World War 2 Operations of HMAS Castlemaine
HMAS Castlemaine (1942) - Historic ship World
War 2
Type: Australian Minesweeper (Bathurst Class)
Displacement: 650 tons Length: 186 feet Beam:
31 feet Draft: 8 feet 3 inches (mean)
Laid down: 17 February 1941 Launched: 7 August
1941 (Mrs R G Menzies) Commissioned: 17 June 1942
Builders: Melbourne Harbour Trust Commissioners,
Williamstown
Armament:
1 x 4-inch gun
2 x MG 0.5 inch guns
3 x Oerlikons (one Bofor was later fitted aft
in lieu of an Oerlikon)
Ammunition:
282 4-inch shells
Approx. 2,500 rounds for each small gun
30 normal and 20 heavy-duty depth charges
Boilers: 2 x Yarrow Admiralty
3 drum, oil fired
Engines: 2 x triple expansion
steam engines developing 1800 I.H.P.
Speed: 15 knots (maximum)
Radius: In excess of 4000
miles at 10 knots
Compliment: 70
Cost: £250,000
World War 2
HMAS Castlemaine was one of sixty Australian minesweepers
(popularly named corvettes) built during World War 2 in Australian shipyards
as part of the Commonwealth Government's wartime shipbuilding program. Twenty
were built on Admiralty order but commissioned in and manned by the Royal Australian
Navy (RAN). Thirty-six were built for the RAN and four for the Royal Indian
Navy. All 56 Royal Australian Navy ships were named after Australian country
cities and towns. HMAS Castlemaine is the last one still afloat.
World War 2
They were capable of carrying 300 troops in
an emergency, 400 troops ship to shore, or 100 troops over a period of four
days. The fresh water capacity of the vessels was forty tons while fresh and
dry provisions were carried for ten days and four months respectively.
World War 2
Following commissioning at Melbourne HMAS Castlemaine
proceeded to Sydney for working-up exercises after which she began operational
service escorting convoys between Sydney and Melbourne. On the night of 11 August
1942, collision with a Manly ferry in Sydney Harbour put her in dockyard hands
for seven days.
World War 2
On 26 August 1942, she departed Sydney to report
to the Naval Officer-in-Charge, Darwin, but when enroute was ordered to temporarily
escort convoys between Townsville and Port Moresby.
World War 2
On 29 September 1942, HMAS Castlemaine departed
Port Moresby to proceed to Darwin arriving on 5 October. On arrival HMAS Castlemaine
began a short period of service escorting vessels from Darwin to the vicinity
of Cape Wessel. On 6 November with a Dutch army officer and four war correspondents
embarked she proceeded to Betano (Timor) where, after embarking soldiers and
refugees during the night of 7/8 November, returned safely to Darwin at daylight
on 8 November.
World War 2
In November 1942 it was decided to relieve the
Australian 2/2nd Independent Company, then operating as a guerrilla force in
Timor. It was proposed to use HMAS Ships HMAS Armidale, (another corvette), HMAS
Castlemaine and HMAS Kuru (a former Northern Territory patrol vessel requisitioned
as a naval tender) to run into Betano Bay on the night of 30 November/1 December,
land 50 Dutch troops and withdraw 190 together with some 150 Portuguese refugees
from Japan occupation. On the night of 4/5 December a second run was planned
to withdraw the 2/2nd Independent Company.
World War 2
HMAS Kuru sailed from Darwin at 2230 hours on 28 November
for Betano scheduled to arrive about two hours before the two corvettes, land
stores and embark refuges for transfer to HMAS Castlemaine on arrival and then
to transship and land troops from the HMAS Armidale. After this HMAS Kuru was to pick
up the sick and wounded Dutch troops and take them out to the waiting HMAS Armidale
before returning to pick up her own passengers for the return trip to Darwin.
World War 2
The corvettes sailed from Darwin at 0142 hours
on 29 November. At 0915 hours they were attacked by a single aircraft, but suffered
no damage. En route they were subjected to two further air attacks, each time
by five bombers, but again escaped unharmed. They reached Betano safely at 0330
hours on 1 December 1942. Meanwhile HMAS Kuru had reached Betano at 1145 hours (30
November) and embarked 77 refugees and one Australian soldier. Unaware of the
delay caused by the air attacks on the corvettes, her commander, Lieut. J A
Grant, RANR, sailed for Darwin at about 2000 hours.
World War 2
Realising that it was far too late to proceed
with the operation Lt Cmdr P J Sullivan (Senior Officer) in HMAS Castlemaine,
having assured himself that HMAS Kuru was not present, sailed south at best speed.
HMAS Kuru was met soon after dawn some 70 miles south of the Timor coast and her
passengers transferred to HMAS Castlemaine, it having been decided to send HMAS Armidale
and HMAS Kuru back to Betano to complete the operation under cover of darkness. The
operation was canceled when Japanese cruisers were reported 60 miles south west
of Betano. HMAS Kuru reached Darwin on 3 December but HMAS Armidale was lost by air attack
on 1 December.
World War 2
The operation was cancel when Japanese cruisers
were reported 60 miles south west of Betano. HMAS Kuru reached Darwin on 3 December
but HMAS Armidale was lost by air attack on 1 December. After parting company HMAS
Castlemaine set out first to search for survivors from a missing RAAF Beaufighter
some 150 miles south east of Betano and thence to Darwin where she arrived on
2 December to resume escort duty on the Darwin-Thursday Island route. On 15
December and the following day, her convoy bound westward from Cape Wessel to
Darwin was attacked by aircraft. SS Period sustained a direct hit killing four
and wounding six members of her crew. This and two further attacks on the convoy
were repulsed by HMAS Castlemaine's brisk anti-aircraft fire. The convoy reached
Darwin without further incident.
World War 2
On 2 January, HMAS Castlemaine paid her second
visit to New Guinea when she arrived at Port Moresby escorting the troopship
Van Heemskerk. She returned to Darwin on 9 January and thereafter until the
end of June 1943 she was engaged escorting merchant shipping between Darwin
and Thursday Island and to Whyndam. Since commissioning the corvette had steamed
some 31,000 miles.
World War 2
On 20 July 1943 she returned to Sydney after an
absence of 327 days, an almost unbroken seagoing service. Refit kept the corvette
in dockyard hands until the end of August 1943.
World War 2
Commencing with departure from Sydney on 27 August
HMAS Castlemaine was engaged escorting convoys between Sydney and Brisbane until
12 November 1943. On 28 November she proceeded to Townsville
having been allocated escort duty in the North Eastern Area between North Queensland
ports and New Guinea. She was thus engaged until March 1944 when transferred
to the control of the Naval Officer-in-Charge, New Guinea.
World War 2
Operating in the New Guinea theatre the corvette
was kept busy escorting and carrying stores, mail and troops. She visited Milne
Bay, Langemak, Manus, Madang, Hollandia, Lae, Saidor, Finschafen and New Britain.
It was uneventful but arduous service with almost no respite. On 11 June 1944
she departed Milne Bay for Adelaide for refit.
World War 2
On 2 August 1944 Castlemaine departed Adelaide
for Fremantle en route to Darwin and after calling at Onslow arrive in Darwin
on 20 August. She had thus, since commissioning, circumnavigated the mainland
of Australia. At Darwin she was allocated for service with a survey unit engaged
mainly on charting the Scott Reef-Browse island area.
World War 2
Save for a visit to Fremantle (24 February to
22 March 1945) HMAS Castlemaine continued to operate as a survey vessel based
in Darwin until 16 August 1945. She then detached to proceed to Morotai and
thence to Subic Bay (Phillipines). On 29 August 1945 HMAS Castlemaine arrived
at Hong Kong, where until mid September she was engaged on anti-patrol and escort
duty in the cleared channel. Thereafter, until 3 October she engaged in the
mine clearance operations in the Hong Kong area with the 21st and 22nd Minesweeping
Flotillas, which comprised 19 Australian minesweepers and attached vessels.
World War 2
With the cessation of hostilities HMAS Castlemaine
proceeded via Morotai and Thursday Island HMAS Castlemaine arrived in Melbourne
on 16 November 1945. She paid off on 16 December having steamed 117,000 miles
and 13,000 hours under way on war service.
World War 2
Along with other corvettes and 'River' class frigates
HMAS Castlemaine was part of the Reserve Fleet (mothball fleet) swinging at
anchor at Geelong From here they were regularly towed to Williamstown Dockyard
for dry-docking and maintenance and returned to Geelong.
World War 2