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HMAS Armidale (J240)
Bathurst-class corvette / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other ships with the same name, see HMAS Armidale.
HMAS Armidale (J240), named for the then town of Armidale, New South Wales, 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).[3]
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Quick Facts History, Australia ...
![]() HMAS Armidale in Port Moresby Harbour, September 1942 | |
History | |
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Namesake | City of Armidale, New South Wales |
Builder | Morts Dock & Engineering Co in Sydney |
Laid down | 1 September 1941 |
Launched | Floated 24 January 1942 |
Commissioned | 11 June 1942 |
Motto | "Stand Firm" |
Honours and awards |
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Fate | Sunk by Japanese aircraft, 1 December 1942 |
Badge | ![]() |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Bathurst-class corvette |
Displacement | 650 long tons (660 t) (standard), 1,025 long tons (1,041 t) (full war load) |
Length | 186 ft (57 m) |
Beam | 31 ft (9.4 m) |
Draught | 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m) |
Propulsion |
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Speed | 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) at 1,750 horsepower (1,300 kW) |
Complement | 85 |
Armament |
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Close
Launched in early 1942, and initially assigned to convoy escort duties, Armidale was transferred to Darwin in October 1942. The corvette was attacked and sunk off Betano Bay (9°9′52″S 125°43′30″E), on the south coast of Portuguese Timor, (now East Timor) by 13 Japanese aircraft on 1 December 1942, while attempting to evacuate Australian and Dutch soldiers and deliver a relief contingent. She was the only Bathurst-class corvette to be lost to enemy action.[4]