HMAS Katoomba HMAS " Katoomba " ( J204 / M204 ) , named after the tourist resort of Katoomba , New South Wales , was one of 60 " Bathurst " class corvettes constructed during World War II , and one of 36 initially manned and commissioned solely by the Royal Australian Navy ( RAN ) . Construction . " Katoomba " was laid down by Poole & Steel at Balmain , New South Wales on 9 September 1940 . She was launched on 16 April 1941 by Mrs . Lloyd , then deputy mayoress of Katoomba , and was commissioned into the RAN on 17 December 1941 . Operational history . " Katoomba " entered active service with an assignment to Darwin , where she arrived on 19 December 1941 . The next day , " Katoomba " , along with sister ships HMAS " Deloraine " and HMAS " Lithgow " , and the United States destroyer USS " Edsall " , was involved in the prosecution and successful sinking of Japanese submarine " I - 124 " , the first enemy submarine sunk in Australian waters . " Katoomba " was present during the Japanese bombing of Darwin on 19 February , but was not significantly damaged . At the end of June , " Katoomba " was reassigned as a convoy escort and anti - submarine patrol ship in the waters of northern Queensland and New Guinea . On 14 August , " Katoomba " was sent to assist United States submarine USS " S - 39 " , which had run aground on a reef off Rossel Island . Attempts to refloat the submarine were unsuccessful , and on 16 August , the corvette left Rossel Island with " S - 39 " ’ s entire crew of 47 embarked . The submarine was gutted and left to break up naturally . On 28 November , " Katoomba " and sister ship " Ballarat " were attacked by a force of ten Japanese dive bombers . The corvettes escaped without serious damage . " Katoomba " was attacked again during January 1943 , when a force of six Japanese aircraft attacked the corvette and the Dutch merchant ship " Van Heutz " . " Katoomba " escaped serious damage , but the merchantman was hit , with one man killed and three injured . In February 1944 , " Katoomba " ended her escort duties , and after a short period on patrol , was sent to Sydney for refitting . Upon her return to New Guinea waters in early May 1944 , the corvette was assigned as an anti - submarine patrol ship . She remained in this role until the start of March 1945 , although during this period she was occasionally used as an escort ship . The corvette returned to Australian waters , spent three months in Fremantle , then was assigned to Darwin , where she operated from until the end of World War II . After the war ' s end , " Katoomba " was sent to the Japanese surrender at Timor , before assignment to mine - clearance duties throughout New Guinea waters . She returned to Sydney in October 1946 , and was prepared for decommissioning , but was instead reactivated to help clear the coast of Queensland of mines . " Katoomba " received three battle honour s for her wartime service : " Darwin 1942 " , " Pacific 1942 - 45 " , and " New Guinea 1942 - 44 " . Decommissioning and fate . " Katoomba " arrived in Fremantle on 16 January 1948 , and was paid off into reserve on 2 August . She remained in reserve until 2 May 1957 , when she was sold for breaking up as scrap to the Hong Kong Rolling Mills .