HMAS ''Launceston'' (J179/B246/A120), named for the city of

Launceston, Tasmania Launceston () or () is a city in the north of Tasmania, Australia, at the confluence of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River (kanamaluka). As of 2021, Launceston has a population of 87,645. Material was copied ...

, was one of 60 ''Bathurst''-class corvettes constructed during World War II and one of 20 built for the Admiralty but manned by personnel of and commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

Design and construction

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.Stevens, ''The Australian Corvettes'', p. 1Stevens, ''A Critical Vulnerability'', p. 103 The vessel was initially envisaged as having a displacement of approximately 500 tons, a speed of at least , and a range of Stevens, ''A Critical Vulnerability'', pp. 103–4 The opportunity to build a prototype in the place of a cancelled

Bar-class boom defence vessel The Bar class were a class of boom defence vessels of the Royal Navy, Royal Australian Navy and South African Navy during World War II. Ships Royal Navy * HMS ''Barbain'' (Z01) * HMS ''Barbarian'' (Z18) * HMS ''Barbastel'' (Z276) * HMS ''Bar ...

saw the proposed design increased to a 680-ton vessel, with a top speed, and a range of , armed with a 4-inch gun, equipped with asdic, and able to fitted with either

depth charge A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon. It is intended to destroy a submarine by being dropped into the water nearby and detonating, subjecting the target to a powerful and destructive Shock factor, hydraulic shock. Most depth ...

s or minesweeping equipment depending on the planned operations: although closer in size to a

sloop A sloop is a sailboat with a single mast typically having only one headsail in front of the mast and one mainsail aft of (behind) the mast. Such an arrangement is called a fore-and-aft rig, and can be rigged as a Bermuda rig with triangular sa ...

than a local defence vessel, the resulting increased capabilities were accepted due to advantages over British-designed mine warfare and anti-submarine vessels. Construction of the prototype did not go ahead, but the plans were retained.Stevens, ''A Critical Vulnerability'', p. 104 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 ordered by the RAN, 20 (including ''Launceston'') ordered by the

British Admiralty The Admiralty was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy until 1964, historically under its titular head, the Lord High Admiral – one of the Great Officers of State. For much of it ...

but manned and commissioned as RAN vessels, and 4 for the Royal Indian Navy.Stevens, ''A Critical Vulnerability'', pp. 105, 148Donohue, ''From Empire Defence to the Long Haul'', p. 29Stevens et al., ''The Royal Australian Navy'', p. 108 ''Launceston'' was laid down by Evans Deakin & Co at Brisbane, Queensland on 23 December 1940. She was launched on 30 June 1941 by the wife of William Forgan Smith, then Premier of Queensland, and was commissioned into the RAN on 9 April 1942.

Operational history

RAN service

After entering service, ''Launceston'' was initially assigned to convoy escort duties in Australian waters before sailing to Colombo in September 1942 to join the British Eastern Fleet. The corvette as used to escort convoys across the Indian Ocean. On 11 February 1944, ''Launceston'', sister ship HMAS ''Ipswich'' and the Indian sloop HMIS ''Jumna'' destroyed Japanese submarine ''Ro-110''. Convoy duties continued until September 1944, when the corvette returned to Fremantle for refit. After refit, ''Launceston'' operated from Fremantle as an anti-submarine patrol ship until February 1945, when she was sent to Manus Island to join the British Pacific Fleet. As part of the Pacific Fleet, the corvette was involved in the

Battle of Okinawa The , codenamed Operation Iceberg, was a major battle of the Pacific War fought on the island of Okinawa by United States Army (USA) and United States Marine Corps (USMC) forces against the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA). The initial invasion of ...

. Following the end of World War II, ''Launceston'' was based in Hong Kong as a minesweeper and anty-piracy patrol ship, before returning to Australia in late 1945. Official visits were made to cities in Tasmania, including the corvette's namesake city, before the corvette sailed to Sydney. The corvette received four battle honours for her wartime service: "Pacific 1942–45", "Indian Ocean 1942–44", "East Indies 1944", and "Okinawa 1945".

Turkish service

After the war's end, ''Launceston'' was marked for transfer to the Turkish Navy. The corvette was placed in reserve in mid-April 1946, then was recommissioned into the Royal Navy on 21 May as HMS ''Launceston'' for the transfer. The corvette, along with sister ships ''Pirie'' and ''Gawler'' sailed for Colombo, where they were commissioned into the Turkish Navy. ''Launceston'' was initially named TCG ''Ayancik'' and she served as a minelayer & minesweeper. She was later withdrawn from military service in 1965. Then, she is transferred to Turkish Seamanship College and renamed as ''Hamit Naci'' after the founder of that school.

Citations

References

;Books * * * ;Journal and news articles * {{DEFAULTSORT:Launceston (J179) Bathurst-class corvettes of the Royal Australian Navy Ships built in Queensland 1941 ships World War II corvettes of Australia Bathurst-class corvettes of the Turkish Navy Corvettes of the Cold War