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History | |
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Namesake | City of Horsham, Victoria |
Builder | HMA Naval Dockyard |
Laid down | 26 June 1941 |
Launched | 16 May 1942 |
Commissioned | 18 November 1942 |
Decommissioned | 17 December 1945 |
Fate | Sold for scrap in 1956 |
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 horsepower |
Speed | 15.5 knots (28.7 km/h; 17.8 mph) |
Complement | 85 |
Armament |
|
HMAS Horsham (J235/M235), named for the city of Horsham, Victoria, 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). [1]
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. [2] [3] The vessel was initially envisaged as having a displacement of approximately 500 tons, a speed of at least 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph), and a range of 2,000 nautical miles (3,700 km; 2,300 mi) [4] 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 15.5 knots (28.7 km/h; 17.8 mph) top speed, and a range of 2,850 nautical miles (5,280 km; 3,280 mi), 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. [2] [5] Construction of the prototype HMAS Kangaroo did not go ahead, but the plans were retained. [6] 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 Horsham) ordered by the RAN, 20 ordered by the British Admiralty but manned and commissioned as RAN vessels, and 4 for the Royal Indian Navy. [2] [7] [8] [9] [1]
Horsham was laid down by HMA Naval Dockyard at Melbourne, Victoria on 26 June 1941. [1] She was launched on 16 May 1942, and was commissioned into the RAN on 18 November 1942.
Horsham entered active service in January 1943. [1] She was initially assigned to Fremantle as an anti-submarine patrol ship, where she remained until August 1944. [1] The corvette was then deployed to Darwin as a survey ship, and remained there until the end of World War II. [1] In September 1945, Horsham was present at the Japanese surrender of Timor. [1] She continued in the survey role until November 1945, when she returned to Fremantle. [1]
Horsham paid off into reserve in Fremantle on 17 December 1945. [1] She was sold for scrapping to the Hong Kong Delta Shipping Company on 8 August 1956. [1]
![]() | |
History | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Namesake | City of Horsham, Victoria |
Builder | HMA Naval Dockyard |
Laid down | 26 June 1941 |
Launched | 16 May 1942 |
Commissioned | 18 November 1942 |
Decommissioned | 17 December 1945 |
Fate | Sold for scrap in 1956 |
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 horsepower |
Speed | 15.5 knots (28.7 km/h; 17.8 mph) |
Complement | 85 |
Armament |
|
HMAS Horsham (J235/M235), named for the city of Horsham, Victoria, 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). [1]
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. [2] [3] The vessel was initially envisaged as having a displacement of approximately 500 tons, a speed of at least 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph), and a range of 2,000 nautical miles (3,700 km; 2,300 mi) [4] 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 15.5 knots (28.7 km/h; 17.8 mph) top speed, and a range of 2,850 nautical miles (5,280 km; 3,280 mi), 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. [2] [5] Construction of the prototype HMAS Kangaroo did not go ahead, but the plans were retained. [6] 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 Horsham) ordered by the RAN, 20 ordered by the British Admiralty but manned and commissioned as RAN vessels, and 4 for the Royal Indian Navy. [2] [7] [8] [9] [1]
Horsham was laid down by HMA Naval Dockyard at Melbourne, Victoria on 26 June 1941. [1] She was launched on 16 May 1942, and was commissioned into the RAN on 18 November 1942.
Horsham entered active service in January 1943. [1] She was initially assigned to Fremantle as an anti-submarine patrol ship, where she remained until August 1944. [1] The corvette was then deployed to Darwin as a survey ship, and remained there until the end of World War II. [1] In September 1945, Horsham was present at the Japanese surrender of Timor. [1] She continued in the survey role until November 1945, when she returned to Fremantle. [1]
Horsham paid off into reserve in Fremantle on 17 December 1945. [1] She was sold for scrapping to the Hong Kong Delta Shipping Company on 8 August 1956. [1]