HMAS Dubbo – Past and Present

Author

Rankin, A.G., Lt Cdr, RAN

Subjects

Ship design and development, Ship histories and stories

Tags

Patrol Boat, U862

RAN Ships

HMAS Colac, HMAS Swan II, HMAS Dubbo I, HMAS Dubbo II, HMAS Wallaroo, HMAS Waterhen (Base)

Publication

December 1994 edition of the Naval Historical Review (all rights reserved)

After this incident DUBBO was relocated to North Australian waters, arriving in Darwin on 21 March 1945 where she remained as guardship until 4 April. She was then sailed for New Guinea waters reaching Port Moresby four days later. Thereafter, the ship was involved in numerous actions against Japanese land forces in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands while supporting Australian Army units ashore.

On 25 April 1945, DUBBO fired her first hostile shots, when in company with HMA Ships SWAN and COLAC she bombarded Japanese positions on Muslin Island off the New Guinea coast in support of the Australian Sixth Division in its drive against Wewak. On 2 and 3 May she took further part in the New Guinea operations, bombarding Wewak and Kairiru Island.

On 10 May DUBBO embarked troops at But, then landed them at Dove Bay, east of Wewak the following day. Gunfire support to the land forces continued throughout the month of May with the destruction of a number of Japanese gun emplacements. Fortunately, while under fire the ship suffered no damage, although the Japanese shells frequently fell too close for comfort.

In June 1945, DUBBO proceeded to the Solomon Islands where she resumed her role of supporting the Australian land forces with a series of bombardments of Japanese positions on Buka Island and the Bougainville coast. On 28 June, she carried out her final bombardment of the war when she heavily shelled Japanese positions at Manahan.

On 10 July, DUBBO departed Torokina for Brisbane, bringing her war career to a close; however, in August 1945, she returned to the Solomon Islands to conduct some preliminary minesweeping operations. Similar duties in New Britain waters kept the Corvette fully occupied during September, before returning to Brisbane for a refit in October.

In January 1946, DUBBO joined the 20th Minesweeping Squadron and was subsequently engaged in minesweeping operations along the eastern seaboard of Australia until 29 April 1946 when she entered Sydney harbour for the last time as a seagoing ship for the RAN. HMAS DUBBO was finally decommissioned on 7 February 1947 and paid off into Reserve. In her four years of service the ship had steamed 104,923 nautical miles.

Sadly, the fate of the Corvette DUBBO was to be, like so many other World War II ships, a Japanese ship-breaking yard. On 20 February 1958 she was sold to Japanese interests and finally departed Sydney harbour bound for Tokyo in June 1958 under two from the salvage vessel Tukoshima Maru.

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