HMAS Townsville (J205)

HMAS "Townsville" (J205/M205/A124), named after the city of Townsville, Queensland, 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).cite web |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/HMAS_Townsville_(I) |title=HMAS Townsville (I) |accessdate=2008-09-15 |publisher=Sea Power Centre Australia]

Construction

"Townsville" was laid down by Evans Deakin & Co at Brisbane, Queensland on 16 November 1940. She was launced on 13 May 1941 by Mrs. P. E. McNeil, wife of the Third Member of the Naval Board, and commissioned into th RAN on 19 December 1941.

Operational history

"Townsville" entered active service in February 1942, escorting convoys between Darwin and Thursday Island. She was present in Darwin Harbour when the the Japanese bombed the area on 19 February 1942, but was not damaged. "Townsville" remained in Darwin until July 1942, when she was sent to Sydney to begin escort duties off the east coast of Australia. The ship remained until May 1944, and despite being in the heaviest period of Japanese naval activity in Australian waters, only one ship was lost from a "Townsville" convoy; iron ore transport "Iron Knight" by Japanese submarine "I-21" on 8 February 1943.

In May 1944, "Townsville" began a five-month tour of escort and patrol duties in New Guinea, returned briefly to Australian waters for minesweeping work in November 1944, was reassigned to New Guinea at the end of the month, and remained in the area of Morotai and Biak until June 1945. "Townsville" was then sent to Melbourne for refitting, and was in dock when World War II ended.

Following the war, "Townsville" was engaged in minesweeping and patrol duties in Australian and New Britain waters, before being decommissioned into Reserve in Fremantle on 5 August 1946.

Fate

"Townsville" was sold for scrap to the Hong Kong Delta Shipping Company on 8 August 1956.

References