HMAS Mildura
From Our Contribution
 Navy photo | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | HMAS Mildura |
| Owner | Royal Australian Navy |
| Builder | Mort's Dock & Engineering Co Ltd, Sydney |
| Launched | 15 Mar 1941 |
| Completed | 23 Jul 1941 |
| In service | 23 Jul 1941 |
| Out of service | 11 Sep 1953 |
| In service | 20 Feb 1951 |
| Out of service | 11 Sep 1953 |
| Fate | sold for scrap in September 1965 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Bathurst Class Corvette / Minesweeper |
| Tonnage | 650 tons |
| Length | 186 feet (56.7m) |
| Beam | 31 feet (9.45m) |
| Depth | 8 feet 6 inches (2.59m) |
| Propulsion | 1750 HP |
| Speed | 15 knots |
| Capacity | 85 crew |
Remarks
One of 60 Australian Minesweepers (commonly known as corvettes) built during World War II in Australian shipyards as part of the Commonwealth Government's wartime shipbuilding programme. On 29 Aug 1941 the Mildura joined the 20th Minesweeping Flotilla and after that unit disbanded in late 1941 she continued minesweeping, escort duties, and anti-submarine patrols around Australia and in the South Pacific.
From September 1942 until December 1943 she escorted Australian east coast convoys, at a time when Japanese submarines sank 11 merchant ships with the loss of 407 lives. Several attacks were made on convoys escorted by the Mildura. From January until July 1944 she escorted convoys proceeding from Townsville to New Guinea waters, and in August 1944 she sailed for a new posting in Fremantle where she undertook escort and anti submarine patrols on the approaches to Fremantle. Following a refit at Fremantle she returned to New Guinea waters, and then to Morotai where she operated as a stationery patrol vessel, with some escort duties to Biak (north of West Papua).
Her next stop was Tarakan in Borneo where she performed harbour patrols, before returning to Morotai. A fortnight was also spent in Balikpapan before she sailed to Subic Bay in the Philippines where she joined with seven of her sister ships to form the 21st Minesweeping Flotilla who were then sent to Hong Kong to round up enemy small craft and to undertake minesweeping duties in Chinese waters. She sailed for Australia, arriving in Sydney on 19 Nov 1945 after two years and seven days absent from Australia.
Following a refit she resumed duties in Feb 1946 clearing minefields in Australian, New Guinean and Solomon Island waters until October 1947. On 16 Jan 1948 she arrived in Fremantle where she was paid off into reserve. Recommissioned in February 1951 he was used to train National Service trainees until September 1953 when she sailed to Melbourne and was paid off. Towed to Brisbane in December 1954, she then served as an immobilised Training Ship until September 1965 when she was sold for scrap.
Battle Honours
- Pacific 1942-45
- New Guinea 1942-45
Crew Members
- Norman Denton Barrett 26 Nov 1945 - 16 Feb 1947