page_title: Bathurst-class corvette
section_title: Armament and equipment
hierarchical_section_title: Bathurst-class corvette / Design / Armament and equipment
caption_attribution_description: AWM caption&#160;: "TARAKAN ISLAND. 1945-06-22. HMAS COWRA AND CREW, PREVIOUSLY ENGAGED IN MINESWEEPING AND CONVOY WORK ROUND TARAKAN ISLAND, BEGAN PREPARATIONS FOR A TRIP TO MOROTAI. SHOWN, MEMBERS OF THE CREW PRACTICING GUN DRILL ON THE SHIP'S MAIN ARMAMENT, A 4 INCH M19 QF GUN. IDENTIFIED PERSONNEL ARE:- PM4633 ABLE SEAMAN C. D. HEARD (1); 21756 PETTY OFFICER J. L. GRAY (2); B2344 ABLE SEAMAN H. W. MOESSINGER (3); PM2160 LEADING SEAMAN N. R. GERRARD (4); PM3489 ABLE SEAMAN E. A. THOMPSON (5); PM6741 ABLE SEAMAN N. B. SHEPHERD (6); PA4352 ABLE SEAMAN I. S. SMOKER (7)."
context_page_description: The Bathurst-class corvettes were a class of general purpose vessels designed and built 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.
  A total of 60 Bathurst-class corvettes were built, at eight Australian shipyards: 36 were paid for by the Australian government and 20 were built on British Admiralty orders. Of these UK-owned vessels, 20 were officially commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy, and manned by RAN personnel, while four served in the Royal Indian Navy; none of the UK-owned vessels was commissioned into the Royal Navy. An order for three more Bathursts, to be constructed in India, was cancelled before they were laid down.
  Although the Bathursts were designed for the anti-submarine and anti-mine roles, they also served as troop and supply transports, provided air defence for convoys and disabled ships, participated in shore bombardments, and undertook hydrographic surveys. Three ships were lost during the war: one to an air attack and two to collisions with friendly merchant ships.
context_section_description: The most common armament for Bathurst-class corvettes was a 12-pounder gun or a 4-inch Mark XIX high-angle gun, three Oerlikon 20 mm cannons, two Lewis .303 machine guns, and two .303 Vickers machine guns. The corvettes carried up to 40 depth charges, which were deployed by 4 throwers and 2 chutes. Many of the 12-pounder carrying corvettes were refitted with the 4-inch during their service life, while one of the Oerlikons was often replaced with a Bofors 40 mm gun. Bathursts equipped with the 4-inch main gun were primarily allocated to northern waters, because of the increased air threat and the greater anti-aircraft capabilities of the 4-inch compared to the 12-pounder gun mounted on other corvettes.
  Due to the variety of shipyards constructing the corvettes, as well as the varying roles the Bathursts were pressed into, there was no true standardisation of armament. Some ships varied significantly from the common armament profile, while an individual ship's weapons outfit could vary significantly for different periods of her career. At one stage, HMAS Geraldton carried six Oerlikon cannons, a number later reduced to four. By comparison, the outfit of HMAS Junee consisted of a single 4-inch gun and a single 40 mm gun.
  The Bathursts were equipped with modified Type 128 asdic equipment, redesigned to be used without a gyroscopic stabiliser. Minesweeping equipment also varied across the class: ships equipped with the newer 'LL' minesweeping gear were distributed as evenly as possible throughout major Australian ports.
  Each was fitted with a triple expansion steam engine (usually fabricated by railway workshops) to drive two propellers at a theoretical maximum speed of 15.5 knots (28.7 km/h; 17.8 mph), although this required ideal conditions and was rarely achieved.
caption: HMAS Cowra's 4-inch Mk XIX gun during a training exercise in 1945
exif: {}