Australian Wollongong corvette (HMAS Wollongong) at sea during World War II.
The Australian Wollongong corvette had the board number J172 and belonged to the Bathurts class corvettes.
Wollongong corvette was built in Sydney (Australia).
Wollongong corvette, construction commenced on 29 January 1941, launched on 05 July 1941, accepted into the Royal Australian Navy on 23 October 1941.
Wollongong corvette, main characteristics: displacement – 650 tons. Length – 57 m, width – 9.4 m, draft – 2.6 m. Power plant (2 thousand hp) – one boiler, two screws. The maximum speed is 15 knots. Cruising range – 2850 miles at a speed of 10 knots. The crew is 85 people.
Wollongong corvette, armament – 76-mm cannon (QF 12 pounder 12 cwt) on the nose, three 20-mm automatic anti-aircraft guns “Oerlikon” (later – 2), one 40-mm automatic anti-aircraft gun “Bofors”, up to 40 depth charges …
Wollongong corvette in October 1941 – January 1942 patrolled the coastal waters of Australia. Since January 1942 – in the area of Singapore: participated in the evacuation of Allied troops from Malaya, Java and Singapore. The Wollongong corvette was the last Allied warship to leave Singapore before surrendering to the Japanese on February 15, 1942.
Later it was used to escort sea convoys in the Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf, Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean. Participated in the Allied landings in Sicily in 1943.
On September 11, 1943, in the Mediterranean Wollongong, the Wollongong corvette participated in the sinking of the German submarine U-617, commanded by Albrecht Brandi, who later received the Knight’s Cross with swords and diamonds.
The Wollongong corvette returned to Astralia in February 1945 and was transferred to the Pacific Ocean, where it fought in Okinawa.
The Wollongong corvette was withdrawn from the Australian Navy on February 11, 1946 and transferred to the Netherlands, where it served in the Navy until 1950.
Source: Australian Department of Defense.
Source of information about Wollongong corvette photo: www.navy.gov.au