{{Use Australian English|date=March 2018}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}} {{Infobox ship |section1={{Infobox ship/image |image=HMAS Stawell 301340.jpg |image_caption=HMAS ''Stawell'' during 1944 }}

|section2={{Infobox ship/career |country=Australia |flag={{shipboxflag|Australia|naval-1913}} |namesake=Town of Stawell, Victoria |builder=HMA Naval Dockyard at Williamstown, Victoria |laid_down=18 June 1942 |launched=3 April 1943 |commissioned=7 August 1943 |decommissioned=26 March 1946 |motto="Without Fear or Favour" |nickname= |honours=*'''Battle honours:''' *Pacific 1943–45 *New Guinea 1943–44 *Borneo 1945 |fate=gifted to RNZN |notes= |badge= }}

|section3={{Infobox ship/career |hide_header=title |country=New Zealand |flag={{shipboxflag|New Zealand|naval-1941}} |acquired=5 March 1952 |commissioned= |decommissioned=Late 1950s |motto= |nickname= |honours= |fate=Sold for scrap in 1968 |notes= |badge= }}

|section4={{Infobox ship/characteristics |header_caption=during RAN service |class={{sclass|Bathurst|corvette}} |displacement=*650&nbsp;tons standard *1,025&nbsp;tons full war 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, {{convert|2000|hp|abbr=on}} |speed={{convert|15|kn}} at 1,750&nbsp;hp |complement=85 |sensors= |armament=*1 × 4 inch Mk XIX gun *3 × Oerlikon 20 mm cannons *Machine guns *Depth charges chutes and throwers |notes= }} }} '''HMAS ''Stawell'' (J348/M348)''' was a {{sclass|Bathurst|corvette}} named after the town of Stawell, Victoria.<ref name=SPC/> Sixty ''Bathurst''-class corvettes were constructed during World War II, and ''Stawell'' was 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-stawell-i |title=HMAS Stawell (I) |access-date=27 August 2008 |work=HMA Ship Histories |publisher=Sea Power Centre – Royal Australian Navy |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104181918/http://www.navy.gov.au/hmas-stawell-i |archive-date=4 November 2012}}</ref>

The corvette later served in the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) as '''HMNZS ''Stawell'''''.

==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 of approximately 500 tons, a speed of at least {{convert|10|kn|lk=in}}, and a range of {{convert|2000|nmi|lk=in}}<ref name=StevensACV103.4>Stevens, ''A Critical Vulnerability'', pp. 103–4</ref> The opportunity to build a prototype in the place of a cancelled {{sclass2|Bar|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 {{convert|4|in|adj=on|0}} gun, equipped with asdic, and able to fitted with either depth charges or minesweeping equipment depending on the planned operations: although closer in size to a 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}} 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 ''Stawell'') 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/>

''Stawell'' was laid down by HMA Naval Dockyard at Williamstown, Victoria on 18 June 1942.<ref name=SPC/> She was launched on 3 April 1943 by Mrs. J. J. Dedman, wife of the Minister for War Organisation, and commissioned into the RAN on 7 August 1943.<ref name=SPC/>

==Operational history==

===RAN=== The majority of ''Stawell''{{'}}s career was spent in three areas. Initially, she served as a convoy escort along the east coast of Australia.<ref name=SPC/> Following this, ''Stawell'' participated in a variety of escort, minesweeping, and combat roles throughout New Guinea waters.<ref name=SPC/> On 3 August 1945 she sank an armed Daihatsu barge in the Moluccas area.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.navy.gov.au/hmas-stawell |title=HMAS Stawell |access-date=17 August 2022}}</ref> In the final third of her career, the ship spent time in Hong Kong waters, performing minsweeping and anti-piracy duties.<ref name=SPC/> ''Stawell'' returned to Brisbane in November 1945.<ref name=SPC/>

The corvette received three battle honours for her wartime service: "Pacific 1943–45", "New Guinea 1943–44", and "Borneo 1945".<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>

===RNZN=== ''Stawell'' was removed from RAN service on 26 March 1946.<ref name=SPC/> On 5 March 1952, ''Stawell'' and three other ''Bathurst''-class corvettes (HMA Ships {{HMAS|Echuca||2}}, {{HMAS|Inverell||2}}, and {{HMAS|Kiama||2}}) were transferred to the Royal New Zealand Navy.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/hmas-inverell-i |title=HMAS Inverell (I) |access-date=27 August 2008 |work=HMA Ship Histories |publisher=Sea Power Centre – Royal Australian Navy |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105161516/http://www.navy.gov.au/hmas-inverell-i |archive-date=5 November 2012}}</ref>

She was commissioned into the RNZN during May 1952 and given the prefix HMNZS.<ref name=Gillett140>{{cite book |last=Gillett |first=Ross |title=Australian and New Zealand Warships since 1946 |year=1988 |publisher=Child & Associates |location=Brookvale, NSW |isbn=0-86777-219-0 |oclc=23470364 |page=140}}</ref> ''Stawell'' operated primarily as a training vessel until 1959, when she was placed into reserve.<ref name=SPC/><ref name=Gillett140/>

==Fate== ''Stawell'' was sold to Pacific Scrap Limited of Auckland, New Zealand, in July 1968, and was broken up for scrap.<ref name=SPC/>

==Citations== {{reflist|30em}}

==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}} *{{cite book|last1=Wright|first1=Gerry|title=Kiwi Bathurst Tales: Some stories from those who served in the four New Zealand Bathursts, HMNZ Ships Echuca, Stawell, Kiama and Inverell|date=2015|publisher=Gerry Wright|location=Auckland|isbn=9780473337193}}

===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}}

{{Bathurst class corvette|others}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stawell}} Category:Bathurst-class corvettes of the Royal Australian Navy Category:Ships built in Victoria (state) Category:World War II corvettes of Australia Category:1943 ships Category:Bathurst-class corvettes of the Royal New Zealand Navy