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Coastal Forces of the Royal Australian Navy

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A painting by official war artist Able Seaman Rex Julius depicting the upper deck of a Fairmile launch in 1944

Coastal Forces was a division of the Royal Navy established during World War II. It consisted of small coastal defence craft such as Motor Launches, submarine chasers, air-sea rescue launches, Motor Gun Boats and Motor Torpedo Boats. It did not include minesweepers, trawlers or landing craft. This article is about the equivalent boats used by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

Units and craft

It included the following types of coastal defence craft:

Type Built Lost Notes
Harbour Defence Motor Launch
Fairmile B Motor Launch 		31[1]
35[2]
2[3]

31 Harbour Defence Motor Launches (HDMLs) and 35 Fairmile B Motor Launches entered service from October 1942. They were employed on routine patrols, convoy escorts, running special forces in and out of Japanese-held areas, boom defence patrols in harbours at home and abroad, courier operations, survey work, and raiding Japanese-held coasts.[4]

RAN HDMLs

Ship Builder Commissioned Career Fate
HDML 1074 L. Robinson, UK 7 August 1940 (UK) Sold on 24 January 1948
HDML 1125 Berthon Boats, UK 28 April 1942 (UK) Ex-RN trans to RAN 1943. Trans to Royal Indian Navy 1944
HDML 1129 Thornycrofts, UK 7 November 1942 (UK) Sold in December 1947
HDML 1161 Sittinghouse, UK 9 January 1943 (UK) Sold on 10 December 1947
HDML 1321 Purdon, Aust 11 November 1943 Z Special Unit during WW2 Named Rushcutter in 1950s. Sold in August 1971. Sank in Darwin Harbour, 19 October 2016.
HDML 1322 Purdon, Aust 17 January 1944 Wrecked at North Head, Sydney, 5 August 1952
HDML 1323 MacFarlane, Aust 21 June 1944 Royal Navy 1950. Transferred to Philippines in 1958.
HDML 1324 MacFarlane, Aust 12 June 1944 Named Huon/Nepean in 1957? Laid up and dismantled, 1982
HDML 1325 E. Jack, Aust 4 November 1943 Named Leeuwin in 1950s. Active 1988
HDML 1326 E. Jack, Aust 19 January 1944 Royal Navy 1950. Transferred to Philippines in 1958.
HDML 1327 Purdon, Aust 29 May 1944 Sold 1958
HDML 1328 MacFarlane, Aust 16 Jan 1945 Royal Navy 1950. Transferred to Philippines in 1958.
HDML 1329 E. Jack, Aust 14 June 1944 Royal Navy 1950. Transferred to Philippines in 1958.
HDML 1338 C.P. Leek, USA 31 May 1944 Paid off 1946. Returned to USN under lend-lease?
HDML 1339 C.P. Leek, USA 15 June 1944 Paid off 1946. Returned to USN under lend-lease?
HDML 1340 L.S. Thorson, USA 12 May 1944 Sold 1948
HDML 1341 L.S. Thorson, USA 1 December 1944 Paid off 1946. Returned to USN under lend-lease?
HDML 1342 L.S. Thorson, USA 24 July 1944 Paid off 1946. Returned to USN under lend-lease?
HDML 1343 L.S. Thorson, USA 3 October 1944 Paid off 1946. Returned to USN under lend-lease?
HDML 1344 Truscott, USA? Not commissioned Placed in reserve on 26 October 1945
HDML 1345 Truscott, USA? Not commissioned Placed in reserve on 26 October 1945
HDML 1346 Truscott, USA 6 January 1945 Paid off 1945. Returned to USN under lend-lease?
HDML 1347 Truscott, USA 1 January 1945 Paid off 1946. Returned to USN under lend-lease?
HDML 1352 Freeport, USA 12 May 1944 Sold 1948
HDML 1353 Freeport, USA 18 October 1944 Paid off 1946. Returned to USN under lend-lease?
HDML 1354 Freeport, USA 11 December 1944 Paid off 1946. Returned to USN under lend-lease?
HDML 1355 Freeport, USA 11 December 1944 Paid off 1946. Returned to USN under lend-lease?
HDML 1356 Elscot, USA 20 December 1944 Paid off 1946. Returned to USN under lend-lease?
HDML 1357 Elscot, USA 4 November 1944 Paid off 1946. Returned to USN under lend-lease?
HDML 1358 Elscot, USA 21 October 1944 Paid off 1946. Returned to USN under lend-lease?
HDML 1359 Elscot, USA 22 September 1944 Paid off 1946. Returned to USN under lend-lease?

RAN Fairmiles

A Fairmile school was established at HMAS Rushcutter on 1 June 1942. The first Australian Fairmile, ML 813, entered service at the end of that year. Originally designed in the UK for coastal anti-submarine and convoy duties, the RAN Fairmiles performed these and a variety of other functions. Their tasks included convoy escort, servicing and supporting advancing troops, landing and recovering commandos and coastwatchers, rescuing civilians from enemy occupied territories, and invasion escort.[5]

Ship Builder Commissioned Career Fate
ML 424 Green Point, NSW 28 January 1943 Listed for disposal in March 1947 and sold in August, 1947. This was purchased by Roylen Cruises, Mackay, Queensland. The name came from the last three letters of the founder's son Fitzroy and his daughter Helen. In the mid-1970s it was sold and renamed Reef Princess. It met its fate off Townsville on Wheelers Reef in 1981. This story was covered in a newspaper article entitled "Death of a Princess".
ML 425 Green Point, NSW 6 Feb 1943 Sold August, 1947
ML 426 Green Point, NSW 5 Mar 1943 Sold July, 1947
ML 427 Green Point, NSW 15 Mar 1943 Sold August, 1947
ML 428 Green Point, NSW 31 Mar 1943 Sold August, 1947
ML 429 Green Point, NSW 15 Apr 1943 Sold August, 1947
ML 430 Green Point, NSW 6 May 1943 Lost in a "friendly fire" incident with ML819 in New Guinea waters, 13 August 1944, when the two vessels were hunting a Japanese submarine.
ML 431 Green Point, NSW 14 May 1943 Sold August, 1947
ML 801 Green Point, NSW 29 May 1943 Sold September, 1947
ML 802 Green Point, NSW 15 Jun 1943 Sold December, 1947
ML 803 Green Point, NSW 3 Jul 1943 Sold December, 1947
ML 804 Green Point, NSW 15 Jul 1943 Sold August, 1947
ML 805 Green Point, NSW 3 Aug 1943 Sold January, 1948
ML 806 Green Point, NSW 8 Sep 1943 Sold December, 1947
ML 807 Green Point, NSW 13 Sep 1943 Sold November, 1947
ML 808 Green Point, NSW 23 Sep 1943 Sold December, 1947
ML 809 Green Point, NSW 8 Oct 1943 Sold August, 1947. This vessel was acquired by Northern Plywood at Cairns and later acquired (1952) by McLean's Roylen Cruises and renamed Roylen Star. It was commanded by Fitzroy McLean with engineer John Lacey for much of its Roylen service. It was sold in 1979 and sank near Palm Island in about 1979.
ML 810 Green Point, NSW 25 Oct 1943 This vessel was named Ajax and fitted out as a luxury cruiser with all internal fittings fitted out in mahogany. It was refitted with two Hall Scott petrol engines and was believed to be able to reach speeds in excess of 20 knots. When it was acquired by Roylen Cruises it was renamed Petaj, the first 3 letters of the son of Fitzroy McLean and the last two letters of the Ajax, as it was believed to be bad luck to completely change a vessels name. The petrol engines were removed as they were prone to fire and it was refitted with two cat diesel engines, giving it a speed of approximately 16 knots. This vessel was used for more up market guests and was also used (between the 15 to 18 July 1966) for HRH Prince Charles to cruise the Barrier Reef. This trip was commanded by Captain Fitzroy McLean. Petaj was badly damaged in Cyclone Kerry in the late 1970s, but was later repaired. In the mid-1990s Petaj was used in the Solomon Islands for a Fishing / local buying vessel. It was surrounded by controversy and later sank near Munda in the Solomon Islands. It is believed that it was later refloated by a dive operation from Gizo which took it to a side of Gizo and resunk it as a dive site, near Plum Pudding Island where President John F Kennedy's PT 109 was cut in half in an area known as "The Slot"
ML 811 Green Point, NSW 5 Nov 1943 Sold August, 1947
ML 812 Green Point, NSW 4 Dec 1943 Sold November, 1947
ML 813 Halvorsen, NSW 16 Nov 1943 Sold August, 1947
ML 814 Halvorsen, NSW 1 Jan 1943 Sold August, 1947
ML 815 N. Wright, Qld 11 Jan 1943 Sold November, 1947
ML 816 N. Wright, Qld 2 Jun 1943 Sold August, 1949
ML 817 Halvorsen, NSW 16 Feb 1943 Sold November, 1947
ML 818 Halvorsen, NSW 29 Mar 1943 Sold August, 1947
ML 819 Halvorsen, NSW 10 Mat 1943 Sold August, 1947
ML 820 Halvorsen, NSW 21 Jun 1943 Sold August, 1947
ML 821 Halvorsen, NSW 27 Jul 1943 Sold August, 1947
ML 822 Halvorsen, NSW 30 Aug 1943 Sold January, 1943
ML 823 Halvorsen, NSW 30 Sep 1943 Sold October, 1947. This was operated by Loch Nicholson from Lindeman Island under the name of Esmeralda, but later was purchased by the Evetts family and renamed the Elizabeth E which operated similar cruises to that of Roylen Cruises. The Evetts were so impressed with the design that they later had another vessel built in a very similar design to that of the original Fairmile.
ML 824 Halvorsen, NSW 18 Nov 1943 Sold November, 1947
ML 825 Halvorsen, NSW 1 Feb 1944 Sold January 1948
ML 826 N. Wright, Qld 1 Jan 1944 Sold November, 1947
ML 827 N. Wright, Qld 19 Apr 1944 Grounded at Jacquinot Bay, New Britain on 17 November 1944, sank while under tow by Cambrian Salvor off New Britain on 20 November 1944.
ML 828 N. Wright, Qld Order cancelled

Surviving craft

One Fairmile survives as Challenger 1, based in Melbourne for charter. It went to Fremantle in 1962, then to Gold Coast in 1977. It was upgraded there with a more-upmarket fitout. The previous east-coast survivor was an ex Roylen Cruises fairmile, Roylen Sandra which sank in a creek at Ingham in 2010. The fate of second last to stay afloat was ex HML 815 which became Roylen Pataj (named after the son and grandson of the operators of Roylen Cruises, Peter with the last letters of AJAX as it was known) this sank Rendova Island in the Solomon Islands and was later raised and sunk again near Kennedy Island near Gizo as dive site by the local scuba diving company. Petaj was fitted out as a luxury cruiser and was also used to ferry HRH Prince Charles around the Barrier Reef in 1965 before being acquired by Roylen Cruises.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Australian HDMLs". Archived from the original on 20 July 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. ^ "Australian Fairmile Bs". Archived from the original on 20 July 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. ^ Straczek, J.H. "RAN in the Second World War". Royal Australian Navy. Archived from the original on 21 November 2008. Retrieved 19 September 2008.
  4. ^ "Patrol boats". The Navy Contribution to Australian Maritime Operations: RAN Doctrine 2 – 2005. Royal Australian Navy. 2005. ISBN 0-642-29615-4. Archived from the original on 26 September 2008.
  5. ^ "CHIEF OF NAVY SPEECH AWM Plaque Dedication – HMAS Rushcutter". Royal Australian Navy. 24 March 2006. Archived from the original on 12 August 2008. Retrieved 18 December 2015.

Further reading

  • Evans, Peter (2002). Fairmile Ships of the Royal Australian Navy. Vol. 1. ISBN 978-1-876439-86-6.
  • Evans, Peter (2002). Fairmile Ships of the Royal Australian Navy. Vol. 2. ISBN 1-876439-29-7.
  • Gillett, R. (1983). Australian & New Zealand Warships, 1914–1945 (1st ed.). ISBN 0-86824-095-8.
  • Gillett, R. (1988). Australian & New Zealand Warships, since 1946 (1st ed.). ISBN 0-86777-219-0.
  • Stevens, D. (2005). The Royal Australian Navy in World War II (2nd ed.). ISBN 1-74114-184-2.
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