HMAS Castlemaine facts for kids
HMAS Castlemaine
|
|
Quick facts for kids History |
|
|---|---|
 Australia |
|
| Namesake | City of Castlemaine, Victoria |
| Builder | HMA Naval Dockyard in Williamstown, Victoria |
| Laid down | 17 February 1941 |
| Launched | 7 August 1941 |
| Commissioned | 17 June 1942 |
| Decommissioned | 14 December 1945 |
| Reclassified |
|
| Motto | "Watch and Prey" |
| Honours and awards |
|
| Status | Preserved as a museum ship in Williamstown, Victoria |
| Badge |  |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Bathurst-class corvette |
| 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. 2,000 hp |
| Speed | 15.5 knots (28.7 km/h; 17.8 mph) |
| Complement | 85 |
| Armament |
|
HMAS Castlemaine (J244/M244/A248) is a special ship from World War II. It was one of 60 ships called Bathurst-class corvettes built during the war. A corvette is a small warship. Castlemaine was named after the city of Castlemaine, Victoria in Australia.
This ship was launched in 1941 and started service in 1942. It helped Australia during World War II by operating in the waters around Australia, New Guinea, and Timor. After the war, in 1945, it stopped being an active warship. In 1973, Castlemaine became a museum ship. Today, it is one of only two Bathurst-class corvettes that still exist. The other is HMAS Whyalla.
Contents
Building a Warship
Designing the Bathurst-Class
In 1938, the Australian Navy realized they needed a new type of ship. This ship had to be able to find and destroy submarines, and also clear mines from the water. It also needed to be easy to build and operate.
The first idea was for a ship around 500 tons. This means it would push aside about 500 tons of water when floating. It also needed to go at least 10 knots (about 18.5 km/h) and travel 2,000 nautical miles (about 3,700 km) without refueling.
The design changed to a larger ship of 680 tons. This new design could go faster, up to 15.5 knots (about 28.7 km/h), and travel further. It was also fitted with special equipment called asdic to find submarines. Depending on the mission, it could carry depth charges (bombs for submarines) or mine-clearing gear. These ships were sometimes called "Australian Minesweepers" to hide their ability to hunt submarines.
Building Castlemaine
Castlemaine was built at the HMA Naval Dockyard in Williamstown, Victoria. Work on the ship began on 17 February 1941. It was launched into the water on 7 August 1941. Dame Pattie Menzies, who was the wife of Australia's Prime Minister at the time, Sir Robert Menzies, launched the ship. Castlemaine officially joined the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) on 17 June 1942.
Castlemaine at War
Early Duties and a Collision
After joining the Navy, Castlemaine sailed to Sydney. There, it practiced and helped escort groups of ships (convoys) along Australia's east coast. On 11 August 1942, the ship had a small accident. It bumped into a Manly ferry, which is a passenger boat. Castlemaine needed about a week of repairs at Cockatoo Island Dockyard.
Helping in Timor
After repairs, Castlemaine was sent to Darwin in October 1942. Its job was to support Allied soldiers fighting secretly in Timor. In late November 1942, the Navy needed to rescue Australian commandos, Dutch soldiers, and over 100 Portuguese civilians from Timor. Another ship, HMAS Voyager, had tried this before but was sunk by Japanese planes.
Castlemaine, along with its sister ship Armidale and a patrol boat called Kuru, were chosen for this dangerous mission. Castlemaine was the lead ship. The plan was for Kuru to pick up civilians first. Then, the corvettes would arrive to take the civilians to Castlemaine and bring new troops to shore.
A Risky Journey
The ships left Darwin on 29 November. Japanese planes spotted them the next morning. The ships tried to hide and asked to cancel the mission, but they were told to continue. Japanese bombers attacked them twice, but the ships managed to avoid damage.
Because of the attacks and evasive moves, they arrived late at Betano Bay in Timor. Kuru was not there. At daybreak, they found Kuru, which had already picked up the civilians and was heading back to Darwin. The civilians were then moved to Castlemaine.
Castlemaine headed back to Darwin safely. However, Armidale and Kuru were sent back to try the mission again. Sadly, Armidale was attacked and sunk by Japanese aircraft on 1 December.
Convoy Escorts and Minesweeping
On 15 December, Castlemaine was protecting two merchant ships, Period and James Cook, when Japanese planes attacked them. Four of Period's crew were killed. The ships were attacked three more times over two days. Each time, Castlemaine's anti-aircraft guns helped drive off the planes, preventing further damage.
After the Allies left Timor in early 1943, Castlemaine spent its time clearing mines and escorting ships in northern Australia. Later in 1943, it started escorting convoys between Queensland and New Guinea. In 1944, it surveyed Australian waters. In September 1945, Castlemaine sailed to Hong Kong for the Japanese surrender, marking the end of its active war service.
For its brave service during the war, Castlemaine received three special honors: "Darwin 1942–43", "Pacific 1942–43", and "New Guinea 1942–44".
A Ship Becomes a Museum
From Warship to Training Ship
On 14 December 1945, Castlemaine was taken out of active service. It was moved to HMAS Cerberus, a naval base in Victoria. There, it became a training ship. It was used to teach young sailors how to operate ship engines and how to control damage in an emergency.
Becoming a Museum Ship
In September 1973, the Australian Government gave Castlemaine as a gift to the Maritime Trust of Australia. The Trust took ownership by the end of 1973. Many of its original parts had been removed, but the Trust worked hard to restore it.
Today, Castlemaine is a museum ship docked at Gem Pier in Williamstown, Victoria. It cannot sail on its own anymore because the main deck is now a museum. Its engines have been changed to run on compressed air, so visitors can see how they work.
Between 14 and 29 August 2015, Castlemaine was put into a drydock for important maintenance. This included cleaning and preserving its hull to keep it in good condition for future visitors.
