HMAS Bundaberg (J231)
HMAS Bundaberg , named for the city of Bundaberg, Queensland, was one of 60 s constructed during World War II, and one of 36 initially manned and commissioned solely by the Royal Australian Navy.
Design and construction
In 1938, the Australian Commonwealth Naval Board 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. The vessel was initially envisaged as having a displacement of approximately 500 tons, a speed of at least, and a range of The opportunity to build a prototype in the place of a cancelled Bar-class boom defence vessel saw the proposed design increased to a 680-ton vessel, with a top speed, and a range of, armed with a 4-inch 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. Construction of the prototype did not go ahead, but the plans were retained. The need for locally built 'all-rounder' vessels at the start of World War II saw the "Australian Minesweepers" approved in September 1939, with 60 constructed during the course of the war: 36 ordered by the RAN, 20 ordered by the British Admiralty but manned and commissioned as RAN vessels, and 4 for the Royal Indian Navy.Bundaberg was laid down by Evans Deakin and Company at Brisbane on 7 June 1941, launched on 1 December 1941 by Mrs. Hurwood, wife of the Director of Evans Deakin, and commissioned on 12 September 1942.