HMAS Strahan (J363/M363), named for the town of Strahan, Tasmania

Strahan, Tasmania

-See also:* Convicts on the West Coast of Tasmania* Macquarie Harbour* Railways on the West Coast of Tasmania* West Coast Piners-Further reading:* *...

, was one of 60 Bathurst class corvettes

Bathurst class corvette

The Bathurst class corvettes were a class of general purpose vessels produced 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.Sixty Bathurst...

 constructed during World War II, and one of 36 initially manned and commissioned solely by the Royal Australian Navy

Royal Australian Navy

The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...

 (RAN).

Construction

Strahan was laid down by the NSW State Dockyard at Newcastle, New South Wales

Newcastle, New South Wales

The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...

 on 9 October 1942. She was launched on 12 July 1943 by Mrs. J. J. Cahill, wife of the Minister for Public Works and Local Government, and commissioned into the RAN on 14 March 1944.

Operational history

Strahan began her career in May 1944, arriving in New Guinea

New Guinea

New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...

 after completing trials to serve as an escort and anti-submarine vessel. In October 1944, Strahan was present in Morotai

Morotai

Morotai Island Regency is a regency of North Maluku province, Indonesia, located on Morotai Island. The population was 54,876 in 2007.-History:...

 Harbour when the recently-captured island was attacked by Japanese aircraft. The corvette was attacked by a dive-bomber, but was able to drive off the Japanese plane before she was damaged.

In May 1945, Strahan travelled to Adelaide via Sydney, where she underwent a refit. Following this, she was immediated deployed back in New Guinea, and in June 1945 fired upon Japanese gun emplacements on Kairiru Island.

Following the end of World War II, Strahan was assigned to the 21st Minesweeping Flotilla in Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

, and performed in minesweeping and anti-piracy patrols. Strahan struck a mine while on patrol on 26 September 1945, and had to be towed into Hong Kong Harbour. She was repaired, and returned to Australia. Strahan was decommissioned into reserve in Sydney on 25 January 1946.

The corvette received two battle honours for her wartime service: "Pacific 1944-45" and "New Guinea 1944".

Fate

Strahan was sold to the Kinoshita Australia company for scrap on 6 January 1961. She was broken up at Green Point in Sydney during March 1963.