.jpg) HMASDubbo being launched | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Australia | |
| Builder | Mort's Dock & Engineering Company |
| Laid down | 13 October 1941 |
| Launched | 7 March 1942 |
| Commissioned | 31 July 1942 |
| Decommissioned | 7 February 1947 |
| Motto | "Fight to the Finish" |
| Honours and awards |
|
| Fate | Sold for scrap in 1958 |
| Badge |  |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Bathurst-classcorvette |
| Displacement | 650 tons (standard), 1,025 tons (full war load) |
| Length | 186 ft (57 m) |
| Beam | 31 ft (9.4 m) |
| Draught | 8.5 ft (2.6 m) |
| Propulsion | triple expansion engine, 2 shafts |
| Speed | 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) at 1,750 hp |
| Complement | 85 |
| Armament | 1 ×4 inch Mk XIX gun, 3 ×Oerlikon 20 mm cannons, Machine guns,Depth charges chutes and throwers |
HMASDubbo (J251/M251), named for the city ofDubbo, was one of 60Bathurst-class corvettes constructed during World War II, and one of 36 initially manned and commissioned solely by theRoyal Australian Navy (RAN).[1]
In 1938, theAustralian 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 adisplacement of approximately 500 tons, a speed of at least 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph), and a range of 2,000 nautical miles (3,700 km; 2,300 mi)[4] The opportunity to build a prototype in the place of a cancelledBar-class boom defence vessel saw the proposed design increased to a 680-ton vessel, with a 15.5 knots (28.7 km/h; 17.8 mph) top speed, and a range of 2,850 nautical miles (5,280 km; 3,280 mi), armed with a 4-inch gun, equipped withasdic, and able to fitted with eitherdepth charges orminesweeping equipment depending on the planned operations: although closer in size to asloop 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 prototypeHMAS Kangaroo 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 (includingDubbo) ordered by the RAN, 20 ordered by theBritish Admiralty but manned and commissioned as RAN vessels, and 4 for theRoyal Indian Navy.[2][7][8][9][1]
Dubbo was laid down byMort's Dock & Engineering Company atBalmain, New South Wales on 13 October 1941.[1] She was launched on 7 March 1942 by Mrs. E. B. Scrisier, Mayoress of Dubbo, and was commissioned into the RAN on 31 July 1942.[1]
From 1942 until March 1945,Dubbo was assigned to convoy escort anti-submarine duties off the western Australian coast.[1]
In March 1945,Dubbo sailed toPort Moresby, where she spent the rest of World War II aroundNew Guinea and theSolomon Islands, actively supporting Australian land forces.[1]Dubbo fired her first hostile shots on 25 April 1945, against a Japanese position onMuschu Island.[1] This was the first of several bombardments performed by the ship against Japanese positions during the war.[1]Dubbo was undamaged during all of these, and returned to Brisbane in May 1945.[1]
The corvette received onebattle honour for her wartime service: "Pacific 1942–45".[10][11]
In August 1945,Dubbo returned to the Solomon Islands, where she was part of minesweeping operations.[1] She returned for refits in October 1945, and in January 1946 performed minesweeping duties off the Australian coast.[1]
Dubbo was paid off into reserve on 7 February 1957, and was sold for scrap to Mitsubishi Shoji Kaisha of Tokyo on 20 February 1958.[1] In June 1958,Dubbo and the repair shipHMAS Platypus left Sydney under tow.[1]
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