HMAS Hawkesbury (K363)

HMAS "Hawkesbury" (K363/F363) was a River class frigate of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). "Hawkesbury" saw action during World War II. She entered service with the RAN in mid-1944 and was decommissioned in 1955.

Construction

"Hawkesbury" was laid down by the Mort's Dock & Engineering Company in Sydney on 24 August 1942. She was launched on 24 July 1943, and commissioned into the RAN in Sydney on 5 July 1944.

Operational history

World War II

After conducting trials off the Australian east coast she proceeded to New Guinea to undertake convoy escort duties. She escorted convoys in the South West Pacific Area until December when she returned to Brisbane.

"Hawkesbury" began her second operational deployment in January 1945, and conducted escort duties in New Guinea and Filipino waters until mid-April. On 27 April, she formed part of the escort for the convoy which landed Australian troops at Tarakan on 1 May. "Hawkesbury" provided fire support for the landing force until 7 May. After another period of escort duties, "Hawkesbury" took part in in the Australian Brunei Bay landings in Borneo in June. In July she spent a period collecting intelligence in the Maluku Islands and established lighthouses with HMAS "Cape Leeuwin" to open a route between Darwin and Morotai. She returned to Sydney in July for a short refit.

Post-war

Following the surrender of Japan "Hawkesbury" escorted the repatriation transport "Duntroon" to Singapore in August. After escorting the transport to Darwin she took part in the Japanese surrender ceremony at Koepang, Timor on 3 October. "Hawkesbury" operated in the eastern Netherlands East Indies until mid-November when she returned to Sydney. She received a four month refit at Melbourne and operated off the Australian east coast until 31 May 1947 when she paid off to reserve.

After five years in reserve, "Hawkesbury" was recommissioned on 14 May 1952. From late July she conducted operations in support of the British atomic bomb test in the in the Montebello Islands off Western Australia. She returned to Sydney in January 1953. For the next two years she undertook routine patrols and training exercises off the Australian and New Guinean coasts, completing two patrols of Australian waters in the South-West Pacific area.

Fate

HMAS "Hawkesbury" paid off to reserve for a second time on 14 February 1955. She was declared for disposal in early 1961 without having been recommissioned, and was sold for scrapping in September 1961.

References

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