HMAS Lithgow: Difference between revisions

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imported>Saberwyn
moved HMAS Lithgow to HMAS Lithgow (J206): Proactive disambiguation by hull pennant, per conventions
 
imported>Monkbot
m top: task 22: convert table-based ship infobox to {{Infobox ship}};
 
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#REDIRECT [[HMAS Lithgow (J206)]]
{{Short description|1940 Bathurst-class corvette}}
{{Use Australian English|date=April 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox ship
|section1={{Infobox ship/image
|image=HMAS Lithgow 041264.jpg
|image_caption=HMAS ''Lithgow ''at Milne Bay, Papua during 1943
}}
 
|section2={{Infobox ship/career
|country=Australia
|flag={{shipboxflag|Australia|naval-1913}}
|namesake=City of [[Lithgow, New South Wales]]
|builder=Mort's Dock & Engineering Co in Sydney
|laid_down=19 August 1940
|launched=21 December 1940
|commissioned=14 June 1941
|decommissioned=8 June 1948
|motto=
|nickname=
|honours=*'''Battle honours:'''
          *[[Air raids on Australia, 1942–43|Darwin]] 1942
          *[[South West Pacific theatre of World War II|Pacific]] 1941–45
          *[[New Guinea campaign|New Guinea]] 1942–44
|fate=Sold for scrap in 1956
|notes=
|badge=
}}
 
|section3={{Infobox ship/characteristics
|class=[[Bathurst-class corvette|''Bathurst''-class corvette]]
|displacement=650 tons (standard), 1,025 tons (full war load)
|length={{convert|186|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|beam={{convert|31|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|draught={{convert|10|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|propulsion=triple expansion engine, 2 shafts
|speed={{convert|15|kn}} at 1,750 hp
|complement=85
|sensors=
|armament=1 × [[QF 4 inch Mk XIX naval gun|4 inch Mk XIX]] gun, 3 × [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon]]s
|notes=
}}
}}
'''HMAS ''Lithgow'' (J206/M206)''', named for the city of [[Lithgow, New South Wales]], Australia was one of 60 [[Bathurst-class corvette|''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>{{cite web |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/hmas-lithgow |title=HMAS Lithgow |access-date=15 September 2008 |publisher=Sea Power Centre Australia}}</ref>
 
==Design and construction==
{{main|Bathurst-class corvette}}
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 (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. 103–4</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 {{convert|15.5|kn}} top speed, and a range of {{convert|2850|nmi}}, armed with a 4-inch gun, equipped with [[asdic]], and able to fitted with either [[depth charge]]s or [[Naval mine#Mine sweeping|minesweeping]] equipment depending on the planned operations: although closer in size to a [[sloop-of-war|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 {{HMAS|Kangaroo||6}} 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 ''Lithgow'') 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/>
 
''Lithgow'' was laid down by Morts Dock & Engineering Co at [[Mort's Dock]] in [[Balmain, New South Wales]] on 19 August 1940.<ref name=SPC/> She was  launched on 21 December 1940, and commissioned into the RAN on 14 June 1941.<ref name=SPC/>
 
==Operational history==
''Lithgow'', in company with {{USS|Edsall|DD-219|6}}, {{HMAS|Katoomba}}, and {{HMAS|Deloraine}}, sank the enemy [[Japanese submarine I-124|Japanese submarine ''I-124'']] off [[Darwin, Northern Territory|Darwin]], the first enemy submarine sunk in Australian waters, on 20 January 1942.<ref name=SPC/>
 
In May 1943, ''Lithgow'' was one of several ships to search for survivors following the torpedoing of [[AHS Centaur|AHS ''Centaur'']], with no success.<ref>{{cite book |last=Smith |first=A.E. |title=Three Minutes of Time – the torpedoing of the Australian Hospital Ship Centaur |orig-year=1991 |edition=Second Printing |date=May 1992 |publisher=Tasman Press |location=Miami, QLD |isbn=0-646-07631-0}}</ref>
 
The corvette received three [[battle honour]]s for her wartime service: "Darwin 1942", "Pacific 1941–45", and "New Guinea 1942–44".<ref name=newhonours>{{cite news |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/Navy_Marks_109th_Birthday_With_Historic_Changes_To_Battle_Honours |title=Navy Marks 109th Birthday With Historic Changes To Battle Honours |date=1 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110613184920/http://www.navy.gov.au/Navy_Marks_109th_Birthday_With_Historic_Changes_To_Battle_Honours |archive-date=13 June 2011 |publisher=Royal Australian Navy |access-date=23 December 2012}}</ref><ref name=honourslist>{{cite web |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/w/images/Units_entitlement_list.pdf |title=Royal Australian Navy Ship/Unit Battle Honours |date=1 March 2010 |publisher=Royal Australian Navy |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614064156/http://www.navy.gov.au/w/images/Units_entitlement_list.pdf |archive-date=14 June 2011 |access-date=23 December 2012}}</ref>
 
==Fate==
''Lithgow'' paid off to reserve on 8 June 1948 and was sold for scrap to the Hong Kong Delta Shipping Company on 8 August 1956.<ref name=SPC/>
 
==Citations==
{{reflist}}
 
==References==
;Books
*{{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=Stevens |first=David |title=A Critical Vulnerability: the impact of the submarine threat on Australia's maritime defense 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, VIC |isbn=0-19-554116-2 |oclc=50418095}}
 
;Journal and news articles
*{{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 }}
 
==External links==
{{Commons category|HMAS Lithgow (J206)}}
 
{{Bathurst class corvette}}
 
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lithgow (J206)}}
[[Category:Bathurst-class corvettes of the Royal Australian Navy]]
[[Category:Ships built in New South Wales]]
[[Category:1940 ships]]
[[Category:World War II corvettes of Australia]]

Latest revision as of 23:15, 14 December 2025

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HMAS Lithgow (J206/M206), named for the city of Lithgow, New South Wales, Australia 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).[1]

Design and construction

Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". 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.[2][3] The vessel was initially envisaged as having a displacement of approximately 500 tons, a speed of at least Script error: No such module "convert"., and a range of Script error: No such module "convert".[4] 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 Script error: No such module "convert". top speed, and a range of Script error: No such module "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.[2][5] Construction of the prototype Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities". did not go ahead, but the plans were retained.[6] 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 Lithgow) ordered by the RAN, 20 ordered by the British Admiralty but manned and commissioned as RAN vessels, and 4 for the Royal Indian Navy.[2][7][8][9][1]

Lithgow was laid down by Morts Dock & Engineering Co at Mort's Dock in Balmain, New South Wales on 19 August 1940.[1] She was launched on 21 December 1940, and commissioned into the RAN on 14 June 1941.[1]

Operational history

Lithgow, in company with Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities"., Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities"., and Script error: No such module "WPSHIPS utilities"., sank the enemy Japanese submarine I-124 off Darwin, the first enemy submarine sunk in Australian waters, on 20 January 1942.[1]

In May 1943, Lithgow was one of several ships to search for survivors following the torpedoing of AHS Centaur, with no success.[10]

The corvette received three battle honours for her wartime service: "Darwin 1942", "Pacific 1941–45", and "New Guinea 1942–44".[11][12]

Fate

Lithgow paid off to reserve on 8 June 1948 and was sold for scrap to the Hong Kong Delta Shipping Company on 8 August 1956.[1]

Citations

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  1. a b c d e f Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. a b c Stevens, The Australian Corvettes, p. 1
  3. Stevens, A Critical Vulnerability, p. 103
  4. Stevens, A Critical Vulnerability, pp. 103–4
  5. Stevens, A Critical Vulnerability, pp. 103–5
  6. Stevens, A Critical Vulnerability, p. 104
  7. Stevens, A Critical Vulnerability, pp. 105, 148
  8. Donohue, From Empire Defence to the Long Haul, p. 29
  9. Stevens et al., The Royal Australian Navy, p. 108
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References

Books
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Journal and news articles
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External links

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