Template:Short description Template:Use Australian English Template:Use dmy dates
Template:Infobox ship imageTemplate:Infobox ship careerTemplate:Infobox ship characteristicsHMAS Latrobe (J234/M234), named for the town of Latrobe, Tasmania, 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).<ref name=SPC>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Design and constructionEdit
{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} In 1938, the Australian 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.<ref name=Hindsight1>Stevens, The Australian Corvettes, p. 1</ref><ref name=StevensACV103>Stevens, A Critical Vulnerability, p. 103</ref> The vessel was initially envisaged as having a displacement of approximately 500 tons, a speed of at least Template:Convert, and a range of Template:Convert<ref name=StevensACV103.4>Stevens, A Critical Vulnerability, pp. 103–4</ref> The opportunity to build a prototype in the place of a cancelled Bar-class boom defence vessel saw the proposed design increased to a 680-ton vessel, with a Template:Convert top speed, and a range of Template:Convert, armed with a 4-inch gun, equipped with asdic, and able to fitted with either depth charges or minesweeping equipment depending on the planned operations: although closer in size to a sloop than a local defence vessel, the resulting increased capabilities were accepted due to advantages over British-designed mine warfare and anti-submarine vessels.<ref name=Hindsight1/><ref>Stevens, A Critical Vulnerability, pp. 103–5</ref> Construction of the prototype Template:HMAS did not go ahead, but the plans were retained.<ref name=StevensACV104>Stevens, A Critical Vulnerability, p. 104</ref> 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 (including Latrobe) ordered by the RAN, 20 ordered by the British Admiralty but manned and commissioned as RAN vessels, and 4 for the Royal Indian Navy.<ref name=Hindsight1/><ref>Stevens, A Critical Vulnerability, pp. 105, 148</ref><ref name=Donohue29>Donohue, From Empire Defence to the Long Haul, p. 29</ref><ref name=Stevens108>Stevens et al., The Royal Australian Navy, p. 108</ref><ref name=SPC/>
LatrobeTemplate:'s dimensions differed from the Bathurst-class design: she was shorter (Template:Convert compared to Template:Convert) and had a slightly wider beam (Template:Convert compared to Template:Convert).<ref name=SPC/>
Latrobe was laid down by Mort's Dock and Engineering Company at Balmain, New South Wales on 27 January 1942.<ref name=SPC/> As the ship was built in a dock it was floated clear on 19 June 1942. The ship was commissioned into the RAN on 6 November 1942.<ref name=SPC/>
Operational historyEdit
After entering active service, Latrobe initially served as a convoy escort ship, first between Queensland and New Guinea, then between Darwin and Thursday Island.<ref name=SPC/> On 12 February 1943, the corvette unsuccessfully attacked a Japanese submarine.<ref name=SPC/> In July, a Darwin-bound convoy escorted by Latrobe was attacked twice by Japanese aircraft, and in December, a lone Japanese bomber attempted to attack the corvette.<ref name=SPC/>
In June 1944, Latrobe was reassigned to New Guinea operations, and arrived on 17 June.<ref name=SPC/> She spent seven months operating as a convoy escort and anti-submarine patrol ship, before sailing to Adelaide in January 1945 for a two-month refit.<ref name=SPC/> Latrobe returned to New Guinea in late April, and served in numerous roles until the end of World War II, including escort, patrol, minesweeping, and shore bombardment.<ref name=SPC/>
The corvette received four battle honours for her wartime service: "Darwin 1943", "Pacific 1943–45", "New Guinea 1943–44", and "Borneo 1945".<ref name=newhonours>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=honourslist>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
After the end of the war, Latrobe was involved in the evacuation of Allied prisoners-of-war, and the transportation of occupation forces.<ref name=SPC/> She returned to Australia in December 1945, towing two small craft to Sydney before proceeding to Melbourne.<ref name=SPC/> In early 1946, the corvette was attached to Flinders Naval Depot for use as a training ship until the end of 1952.<ref name=SPC/>
Decommissioning and fateEdit
Latrobe paid off on 13 March 1953.<ref name=SPC/> She was placed in reserve on 17 September 1953, where she remained until she was sold for breaking up as scrap to the Hong Kong Rolling Mills on 18 May 1956.<ref name=SPC/>
CitationsEdit
ReferencesEdit
- Books
- Journal and news articles