HMAS Ipswich (J186)
.jpg) HMAS Ipswich in 1944
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| History | |
|---|---|
 Australia | |
| Namesake | City of Ipswich, Queensland |
| Builder | Evans Deakin & Co , Brisbane |
| Laid down | 6 March 1941 |
| Launched | 11 August 1941 |
| Commissioned | 13 June 1942 |
| Decommissioned | 5 July 1946 |
| Motto | "Dare to Defy" |
| Honours and awards |
|
| Fate | Transferred to the Netherlands |
| Badge |  |
 Netherlands | |
| Name | Morotai |
| Namesake | Morotai Island |
| Commissioned | 5 July 1946 |
| Decommissioned | 1949 |
| Fate | Transferred to Indonesia |
 Indonesia | |
| Name | Hang Tuah |
| Namesake | Hang Tuah |
| Commissioned | 1949 |
| Fate | |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Bathurst-class corvette |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 186 ft (57 m) |
| Beam | 31 ft (9.4 m) |
| Draught | 8.5 ft (2.6 m) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) at 1,750 hp |
| Complement | 85 |
| Armament |
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HMAS Ipswich (J186/B244/A118), named for the city of
Admiralty order but manned by personnel of and later commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).[2]
Ipswich was later operated by the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) as HNLMS Morotai, and by the Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL) as KRI Hang Tuah.[2] In Indonesian service in 1958 the ship was attacked by a CIA aircraft[1] and sunk with considerable loss of life.[3]
Design and construction
In 1938, the
British Admiralty but manned and commissioned as RAN vessels, and 4 for the Royal Indian Navy.[4][9][10][11][2]
Ipswich was laid down by
Evans Deakin & Co at Brisbane in Queensland on 6 March 1941.[2] She was launched on 11 August 1941 by Evelyn Foll, wife of the Minister for the Interior Harry Foll, and commissioned on 13 June 1942.[2]
Operational history
RAN
Ipswich was employed from commissioning until 3 November 1942 as a convoy escort in Australian waters. From 3 November 1942 until 21 January 1945, Ipswich was assigned to the
Mediterranean.[2] During this time, Ipswich was credited with shooting down a twin-engined bomber near Syracuse on 25 July 1943, and on 11 February 1944 worked with HMAS Launceston and HMIS Jumna to sink the Japanese submarine Ro-110.[2]
Upon leaving the British Eastern Fleet, Ipswich returned to Australia, where she was assigned to the British Pacific Fleet.[2] Ipswich was present in Tokyo Bay on Victory over Japan Day (2 September 1945), when the Japanese Instrument of Surrender was signed.[12]
Ipswich earned five battle honours for her wartime service: "Pacific 1942", "Indian Ocean 1942–45", "Sicily 1943", "East Indies 1944", and "Okinawa 1945".[13][14]
RNLN
Ipswich paid off from RAN service on 5 July 1946 and was transferred to the Royal Netherlands Navy and renamed HNLMS Morotai.
TNI-AL
Morotai was transferred to the
Douglas B-26 Invader aircraft, painted black and showing no markings,[15] bombed and sank her off Balikpapan in southern Borneo.[1] 18 crew were killed and another 28 were wounded.[1]
The B-26's co-pilot was Colonel Muhartofront organisation, Civil Air Transport.[17]
Citations
- ^ a b c d e Conboy & Morrison 1999, p. 116.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "HMAS Ipswich (I)". Sea Power Centre Australia. Archived from the original on 30 August 2018. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
- OCLC 16922225.
- ^ a b c Stevens, The Australian Corvettes, p. 1
- ^ Stevens, A Critical Vulnerability, p. 103
- ^ Stevens, A Critical Vulnerability, pp. 103–4
- ^ Stevens, A Critical Vulnerability, pp. 103–5
- ^ Stevens, A Critical Vulnerability, p. 104
- ^ Stevens, A Critical Vulnerability, pp. 105, 148
- ^ Donohue, From Empire Defence to the Long Haul, p. 29
- ^ Stevens et al., The Royal Australian Navy, p. 108
- ^ "Allied Ships Present in Tokyo Bay During the Surrender Ceremony, 2 September 1945". Naval Historical Center – U.S. Navy. 27 May 2005. Archived from the original on 8 October 1999. Retrieved 13 January 2007.
Taken from Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet and Pacific Ocean Areas (CINCPAC/CINCPOA) A16-3/FF12 Serial 0395, 11 February 1946: Report of Surrender and Occupation of Japan
- ^ "Navy Marks 109th Birthday With Historic Changes To Battle Honours". Royal Australian Navy. 1 March 2010. Archived from the original on 13 June 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
- ^ "Royal Australian Navy Ship/Unit Battle Honours" (PDF). Royal Australian Navy. 1 March 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 June 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
- ^ Conboy & Morrison 1999, p. 88.
- ^ Conboy & Morrison 1999, p. 89.
- ^ Conboy & Morrison 1999, pp. 99–100.
References
Books
- Conboy, Kenneth; Morrison, James (1999). Feet to the Fire CIA Covert Operations in Indonesia, 1957–1958. Annapolis: ISBN 1-55750-193-9.
- Donohue, Hector (October 1996). From Empire Defence to the Long Haul: post-war defence policy and its impact on naval force structure planning 1945–1955. Papers in Australian Maritime Affairs. Vol. 1. Canberra: Sea Power Centre. OCLC 36817771.
- Stevens, David (2005). A Critical Vulnerability: the impact of the submarine threat on Australia's maritime defense 1915–1954. Papers in Australian Maritime Affairs. Vol. 15. Canberra: Sea Power Centre Australia. OCLC 62548623.
- Stevens, David; Sears, Jason; Goldrick, James; Cooper, Alastair; Jones, Peter; Spurling, Kathryn (2001). Stevens, David (ed.). The Royal Australian Navy. The Australian Centenary History of Defence (vol III). South Melbourne, VIC: Oxford University Press. OCLC 50418095.
Journal and news articles
- Stevens, David (May 2010). "The Australian Corvettes" (PDF). Hindsight (Semaphore). 2010 (5). Sea Power Centre – Australia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 March 2011. Retrieved 13 August 2010.
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Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1958 | |
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| Shipwrecks |
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| Other incidents |
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