''-class corvettes were lost during World War II.<ref name=Stevensopp112>Stevens et al., ''The Royal Australian Navy'', opp. p. 112</ref> As well as ''Armidale'', the other two ships were lost following collisions with merchant vessels of the United States: {{HMAS|Wallaroo}} in June 1943, and {{HMAS|Geelong|J201|6}} in October 1944.<ref name=Stevensopp112/>

===Post-war===
[[File:HMAS Warrnambool sinking 1947.jpg|thumb|left|{{HMAS|Warrnambool|J202|6}} sinking after she struck a mine on 13&nbsp;September 1947]]
After the war, the 20 Admiralty-owned vessels were disposed of; five to the [[Turkish Navy]], eight to the [[Royal Netherlands Navy]], and one to China, with the rest converted and sold for civilian use or broken up for scrap.<ref name=Donohue29/> Four of the Dutch Bathursts were later sold on to the [[Indonesian Navy]].<ref name=Donohue29/> One of these, {{HMAS|Ipswich|J186|6}}, renamed KRI ''Hang Tuah'', was bombed and sunk on 28 April 1958 by a [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]]-operated [[Douglas A-26 Invader|Douglas B-26 Invader]] operating in support of [[Permesta]] rebels opposed to the [[Guided Democracy in Indonesia]] established the previous year.{{sfn|Conboy|Morrison|1999|p=116}}{{sfn|Lind|1986|p=236}}

[[File:HMAS Junee.jpg|thumb|right|{{HMAS|Junee}}, modified for service as a training ship, underway in 1954]]
Of the 33 surviving RAN vessels, twelve were formed into the [[20th Minesweeping Flotilla]] and [[Royal Australian Navy minesweeping after World War II|tasked with clearing minefields]] deployed during the war in the waters of Australia, New Guinea, and the Solomons.<ref name=Donohue29/> {{HMAS|Warrnambool|J202|6}} was sunk by an Australian mine in the Great Barrier Reef in September 1947.<ref name=Hindsight2/> Several ships were also used to transport soldiers and liberated prisoners of war.<ref name=Hindsight2/> The corvettes were then placed in operational reserve, with the intention that they be reactivated for escort work in the event of another war or international crisis.<ref>Stevens et al, ''The Royal Australian Navy'', p. 162</ref> Most were sold off during the 1950s, including four to the [[Royal New Zealand Navy]], to help offset the cost of acquiring and operating two aircraft carriers.<ref>Stevens et al., ''The Royal Australian Navy'', pp. 169–70</ref><ref>''HMAS Inverell (I) – HMA Ship Histories''</ref> Four corvettes ({{HMAS|Colac||2}}, {{HMAS|Cowra||2}}, {{HMAS|Gladstone|J324|2}}, and {{HMAS|Latrobe||2}}) were recommissioned in 1951 as training vessels for the [[National Service Act 1951|National Service Program]].<ref name=Stevens172>Stevens et al., ''The Royal Australian Navy'', p. 172</ref> {{HMAS|Junee||2}} was reactivated in 1953 for the same purpose.<ref name="SPC-Junee"/> The RAN component of the program ended in 1957.<ref name=Stevens172/>

The last ship to leave RAN service was {{HMAS|Wagga}} on 28 October 1960.<ref name="SPC-Wagga">''HMAS Wagga – HMA Ship Histories''</ref> The gradual loss of minesweeping-capable ships was not rectified until late 1962, when the RAN purchased six {{sclass2|Ton|minesweeper|1}}s from the [[Royal Navy]].<ref name=Stevens189>Stevens et al., ''The Royal Australian Navy'', p. 189</ref>

The 56 corvettes commissioned as Australian vessels travelled a combined total of {{convert|6700000|nmi}} during their service with the RAN.<ref name=plaque/> A total of 83 personnel were killed in service across the entire service life of the class.<ref name=plaque>Information plaque, ''Corvettes'' memorial, [[Royal Australian Navy Heritage Centre]]</ref>

==Operators==
[[File:HMAS-Castlemaine-1.jpg|thumb|right|upright|{{HMAS|Castlemaine}} on display in [[Williamstown, Victoria]]. ''Castlemaine'' is one of two ''Bathurst''-class corvettes preserved as [[museum ship]]s.]]
{{Main article|List of Bathurst class corvettes}}
===World War II===
* [[Royal Australian Navy]]
* [[Royal Indian Navy]]; later [[Indian Navy]]

===Post-war===
* [[Indonesian Navy]]
* [[Royal New Zealand Navy]]
* [[Royal Netherlands Navy]]
* [[Turkish Navy]]
* [[Pakistan Navy]]{{citation needed|date=October 2014}}
* Civilian operators; one vessel later acquired by [[People's Liberation Army Navy]]

==Surviving examples and monuments==
Of the 60 vessels, only two examples remain.<ref name="CLinks">''Corvette Links''</ref> {{HMAS|Castlemaine}} is a [[museum ship]] in [[Williamstown, Victoria]].<ref name="CLinks"/> {{HMAS|Whyalla|J153|6}} is a land-based tourist attraction in [[Whyalla]].<ref name="CLinks"/>

[[File:Bathurst class corvette window.JPG|thumb|upright|Stained-glass window listing the names of the ''Bathurst''-class corvettes serving in the [[Royal Australian Navy|RAN]] during [[World War II]]]]
A monument to the 56 Australian-operated corvettes is located at the [[Royal Australian Navy Heritage Centre]], at Garden Island, Sydney. The monument, ''Corvettes'', was unveiled by Rear Admiral [[Peter Sinclair (governor)|Peter Sinclair]] on 12 November 1995.<ref name=plaque/> Also at Garden Island, Sydney, a stained glass window listing the names of the corvettes frames the upper balcony doors of the [[Garden Island Naval Chapel|Naval Chapel]].<ref>Nesdale, ''The Corvettes'', p. vii</ref>

The Royal Australian Navy Corvettes memorial at the [[Fremantle War Memorial]] was dedicated on 7 October 1984.<ref>[https://monumentaustralia.org.au/search/display/60507-royal-australian-navy-corvettes Royal Australian Navy Corvettes] monumentaustralia.org.au, Retrieved 24 March 2021</ref>

==See also==

*[[List of ship classes of the Second World War]]

==Citations==
{{reflist}}

==References==
===Books===
*{{cite book |last1=Conboy |first1=Kenneth |last2=Morrison |first2=James |year=1999 |title=Feet to the Fire CIA Covert Operations in Indonesia, 1957–1958 |location=Annapolis |publisher=[[United States Naval Institute|Naval Institute Press]] |isbn=1-55750-193-9 |page=116 }}
*{{cite book |last=Donohue |first=Hector |title=From Empire Defence to the Long Haul: post-war defence policy and its impact on naval force structure planning 1945–1955 |series=Papers in Australian Maritime Affairs |volume=1 |date=October 1996 |publisher=Sea Power Centre |location=Canberra |isbn=0-642-25907-0 |issn=1327-5658 |oclc=36817771}}
*{{cite book |last=Frame |first=Tom |author2=Baker, Kevin |title=Mutiny! Naval Insurrections in Australia and New Zealand |publisher=[[Allen & Unwin]] |location=St. Leonards, NSW |year=2000 |isbn=1-86508-351-8 |oclc=46882022}}
*{{cite book |last=Gill |first=G. Hermon |title=Royal Australian Navy, 1942–1945 |year=1968|url=https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG1070208/|series=[[Australia in the War of 1939–1945]]. Series 2&nbsp;– Navy|volume=II|publisher=Australian War Memorial |location=Canberra|oclc=848228}}
*{{cite book |last=Lenton |first=H. T. |title=British and Empire Warships of the Second World War |year=1998 |publisher=Greenhill Books |location=London |isbn=1-85367-277-7}}
*{{cite book |last=Lind |first=Lew |title=The Royal Australian Navy – Historic Naval Events Year by Year |orig-year=1982 |edition=2nd |year=1986 |publisher=Reed Books |location=Frenchs Forest, NSW |isbn=0-7301-0071-5 |oclc=16922225 }}
*{{cite book |last=Mellor |first=David Paver |title=The Role of Science and Industry |url=https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG1070217/ |series=Australia in the War of 1939–1945, Series 4 – Civil|volume=V |year=1958 |publisher=Australian War Memorial |location=Canberra |oclc=4092792}}
* {{cite book |last=Nesdale |first=Iris|title=The Corvettes: Forgotten Ships of the Royal Australian Navy|year=1982 |publisher=Iris Nesdale |location=Adelaide |isbn=0949552003}}
*{{cite book |last=Stevens |first=David |title=A Critical Vulnerability: the impact of the submarine threat on Australia's maritime defence 1915–1954 |series=Papers in Australian Maritime Affairs |volume=15 |year=2005 |publisher=Sea Power Centre Australia |location=Canberra |isbn=0-642-29625-1 |oclc=62548623 |issn=1327-5658}}
*{{cite book |author=Stevens, David |author2=Sears, Jason|author3= Goldrick, James|author4= Cooper, Alastair|author5= Jones, Peter|author6= Spurling, Kathryn |editor=Stevens, David |title=The Royal Australian Navy |series=The Australian Centenary History of Defence (vol III) |year=2001 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |location=South Melbourne |isbn=0-19-554116-2 |oclc=50418095}}

===News and journal articles===
*{{cite news|title=The enemy within that killed Curtin |last=Colebatch |first=Hal G.P. |author-link=Hal Gibson Pateshall Colebatch |date=25 April 2007 |work=[[Sydney Morning Herald]]}}
*{{cite journal|last=Stevens |first=David |date=May 2010 |title=The Australian Corvettes |journal=Hindsight (Semaphore) |publisher=Sea Power Centre – Australia |volume=2010 |issue=5 |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/w/images/Semaphore_2010_5.pdf |access-date=13 August 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110320183407/http://www.navy.gov.au/w/images/Semaphore_2010_5.pdf |archive-date=20 March 2011 }}

===Websites and other media===
*{{cite web|url=http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq69-2.htm |title=Allied Ships Present in Tokyo Bay During the Surrender Ceremony, 2 September 1945 |access-date=13 August 2010 |date=27 May 2005 |publisher=Naval Historical Center – U.S. Navy |quote=Taken from ''Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet and Pacific Ocean Areas (CINCPAC/CINCPOA) A16-3/FF12 Serial 0395, 11 February 1946: Report of Surrender and Occupation of Japan'' |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100814153739/http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq69-2.htm |archive-date=14 August 2010 |url-status=dead }}
*{{cite web |url=http://home.vicnet.net.au/~mildura/Corvette_links.htm |title=Corvette Links |access-date=29 January 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090826062604/http://home.vicnet.net.au/~mildura/Corvette_links.htm |archive-date=26 August 2009 }}
*[http://www.navy.gov.au/fleet/ships-boats-craft/available-ship-histories Ship Histories]. Sea Power Centre – Royal Australian Navy.
**{{cite web |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/hmas-armidale-i |title=HMAS Armidale (I) |access-date=5 October 2012 |work=HMA Ship Histories |publisher=Sea Power Centre – Royal Australian Navy |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100211171407/http://www.navy.gov.au/HMAS_Armidale_%28I%29 |archive-date=11 February 2010 |url-status=live }}
**{{cite web |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/hmas-geraldton-i |title=HMAS Geraldton (I) |access-date=5 October 2012 |work=HMA Ship Histories |publisher=Sea Power Centre – Royal Australian Navy |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100115034329/http://www.navy.gov.au/HMAS_Geraldton_%28I%29 |archive-date=15 January 2010 |url-status=live }}
**{{cite web |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/hmas-glenelg-i |title=HMAS Glenelg (I) |access-date=5 October 2012 |work=HMA Ship Histories |publisher=Sea Power Centre – Royal Australian Navy |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100211170656/http://www.navy.gov.au/HMAS_Glenelg_%28I%29 |archive-date=11 February 2010 |url-status=live }}
**{{cite web |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/hmas-goulburn-i |title=HMAS Goulburn (I) |access-date=5 October 2012 |work=HMA Ship Histories |publisher=Sea Power Centre – Royal Australian Navy |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100211004326/http://www.navy.gov.au/HMAS_Goulburn_%28I%29 |archive-date=11 February 2010 |url-status=dead }}
**{{cite web |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/hmas-gympie-i |title=HMAS Gympie (I) |access-date=5 October 2012 |work=HMA Ship Histories |publisher=Sea Power Centre – Royal Australian Navy |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100820191900/http://www.navy.gov.au/HMAS_Gympie_%28I%29 |archive-date=20 August 2010 |url-status=dead }}
**{{cite web |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/hmas-inverell-i |title=HMAS Inverell (I) |access-date=5 October 2012 |work=HMA Ship Histories |publisher=Sea Power Centre – Royal Australian Navy |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105161516/http://www.navy.gov.au/hmas-inverell-i |archive-date=5 November 2012 }}
**{{cite web |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/hmas-junee-i |title=HMAS Junee |access-date=5 October 2012 |work=HMA Ship Histories |publisher=Sea Power Centre – Royal Australian Navy |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100117084159/http://www.navy.gov.au/HMAS_Junee_%28I%29 |archive-date=17 January 2010 |url-status=dead }}
**{{cite web|url=https://www.navy.gov.au/hmas-wagga|title=HMAS Wagga |access-date=20 December 2021 |work=HMA Ship Histories |publisher=Sea Power Centre – Royal Australian Navy }}
* {{cite web |first= Klemen |last= L |date= 2000 |title= Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941–1942 |url= https://warfare.gq/dutcheastindies/index.html }}

==Further reading==
{{Commons category|Bathurst class corvettes}}
*{{cite book |last1=Briggs |first1=Mark |editor1-last=Jordan |editor1-first=John |title=Warship 2022 |date=2022 |publisher=Osprey Publishing |location=Oxford|pages=178–190 |isbn=978-1-4728-4781-2 |chapter=The Australian ''Bathurst''-class Minesweeper Corvette}}
*{{cite book |last1=Henshaw |first1=John |title=Capable Beyond our Dreams: Australia's Bathurst - Class Corvettes 1940 - 1960 |date=2021 |publisher=Sea Power Centre – Australia |location=Canberra |isbn=978-0-9807774-1-3 |url=https://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Capable_Beyond_Our_Dreams.pdf}}

{{Bathurst class corvette}}
{{WWII Australian ships}}
{{Ship classes of the Indian Navy}}

[[Category:Bathurst-class corvettes| ]]
[[Category:Corvette classes]]
[[Category:Mine warfare vessel classes]]
[[Category:Ship classes of the Royal Navy]]