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The ''Bathurst''-class corvettes were a class of general purpose vessels produced in Australia during World War II. Originally classified as minesweepers, but widely referred to as corvettes, the ''Bathurst''-class vessels fulfilled a broad anti-submarine, anti-mine, and convoy escort role. Sixty ''Bathurst''-class corvettes were built in eight Australian shipyards to an Australian design. 36 were constructed for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), 20 were built on British Admiralty orders but manned and commissioned by the RAN, and 4 served in the Royal Indian Navy. Three more were ordered for construction in India, but were cancelled. Although designed for the anti-submarine and anti-mine role, the ''Bathurst''s operated as "maids-of-all-work" during the war; serving as troop and supply transports, supporting amphibious landings, providing air defence for convoys and disabled ships, participating in shore bombardments, and undertaking hydrographic surveys. Three ships were lost during the war—one to Japanese air attack and two to collisions with friendly merchant ships—while a fourth struck a friendly mine while sweeping the Great Barrier Reef in 1947 and sank. After the war, the Admiralty ships were sold to the Turkish Navy, Royal Netherlands Navy, and civilian operators, while several RAN-owned vessels were transferred to the Royal New Zealand Navy, temporarily reactivated to facilitate National Service Training, or sold to civilians. Four of the Netherlands ''Bathurst''s were sold onward to the Indonesian Navy, one of which was destroyed in 1956 by rebels opposing the 'Guided Democracy' political system. The rest of the RAN and Admiralty ships were sold for scrap to help fund other projects. Two vessels are preserved as museum ships. ==Background== In February 1938, the Australian Commonwealth Naval Board (ACNB) identified the need for a general purpose 'local defence vessel' (which itself evolved from plans for a training tender attached to the anti-submarine warfare training school at ) that was easy to construct and operate.〔''The Australian Corvettes'', p. 1〕〔Stevens, ''A Critical Vulnerability'', p. 103〕 The ships had to be capable of both anti-submarine and mine-warfare duties.〔 The RAN's Director of Engineering, Rear Admiral P. E. McNeil, was instructed in July 1938 to prepare plans for such a ship, with a displacement of approximately 500 tons, a speed of at least , and a range of .〔Stevens, ''A Critical Vulnerability'', pp. 103–104〕 In an initially unrelated development, three Bar-class boom defence vessels were ordered by the RAN in 1937.〔 When the requirement was lowered to two ships in early 1938, the third, , was earmarked for construction as a prototype of the 'local defence vessel'.〔 McNeil completed his drawings in February 1939; his design was for a 680-ton vessel, with a speed of , and a range of .〔 The prototype would have been 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 to a small sloop than a local defence vessel, the increase in size and speed meant the design was more versatile than originally envisioned.〔 Before construction could begin, the number of boom vessels was increased back to three, and ''Kangaroo'' was laid down as a boom defence vessel.〔Stevens, ''A Critical Vulnerability'', p. 104〕 Although the ''Kangaroo'' prototype was never built, the design was retained as it had advantages over dedicated British minesweeper and anti-submarine vessels, and with the exception of weapons and specialised instruments, could be built using local resources.〔〔Stevens, ''A Critical Vulnerability'', p. 105〕 Although not perfectly suited for any specific role, the all-round general capability for minesweeping, anti-submarine warfare, patrol, and escort duties was seen as a good short-term solution until better vessels could be requisitioned or constructed.〔Donohue, ''From Empire Defence to the Long Haul'', p. 29〕〔Stevens, ''A Critical Vulnerability'', p. 148〕 The design underwent the normal procurement process, and in September 1939, the ACNB approved seven ships of a slightly modified design.〔〔 Additional orders were quickly placed by the RAN, the British Admiralty and the Royal Indian Navy, with 60 ships constructed over the course of World War II; 36 were commissioned into the RAN, 20 were manned by RAN personnel but were paid for by the Admiralty, and 4 were built for the Royal Indian Navy.〔 The ships were officially designated "Australian Minesweepers" (AMS) to hide their intended anti-submarine role, although the ''Bathurst''s were popularly referred to as corvettes.〔〔Stevens et al., ''The Royal Australian Navy'', p. 108〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Bathurst-class corvette」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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