HMAS Colac

{{Short description|Bathurst-class corvette of the Royal Australian Navy}} {{Use Australian English|date=April 2018}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}} {{Infobox ship |section1={{Infobox ship/image |image=HMAS Colac SLV H91.108 1431.jpeg |image_caption=HMAS Colac in 1952 }}

|section2={{Infobox ship/career |country=Australia |flag={{shipboxflag|Australia|naval-1913}} |namesake=Town of [[Colac, Victoria]] |builder=[[Mort's Dock and Engineering Company]] |laid_down=18 April 1941 |launched=30 August 1941 |commissioned=6 January 1942 |decommissioned=27 November 1945 }}

|section3={{Infobox ship/career |hide_header=yes |recommissioned=20 February 1951 |decommissioned=30 January 1953 |out_of_service=1983 |reclassified=*Training ship (1951–1953) *Tank cleaning ship (1962–1983) |motto= |nickname= |honours=*'''Battle honours:''' [[South West Pacific theatre of World War II|Pacific]] 1942–45 *[[New Guinea campaign|New Guinea]] 1942–44 |fate=Torpedoed by [[HMAS Ovens|HMAS ''Ovens'']] on 4 March 1987 in a weapons test |notes= |badge= }}

|section4={{Infobox ship/characteristics |class=[[Bathurst-class corvette|''Bathurst''-class corvette]] |displacement=*650 tons standard *1,025 tons full load |length={{convert|186|ft|m|abbr=on}} |beam={{convert|31|ft|m|abbr=on}} |draught={{convert|8.5|ft|m|abbr=on}} |propulsion=triple expansion engine, 2 shafts, 2,000 hp |speed={{convert|15|kn}} at 1,750 hp |complement=85 |sensors= |armament=*1 × [[QF 12-pounder 12 cwt naval gun|12-pounder]] gun (later replaced by 1 × [[QF 4 inch Mk XIX naval gun|4 inch Mk XIX]] gun) *3 × [[Oerlikon 20 mm cannon]]s *1 × [[Bofors 40 mm Automatic Gun L/60]] (installed later) *Machine guns *[[Depth charge]]s chutes and throwers |notes= }} }} '''HMAS ''Colac'' (J242/M05)''', named for the town of [[Colac, Victoria]], was one of 60 [[Bathurst-class corvette|''Bathurst''-class corvettes]] constructed during World War II, and one of 36 initially manned and commissioned solely by the [[Royal Australian Navy]] (RAN).<ref name=SPC>{{cite web |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/hmas-colac |title=HMAS Colac |access-date=23 December 2008 |publisher=Royal Australian Navy}}</ref>

==Design and construction== {{main|Bathurst-class corvette}} 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.<ref name=Hindsight1>Stevens, ''The Australian Corvettes'', p. 1</ref><ref name=StevensACV103>Stevens, ''A Critical Vulnerability'', p. 103</ref> The vessel was initially envisaged as having a [[displacement (ship)|displacement]] of approximately 500 tons, a speed of at least {{convert|10|kn}}, and a range of {{convert|2000|nmi}}<ref name=StevensACV103.4>Stevens, ''A Critical Vulnerability'', pp. 103–4</ref> The opportunity to build a prototype in the place of a cancelled [[Bar-class boom defence vessel]] saw the proposed design increased to a 680-ton vessel, with a {{convert|15.5|kn}} top speed, and a range of {{convert|2850|nmi}}, armed with a 4-inch gun, equipped with [[asdic]], and able to fitted with either [[depth charge]]s or [[Naval mine#Mine sweeping|minesweeping]] equipment depending on the planned operations: although closer in size to a [[sloop-of-war|sloop]] than a local defence vessel, the resulting increased capabilities were accepted due to advantages over British-designed mine warfare and anti-submarine vessels.<ref name=Hindsight1/><ref>Stevens, ''A Critical Vulnerability'', pp. 103–5</ref> Construction of the prototype {{HMAS|Kangaroo||6}} did not go ahead, but the plans were retained.<ref name=StevensACV104>Stevens, ''A Critical Vulnerability'', p. 104</ref> 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 (including ''Colac'') ordered by the RAN, 20 ordered by the [[British Admiralty]] but manned and commissioned as RAN vessels, and 4 for the [[Royal Indian Navy]].<ref name=Hindsight1/><ref>Stevens, ''A Critical Vulnerability'', pp. 105, 148</ref><ref name=Donohue29>Donohue, ''From Empire Defence to the Long Haul'', p. 29</ref><ref name=Stevens108>Stevens et al., ''The Royal Australian Navy'', p. 108</ref><ref name=SPC/>

''Colac'' was laid down by [[Mort's Dock and Engineering Company]] at [[Balmain, New South Wales]] on 18 April 1941.<ref name=SPC/> She was launched on 30 August 1941 by Miss M. Heady, senior lady on the staff of Morts Dock and Engineering, and commissioned into the RAN on 6 January 1942.<ref name=SPC/> The Colac was under the command of Lt. Commander Dudley Charles Northam. The ship was originally to be named HMAS ''Hamilton''.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Straczek |first=Joe |date=Winter 2003 |title=What's in a name: a chronological list – part 2 |journal=Australian Sea Heritage |publisher=Australian Heritage Fleet |issue=75 |page=13 |issn=0813-0523}}</ref>

==Operational history==

===World War II===

After entering service, ''Colac'' was assigned as an anti-submarine patrol and convoy escort vessel, operating between Townsville and New Guinea.<ref name=SPC/> This continued until December 1942, when ''Colac'' and sister ships [[HMAS Ballarat (J184)|''Ballarat'']] and [[HMAS Broome (J191)|''Broome'']] were ordered to support the Allied efforts to [[Battle of Buna-Gona|recapture Buna-Gona]] by embarking 762 Australian soldiers and delivering them as far into the Japanese-occupied [[Oro Province]] of Papua New Guinea as possible.<ref name=SPC/> The first attempt, early on 14 December, saw 46 soldiers landed at [[Cape Sudest]] before the three corvettes were attacked by Japanese aircraft and forced to withdraw.<ref name=SPC/> That night, under the cover of darkness, the remaining troops were landed nearby.<ref name=SPC/> Throughout December, ''Colac'' was involved in three similar troop deployments, and later took part in [[Operation Lilliput]]; the reinforcement and supply of the captured area.<ref name=SPC/>

In March 1943, ''Colac'' and ''Ballarat'' were reassigned to convoy escort duty along the east coast of Australia.<ref name=SPC/> On 26 April, a five-ship convoy escorted by the two corvettes was attacked by [[Japanese submarine I-177|Japanese submarine ''I-177'']] off [[Cape Byron]].<ref name=SPC/> The MV ''[[MV Limerick (1925)|Limerick]]'' was torpedoed and sunk, with all but two of the crew rescued by ''Colac''. ''I-177'' escaped unharmed.<ref name=SPC/> In July, ''Colac'' was instructed to begin escorting convoys between Australia and New Guinea, before returning to east coast convoys at the start of 1944, then undergoing a refit.<ref name=SPC/>

In April 1944, ''Colac'' was assigned to escort and patrol duties in New Guinea waters, which continued until April 1945, when the corvette was one of four RAN ships providing gunfire support for operations in the [[Wewak]] area.<ref name=SPC/> In mid-May, ''Colac'' was assigned to harass Japanese bases in the Solomon Islands area. On 26 May, the ship suffered her first casualties of the war, two hits from Japanese shore batteries killed two sailors, wounded two others, and holed ''Colac'' at the waterline.<ref name=SPC/> The corvette jettisoned stores, her depth charge payload, and replaceable pieces of equipment to avoid sinking and escape, and later limped to the [[Treasury Islands]] under tow for repairs.<ref name=SPC/> Temporary repairs were made to allow ''Colac'' to sail to New Guinea and then to Sydney, where she arrived on 18 June and entered dock for repairs.<ref name=SPC/> ''Colac'' was still under repair when World War II ended, and she was paid off into reserve on 27 November 1945.<ref name=SPC/>

The corvette was awarded two [[battle honour]]s for her wartime service: "Pacific 1942–45" and "New Guinea 1942–44".<ref name=newhonours>{{cite news |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/Navy_Marks_109th_Birthday_With_Historic_Changes_To_Battle_Honours |title=Navy Marks 109th Birthday With Historic Changes To Battle Honours |date=1 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110613184920/http://www.navy.gov.au/Navy_Marks_109th_Birthday_With_Historic_Changes_To_Battle_Honours |archive-date=13 June 2011 |publisher=Royal Australian Navy |access-date=23 December 2012}}</ref><ref name=honourslist>{{cite web |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/w/images/Units_entitlement_list.pdf |title=Royal Australian Navy Ship/Unit Battle Honours |date=1 March 2010 |publisher=Royal Australian Navy |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614064156/http://www.navy.gov.au/w/images/Units_entitlement_list.pdf |archive-date=14 June 2011 |access-date=23 December 2012}}</ref>

===Training ship=== On 20 February 1951, ''Colac'' was recommissioned for use as a training ship for [[National Service Act 1951|National Service trainees]].<ref name=SPC/>

==Decommissioning and fate== ''Colac'' was returned to reserve on 30 January 1953.<ref name=SPC/> In 1962, the ship was converted into a tank cleaning vessel, and served in this role until 30 September 1983.<ref name=SPC/> ''Colac'' was not recommissioned during this time.

On 4 March 1987, ''Colac'' was sunk by a [[Mark 48 torpedo]] fired by the submarine [[HMAS Ovens|HMAS ''Ovens'']] in a weapons test.<ref name=SPC/> The corvette sank at {{coord|34|49.2|S|151|32|E|display=inline|type:event}}.<ref name=SPC/>

==Citations== {{reflist}}

==References== ;Books *{{cite book |last=Donohue |first=Hector |title=From Empire Defence to the Long Haul: post-war defence policy and its impact on naval force structure planning 1945–1955 |series=Papers in Australian Maritime Affairs |volume=1 |date=October 1996 |publisher=Sea Power Centre |location=Canberra |isbn=0-642-25907-0 |issn=1327-5658 |oclc=36817771}} *{{cite book |last=Stevens |first=David |title=A Critical Vulnerability: the impact of the submarine threat on Australia's maritime defense 1915–1954 |series=Papers in Australian Maritime Affairs |volume=15 |year=2005 |publisher=Sea Power Centre Australia |location=Canberra |isbn=0-642-29625-1 |oclc=62548623 |issn=1327-5658}} *{{cite book |author=Stevens, David |author2=Sears, Jason|author3= Goldrick, James|author4= Cooper, Alastair|author5= Jones, Peter|author6= Spurling, Kathryn |editor=Stevens, David |title=The Royal Australian Navy |series=The Australian Centenary History of Defence (vol III) |year=2001 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=South Melbourne, VIC |isbn=0-19-554116-2 |oclc=50418095}}

;Journal and news articles *{{cite journal |last=Stevens |first=David |date=May 2010 |title=The Australian Corvettes |journal=Hindsight (Semaphore) |publisher=Sea Power Centre – Australia |volume=2010 |issue=5 |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/w/images/Semaphore_2010_5.pdf |access-date=13 August 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110320183407/http://www.navy.gov.au/w/images/Semaphore_2010_5.pdf |archive-date=20 March 2011 }}

==External links== {{Commons category|HMAS Colac}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Colac}} [[Category:Bathurst-class corvettes of the Royal Australian Navy]] [[Category:Ships built in New South Wales]] [[Category:1941 ships]] [[Category:World War II corvettes of Australia]] [[Category:Training ships of the Royal Australian Navy]] [[Category:Ships sunk as targets]] [[Category:Scuttled vessels of New South Wales]] [[Category:Maritime incidents in 1987]]