HMAS Townsville (FCPB 205): Difference between revisions
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|Ship country=Australia |
|Ship country=Australia |
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|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Australia|naval}} |
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Australia|naval}} |
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|Ship namesake=City of [[Townsville |
|Ship namesake=City of [[Townsville]] |
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|Ship builder= |
|Ship builder=[[NQEA]], [[Cairns]] |
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|Ship laid down=5 March 1979 |
|Ship laid down=5 March 1979 |
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|Ship launched=16 May 1981 |
|Ship launched=16 May 1981 |
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|Ship sensors= |
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|Ship EW= |
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|Ship armament=* |
|Ship armament=*1 [[Bofors 40 mm L/60 gun|Bofors 40 mm/60 Bofors gun]] |
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*1 12.7 mm machine guns |
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*1 81 mm mortar (removed later) |
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|Ship notes= |
|Ship notes= |
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'''HMAS ''Townsville'' (FCPB 205)''', named for the city of [[Townsville]], Queensland, was a {{sclass|Fremantle|patrol boat}} of the [[Royal Australian Navy]] (RAN). Built by [[ |
'''HMAS ''Townsville'' (FCPB 205)''', named for the city of [[Townsville]], [[Queensland]], was a {{sclass|Fremantle|patrol boat}} of the [[Royal Australian Navy]] (RAN). Built by [[NQEA]], [[Cairns]], the ship was laid down in 1979, and commissioned into the RAN in 1981. |
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Assigned to the naval base {{HMAS|Cairns|naval base|6}}, ''Townsville'' was primarily assigned to fisheries protection and border patrol operations in northern Australian waters. In December 1981, the patrol boat recaptured an escaping illegal fishing vessel. The next year, she was used for filming of the ''[[Patrol Boat (TV series)|Patrol Boat]]'' television series. ''Townsville'' was deployed to Fiji as part of [[Operation Morris Dance]] in May 1987. |
Assigned to the naval base {{HMAS|Cairns|naval base|6}}, ''Townsville'' was primarily assigned to fisheries protection and border patrol operations in northern Australian waters. In December 1981, the patrol boat recaptured an escaping illegal fishing vessel. The next year, she was used for filming of the ''[[Patrol Boat (TV series)|Patrol Boat]]'' television series. ''Townsville'' was deployed to Fiji as part of [[Operation Morris Dance]] in May 1987. |
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==Design and construction== |
==Design and construction== |
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{{main|Fremantle-class patrol boat}} |
{{main|Fremantle-class patrol boat}} |
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Starting in the late 1960s, planning began for a new class of patrol boat to replace the {{sclass|Attack|patrol boat|4}}, with designs calling for improved [[seakeeping]] capability, and updated weapons and equipment.<ref>Mitchell, ''Farewell to the Fremantle class'', p. 105</ref> The ''Fremantle''s had a full load displacement of {{convert|220|t}}, were {{convert|137.6|ft}} [[length overall|long overall]], had a beam of {{convert|24.25|ft}}, and a maximum draught of {{convert|5.75|ft}}.<ref name=Gillett89>Gillett, ''Australian and New Zealand Warships since 1946'', p. 89</ref> Main propulsion machinery consisted of two MTU series 538 diesel engines, which supplied {{convert|3200|shp}} to the two propeller shafts.<ref name=Gillett89/> Exhaust was not expelled through a funnel, like most ships, but through vents below the waterline.<ref name=Gillett88/> The patrol boat could reach a maximum speed of {{convert|30|kn}}, and had a maximum range of {{convert|5000|nmi}} at {{convert|5|kn}}.<ref name=Gillett89/> The ship's company consisted of 22 personnel.<ref name=Gillett89/> Each patrol boat was armed with a single [[Bofors 40 mm |
Starting in the late 1960s, planning began for a new class of patrol boat to replace the {{sclass|Attack|patrol boat|4}}, with designs calling for improved [[seakeeping]] capability, and updated weapons and equipment.<ref>Mitchell, ''Farewell to the Fremantle class'', p. 105</ref> The ''Fremantle''s had a full load displacement of {{convert|220|t}}, were {{convert|137.6|ft}} [[length overall|long overall]], had a beam of {{convert|24.25|ft}}, and a maximum draught of {{convert|5.75|ft}}.<ref name=Gillett89>Gillett, ''Australian and New Zealand Warships since 1946'', p. 89</ref> Main propulsion machinery consisted of two [[MTU Friedrichshafen|MTU]] series 538 diesel engines, which supplied {{convert|3200|shp}} to the two propeller shafts.<ref name=Gillett89/> Exhaust was not expelled through a funnel, like most ships, but through vents below the waterline.<ref name=Gillett88/> The patrol boat could reach a maximum speed of {{convert|30|kn}}, and had a maximum range of {{convert|5000|nmi}} at {{convert|5|kn}}.<ref name=Gillett89/> The ship's company consisted of 22 personnel.<ref name=Gillett89/> Each patrol boat was armed with a single [[Bofors 40 mm L/60 gun|40 mm Bofors gun]] as main armament, supplemented by two [[M2 Browning machine gun|.50 cal Browning machineguns]] and an 81 mm mortar,<ref name=Gillett89/> although the mortar was removed from all ships sometime after 1988.{{citation needed|date=June 2011}} The main weapon was originally to be two 30 mm guns on a twin-mount, but the reconditioned Bofors were selected to keep costs down; provision was made to install an updated weapon later in the class' service life, but this did not eventuate.<ref name=Gillett88>Gillett, ''Australian and New Zealand Warships since 1946'', p. 88</ref><ref name=Jones222>Jones, in Stevens, ''The Royal Australian Navy'', p. 222</ref> |
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''Townsville'' was laid down by [[ |
''Townsville'' was laid down by [[NQEA]], [[Cairns]] on 5 March 1979.<ref name="jfs85 p26">Moore, ''Jane's Fighting Ships 1985–86'', p. 26</ref><ref name=RAN>{{cite web |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/hmas-townsville-ii |title=HMAS Townsville |publisher=Royal Australian Navy |accessdate=11 September 2008}}</ref> She was launched on 16 May 1981 by the wife of Queensland Governor [[James Ramsay (governor)|James Ramsay]].<ref name=RAN/> The ship was commissioned into the RAN on 18 July 1981, and assigned to the naval base at {{HMAS|Cairns|naval base|6}}.<ref name="jfs85 p26"/><ref name=RAN/> The patrol boat has variously been nicknamed "The Black Knight Mustang 205" and "Wily Coyote" (the latter after the Looney Tunes character [[Wile E Coyote]]).<ref name=TMM2day/> |
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==Operational history== |
==Operational history== |
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''Townsville'', like all the ''Fremantle''-class vessels, was primarily assigned to fisheries protection and border patrol operations in northern Australian waters.<ref name=RAN/> Tasks included boarding and inspection of ships operating in Australian waters, preventing [[unauthorised arrival]]s and [[illegal fishing]], intercepting smugglers, and acting in support of Customs and law enforcement operations.<ref name=RAN/> Additionally, during the construction of the ''Fremantle'' class, ''Townsville'' was the designated buddy ship for vessels completing [[sea trials]] and initial working up.{{citation needed|date=September 2015}} |
''Townsville'', like all the ''Fremantle''-class vessels, was primarily assigned to fisheries protection and border patrol operations in northern Australian waters.<ref name=RAN/> Tasks included boarding and inspection of ships operating in Australian waters, preventing [[unauthorised arrival]]s and [[illegal fishing]], intercepting smugglers, and acting in support of Customs and law enforcement operations.<ref name=RAN/> Additionally, during the construction of the ''Fremantle'' class, ''Townsville'' was the designated buddy ship for vessels completing [[sea trials]] and initial working up.{{citation needed|date=September 2015}} |
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On 25 December 1981, ''Townsville'' was called on to pursue the Taiwanese fishing vessel ''Yuan Tsun''.<ref name=TMM>{{cite web|url=http://www.townsvillemaritimemuseum.org.au/hmas_townsville/hmas_townsville_%281981___2007%29.php |title=HMAS Townsville (1981–2007) |publisher=Townsville Maritime Museum |
On 25 December 1981, ''Townsville'' was called on to pursue the Taiwanese fishing vessel ''Yuan Tsun''.<ref name=TMM>{{cite web|url=http://www.townsvillemaritimemuseum.org.au/hmas_townsville/hmas_townsville_%281981___2007%29.php |title=HMAS Townsville (1981–2007) |publisher=[[Townsville Maritime Museum]]|accessdate=6 September 2015}}</ref> The ship, which had been detained in [[Trinity Inlet]] after being caught illegally fishing in Australian waters, took the opportunity to escape while most military and law-enforcement personnel were on leave for the Christmas holiday.<ref name=TMM/> ''Townsville'' maintained pursuit of ''Yuan Tusn'' as the ship attempted to escape the Great Barrier Reef, fired several warning shots, and received approval from the Defence Minister to fire directly on the ship before the captain surrendered.<ref name=TMM/> |
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{{Multiple image|align=left|width=150|direction=vertical|image1=HMAS Townsville 205 Christmas 1981 words.jpg|image2=HMAS Townsville 205 Christmas 1981 santa.jpg|width2=150|footer=Front (top) and back of commemorative t-shirt for the recapture of ''Yuan Tusn''.}} |
{{Multiple image|align=left|width=150|direction=vertical|image1=HMAS Townsville 205 Christmas 1981 words.jpg|image2=HMAS Townsville 205 Christmas 1981 santa.jpg|width2=150|footer=Front (top) and back of commemorative t-shirt for the recapture of ''Yuan Tusn''.}} |
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During 1982, ''Townsville'' was one of several ''Fremantle''s used to depict the fictional HMAS ''Defiance'' for filming of the second season of the [[ABC Television (Australian TV network)|ABC]] television series ''[[Patrol Boat (TV series)|Patrol Boat]]''.<ref name=TMM/><ref name=FarewellFremantle>{{cite journal |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Semaphore_2005_17.pdf |title=Farewell to the Fremantle class |accessdate=6 September 2015 |date=October 2005 |journal=Semaphore |volume=2005 |issue=17 |publisher=Sea Power Centre |
During 1982, ''Townsville'' was one of several ''Fremantle''s used to depict the fictional HMAS ''Defiance'' for filming of the second season of the [[ABC Television (Australian TV network)|ABC]] television series ''[[Patrol Boat (TV series)|Patrol Boat]]''.<ref name=TMM/><ref name=FarewellFremantle>{{cite journal |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Semaphore_2005_17.pdf |title=Farewell to the Fremantle class |accessdate=6 September 2015 |date=October 2005 |journal=Semaphore |volume=2005 |issue=17 |publisher=[[Sea Power Centre]]}}</ref> |
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''Townsville'' was involved in [[Exercise Kangaroo]] 83.{{citation needed|date=September 2015}} |
''Townsville'' was involved in [[Exercise Kangaroo]] 83.{{citation needed|date=September 2015}} |
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In late May 1987, ''Townsville'' was deployed to Fiji as part of [[Operation Morris Dance]], as relief for one of the patrol boats sent following the initial [[1987 Fijian coups d'état|coup d'état]] earlier that month.<ref name=Gubb8>{{cite book|last=Gubb|first=Mathew|title=The Australian Military Response to the Fiji Coup, An Assessment|publisher=Australian National University|location=Canberra|year=1988|series=Strategic and Defence Studies Centre Working Paper No. 171|isbn=0-7315-0497-6 |page=8}}</ref> The Australian government decided on 29 May that the situation had stabilised, with ''Townsville'' sailing for home that day.<ref name=Gubb8/> |
In late May 1987, ''Townsville'' was deployed to Fiji as part of [[Operation Morris Dance]], as relief for one of the patrol boats sent following the initial [[1987 Fijian coups d'état|coup d'état]] earlier that month.<ref name=Gubb8>{{cite book|last=Gubb|first=Mathew|title=The Australian Military Response to the Fiji Coup, An Assessment|publisher=[[Australian National University]]|location=Canberra|year=1988|series=Strategic and Defence Studies Centre Working Paper No. 171|isbn=0-7315-0497-6 |page=8}}</ref> The Australian government decided on 29 May that the situation had stabilised, with ''Townsville'' sailing for home that day.<ref name=Gubb8/> |
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On 1 June 1990, the patrol boat intercepted a vessel carrying Cambodian refugees off [[Bathurst Island (Northern Territory)|Bathurst Island]].<ref name=bendle5>Bendle et al., ''Database of Royal Australian Navy Operations, 1990–2005'', p. 5</ref> The vessel began sinking while the boarding and inspection was underway, with the personnel of ''Townsville'' rescuing 45 men, 17 women, and 17 children, and transporting them to Darwin.<ref name=bendle5/> The following month, the patrol boat was in [[Nuku'Alofa]] for celebrations of the King of Tonga's birthday.<ref name=bendle6>Bendle et al., ''Database of Royal Australian Navy Operations, 1990–2005'', p. 6</ref> |
On 1 June 1990, the patrol boat intercepted a vessel carrying Cambodian refugees off [[Bathurst Island (Northern Territory)|Bathurst Island]].<ref name=bendle5>Bendle et al., ''Database of Royal Australian Navy Operations, 1990–2005'', p. 5</ref> The vessel began sinking while the boarding and inspection was underway, with the personnel of ''Townsville'' rescuing 45 men, 17 women, and 17 children, and transporting them to Darwin.<ref name=bendle5/> The following month, the patrol boat was in [[Nuku'Alofa]] for celebrations of the King of Tonga's birthday.<ref name=bendle6>Bendle et al., ''Database of Royal Australian Navy Operations, 1990–2005'', p. 6</ref> |
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In January 1992, ''Townsville'' was used as the platform from which a team of clearance divers disposed of undetonated bombs found on [[Middleton Reef]].<ref name=bendle14>Bendle et al., ''Database of Royal Australian Navy Operations, 1990–2005'', p. 14</ref> |
In January 1992, ''Townsville'' was used as the platform from which a team of clearance divers disposed of undetonated bombs found on [[Middleton Reef]].<ref name=bendle14>Bendle et al., ''Database of Royal Australian Navy Operations, 1990–2005'', p. 14</ref> |
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In July 1993, ''Townsville'' was used for water flow and [[cavitation]] experiments on the vessel's propellers.<ref name=NAP/> Two windows were inserted into the ship's hull above the propellers to allow filming of these effects.<ref name=NAP>{{cite book |last1=Kuiper |first1=G. |last2=Grimm |first2=M |last3=McNeice |first3=B. |last4=Noble |first4=D. |last5=Krikke |first5=M. |title=Twenty-Fourth Symposium on Naval Hydrodynamics|publisher=National Academies Press |
In July 1993, ''Townsville'' was used for water flow and [[cavitation]] experiments on the vessel's propellers.<ref name=NAP/> Two windows were inserted into the ship's hull above the propellers to allow filming of these effects.<ref name=NAP>{{cite book |last1=Kuiper |first1=G. |last2=Grimm |first2=M |last3=McNeice |first3=B. |last4=Noble |first4=D. |last5=Krikke |first5=M. |title=Twenty-Fourth Symposium on Naval Hydrodynamics|publisher=[[National Academies Press]]|date=21 July 2003 |chapter=Propeller Inflow at Full Scale During a Manoeuvre |isbn=0309254701 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y_utl_LspVcC |pages=551–565}}</ref> |
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During February 1994, ''Townsville'' visited several Papua New Guinean ports while conducting patrol operations in the [[Coral Sea]].<ref name=bendle20>Bendle et al., ''Database of Royal Australian Navy Operations, 1990–2005'', p. 20</ref> |
During February 1994, ''Townsville'' visited several Papua New Guinean ports while conducting patrol operations in the [[Coral Sea]].<ref name=bendle20>Bendle et al., ''Database of Royal Australian Navy Operations, 1990–2005'', p. 20</ref> |
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In August 1995, ''Townsville'' participated in celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the [[Victory in the Pacific|end of World War II in the Pacific theatre]].<ref name=bendle24>Bendle et al., ''Database of Royal Australian Navy Operations, 1990–2005'', p. 24</ref> |
In August 1995, ''Townsville'' participated in celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the [[Victory in the Pacific|end of World War II in the Pacific theatre]].<ref name=bendle24>Bendle et al., ''Database of Royal Australian Navy Operations, 1990–2005'', p. 24</ref> |
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From 24 to 28 May 1999, the patrol boat operated |
From 24 to 28 May 1999, the patrol boat operated off [[Thursday Island]] as part of a sweep for illegal activity.<ref name=bendle37>Bendle et al., ''Database of Royal Australian Navy Operations, 1990–2005'', p. 37</ref> |
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==Decommissioning and fate== |
==Decommissioning and fate== |
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In 2007, ''Townsville'' was marked for disposal. On 23 April, the Australian Government announced ''Townsville'' had been |
In 2007, ''Townsville'' was marked for disposal. On 23 April, the Australian Government announced ''Townsville'' had been donated to the [[Townsville Maritime Museum]] as a [[museum ship]], along with $200,000 in funding to build a dry dock for display.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200704/s1903859.htm |title=Fed Govt hands over HMAS Townsville to museum |date=23 April 2007 |accessdate=2 May 2007 |publisher=ABC}}</ref><ref name=ANAOdisposal>{{Citation |author=[[Australian National Audit Office]]|date=5 February 2015 |title=Management of the Disposal of Specialist Military Equipment |type=Report |url=http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22publications%2Ftabledpapers%2F7941c678-26dd-4f9e-8822-4ad155db9698%22 |publisher=Government of Australia |page=62 |accessdate=24 April 2015}}</ref> Another $100,000 was promised by Townsville City Council.<ref name=RaggatRotting/> The patrol boat was decommissioned at HMAS ''Cairns'' on 11 May 2007, in a joint ceremony with {{HMAS|Ipswich|FCPB 209|6}}.<ref name=Lastfre>{{cite journal |title=Last of the Fremantles bow out |journal=The Navy |volume=69 |issue=3 |publisher=[[Navy League of Australia]] |page=28 |date=September 2007}}</ref> The two patrol boats were the last of the class in active service.<ref name=Lastfre/> |
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The vessel is fully operational (minus weaponry), and the museum intended to keep ''Townsville'' in a sailable condition, with maintenance undertaken by volunteers.<ref name=TMM2day>{{cite web|url=http://www.townsvillemaritimemuseum.org.au/hmas_townsville/hmas_townsville_today.php |title=HMAS Townsville Today |publisher=Townsville Maritime Museum |accessdate=6 September 2015}}</ref><ref name=Anderson>{{cite news |title=Low-key Dawn Service |url=http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2011/03/15/215141_talknorth.html |date=15 March 2011 |accessdate=18 March 2011 |last=Anderson |first=John |work=Townsville Bulletin |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120913060635/http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2011/03/15/215141_talknorth.html |archivedate=13 September 2012}}</ref><ref name=Fernbach>{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2012/01/09/3404606.htm |title=Patrol boat plans |last=Fernbach |first=Nathalie |date=9 January 2012 |publisher=ABC North Queensland |
The vessel is fully operational (minus weaponry), and the museum intended to keep ''Townsville'' in a sailable condition, with maintenance undertaken by volunteers.<ref name=TMM2day>{{cite web|url=http://www.townsvillemaritimemuseum.org.au/hmas_townsville/hmas_townsville_today.php |title=HMAS Townsville Today |publisher=Townsville Maritime Museum |accessdate=6 September 2015}}</ref><ref name=Anderson>{{cite news |title=Low-key Dawn Service |url=http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2011/03/15/215141_talknorth.html |date=15 March 2011 |accessdate=18 March 2011 |last=Anderson |first=John |work=[[Townsville Bulletin]] |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120913060635/http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2011/03/15/215141_talknorth.html |archivedate=13 September 2012}}</ref><ref name=Fernbach>{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2012/01/09/3404606.htm |title=Patrol boat plans |last=Fernbach |first=Nathalie |date=9 January 2012 |publisher=[[ABC North Queensland]]|accessdate=14 January 2012}}</ref> In addition to being opened for public display, the Townsville Maritime Museum has also been contacted by cadet groups and emergency response organisations wanting to use the vessel for training.<ref name=TMM2day/> While waiting for approval to construct the dry dock adjacent to the museum site, ''Townsville'' was berthed at the Curtain Bros. wharf in [[Ross Creek (Queensland)|Ross Creek]].<ref name=Anderson/> |
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[[File:HMAS Townsville October 2015.jpg|thumb|''Townsville'' resting on the bottom at low tide, at the Curtain Bros. wharf.]] |
[[File:HMAS Townsville October 2015.jpg|thumb|''Townsville'' resting on the bottom at low tide, at the Curtain Bros. wharf.]] |
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Following meetings between the museum, the port authority, the council, and the regional development and tourism organisation, the Port of Townsville offered to take over the museum.<ref name=RaggatTakeover/> |
Following meetings between the museum, the port authority, the council, and the regional development and tourism organisation, the Port of Townsville offered to take over the museum.<ref name=RaggatTakeover/> |
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==Citations== |
==Citations== |
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{{Reflist}} |
{{Reflist}} |
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==References== |
==References== |
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{{Commons category|HMAS Townsville (FCPB 205)}} |
{{Commons category|HMAS Townsville (FCPB 205)}} |
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*{{cite book |last1=Bendle |first1=Vanessa |last2=Griffin |first2=David |last3=Laurence |first3=Peter |last4=McMillan |first4=Richard |last5=Mitchell |first5=Brett |last6=Nasg |first6=Greg |last7=Perryman |first7=John |last8=Stevens |first8=David |last9=Wheate |first9=Nial |title=Database of Royal Australian Navy Operations, 1990–2005 |publisher=Sea Power Centre |
*{{cite book |last1=Bendle |first1=Vanessa |last2=Griffin |first2=David |last3=Laurence |first3=Peter |last4=McMillan |first4=Richard |last5=Mitchell |first5=Brett |last6=Nasg |first6=Greg |last7=Perryman |first7=John |last8=Stevens |first8=David |last9=Wheate |first9=Nial |title=Database of Royal Australian Navy Operations, 1990–2005 |publisher=[[Sea Power Centre]]|location=Canberra|date=2005 |series=Working Papers |volume=18 |isbn=0642296235 |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/w/images/Working_Paper_18.pdf |access-date=16 August 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614011327/http://www.navy.gov.au/w/images/Working_Paper_18.pdf |archive-date=14 June 2011}} |
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*{{cite book |last=Gillett |first=Ross |title=Australian and New Zealand Warships since 1946 |year=1988 |publisher=Child & Associates |location=Brookvale |
*{{cite book |last=Gillett |first=Ross |title=Australian and New Zealand Warships since 1946 |year=1988 |publisher=Child & Associates |location=Brookvale|isbn=0-86777-219-0 |oclc=23470364}} |
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*{{cite book |last=Jones |first=Peter |editor=Stevens, David |title=The Royal Australian Navy |series=The Australian Centenary History of Defence (vol III) |year=2001 |publisher=Oxford University Press |
*{{cite book |last=Jones |first=Peter |editor=Stevens, David |title=The Royal Australian Navy |series=The Australian Centenary History of Defence (vol III) |year=2001 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|location=South Melbourne|isbn=0-19-555542-2 |oclc=50418095 |chapter=Towards Self Reliance}} |
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*{{cite book |last=Mitchell |first=Brett |editor=Forbes, Andrew |editor2=Lovi, Michelle |title=Australian Maritime Issues 2006 |publisher=Sea Power Centre |
*{{cite book |last=Mitchell |first=Brett |editor=Forbes, Andrew |editor2=Lovi, Michelle |title=Australian Maritime Issues 2006 |publisher=Sea Power Centre|year=2007 |series=Papers in Australian Maritime Affairs |issue=19 |issn=1327-5658 |chapter=Farewell to the Fremantle Class |isbn=978-0-642-29644-3 |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/w/images/PIAMA19.pdf |access-date=12 May 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110613185344/http://www.navy.gov.au/w/images/PIAMA19.pdf |archive-date=13 June 2011}} |
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** The chapter is available separately as ''Semaphore'', Issue 17, 2005 in [https://web.archive.org/web/20090514185457/http://www.navy.gov.au/w/images/Semaphore_2005_17.pdf PDF] and [http://www.navy.gov.au/Publication:Semaphore_-_Issue_17%2C_2005 HTML] formats. |
** The chapter is available separately as ''Semaphore'', Issue 17, 2005 in [https://web.archive.org/web/20090514185457/http://www.navy.gov.au/w/images/Semaphore_2005_17.pdf PDF] and [http://www.navy.gov.au/Publication:Semaphore_-_Issue_17%2C_2005 HTML] formats. |
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*{{cite book|editor-last=Moore|editor-first=John|title=Jane's Fighting Ships 1985–86|year=1985|publisher= |
*{{cite book|editor-last=Moore|editor-first=John|title=Jane's Fighting Ships 1985–86|year=1985|publisher=[[Janes Information Services]]|location=London|isbn=0-7106-0814-4}} |
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{{Fremantle class patrol boat}} |
{{Fremantle class patrol boat}} |
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{{coord|-19.256489|146.826516|display=title}} |
{{coord|-19.256489|146.826516|display=title}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Townsville (FCPB 205) |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Townsville (FCPB 205)}} |
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[[Category:Fremantle-class patrol boats]] |
[[Category:Fremantle-class patrol boats]] |
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| ⚫ | |||
[[Category:Museum ships in Australia]] |
[[Category:Museum ships in Australia]] |
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| ⚫ | |||
[[Category:Townsville|HMAS]] |
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[[Category:1981 ships]] |
[[Category:1981 ships]] |
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[[Category:Museums in Queensland]] |
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Latest revision as of 02:50, 18 October 2022
 HMAS Townsville in 1990
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Australia | |
| Namesake | City of Townsville |
| Builder | NQEA, Cairns |
| Laid down | 5 March 1979 |
| Launched | 16 May 1981 |
| Commissioned | 18 July 1981 |
| Decommissioned | 11 May 2007 |
| Homeport | HMAS Cairns |
| Motto | "Bold and Ready" |
| Nickname(s) |
|
| Honours and awards | Three inherited battle honours |
| Fate | Museum ship at Townsville Maritime Museum |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Fremantle-class patrol boat |
| Displacement | 220 tons |
| Length | 137.6 ft (41.9 m) |
| Beam | 25.25 ft (7.70 m) |
| Draught | 5.75 ft (1.75 m) |
| Propulsion | 2 MTU series 538 diesel engines, 3,200 shp (2,400 kW), 2 propellers |
| Speed | 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph) |
| Range | 5,000 nmi (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph) |
| Complement | 22 |
| Armament |
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HMAS Townsville (FCPB 205), named for the city of Townsville, Queensland, was a Fremantle-class patrol boat of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Built by NQEA, Cairns, the ship was laid down in 1979, and commissioned into the RAN in 1981.
Assigned to the naval base HMAS Cairns, Townsville was primarily assigned to fisheries protection and border patrol operations in northern Australian waters. In December 1981, the patrol boat recaptured an escaping illegal fishing vessel. The next year, she was used for filming of the Patrol Boat television series. Townsville was deployed to Fiji as part of Operation Morris Dance in May 1987.
Townsville was decommissioned in May 2007. The ship was donated to the Townsville Maritime Museum for preservation. Attempts to put the ship on display stalled and the ship fell into disrepair, with the maritime museum acquired by Port of Townsville in 2015.
Design and construction
[edit]Starting in the late 1960s, planning began for a new class of patrol boat to replace the Attack class, with designs calling for improved seakeeping capability, and updated weapons and equipment.[1] The Fremantles had a full load displacement of 220 tonnes (220 long tons; 240 short tons), were 137.6 feet (41.9 m) long overall, had a beam of 24.25 feet (7.39 m), and a maximum draught of 5.75 feet (1.75 m).[2] Main propulsion machinery consisted of two MTU series 538 diesel engines, which supplied 3,200 shaft horsepower (2,400 kW) to the two propeller shafts.[2] Exhaust was not expelled through a funnel, like most ships, but through vents below the waterline.[3] The patrol boat could reach a maximum speed of 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph), and had a maximum range of 5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph).[2] The ship's company consisted of 22 personnel.[2] Each patrol boat was armed with a single 40 mm Bofors gun as main armament, supplemented by two .50 cal Browning machineguns and an 81 mm mortar,[2] although the mortar was removed from all ships sometime after 1988.[citation needed] The main weapon was originally to be two 30 mm guns on a twin-mount, but the reconditioned Bofors were selected to keep costs down; provision was made to install an updated weapon later in the class' service life, but this did not eventuate.[3][4]
Townsville was laid down by NQEA, Cairns on 5 March 1979.[5][6] She was launched on 16 May 1981 by the wife of Queensland Governor James Ramsay.[6] The ship was commissioned into the RAN on 18 July 1981, and assigned to the naval base at HMAS Cairns.[5][6] The patrol boat has variously been nicknamed "The Black Knight Mustang 205" and "Wily Coyote" (the latter after the Looney Tunes character Wile E Coyote).[7]
Operational history
[edit]Townsville, like all the Fremantle-class vessels, was primarily assigned to fisheries protection and border patrol operations in northern Australian waters.[6] Tasks included boarding and inspection of ships operating in Australian waters, preventing unauthorised arrivals and illegal fishing, intercepting smugglers, and acting in support of Customs and law enforcement operations.[6] Additionally, during the construction of the Fremantle class, Townsville was the designated buddy ship for vessels completing sea trials and initial working up.[citation needed]
On 25 December 1981, Townsville was called on to pursue the Taiwanese fishing vessel Yuan Tsun.[8] The ship, which had been detained in Trinity Inlet after being caught illegally fishing in Australian waters, took the opportunity to escape while most military and law-enforcement personnel were on leave for the Christmas holiday.[8] Townsville maintained pursuit of Yuan Tusn as the ship attempted to escape the Great Barrier Reef, fired several warning shots, and received approval from the Defence Minister to fire directly on the ship before the captain surrendered.[8]
Front (top) and back of commemorative t-shirt for the recapture of Yuan Tusn.
During 1982, Townsville was one of several Fremantles used to depict the fictional HMAS Defiance for filming of the second season of the ABC television series Patrol Boat.[8][9]
Townsville was involved in Exercise Kangaroo 83.[citation needed]
In late May 1987, Townsville was deployed to Fiji as part of Operation Morris Dance, as relief for one of the patrol boats sent following the initial coup d'état earlier that month.[10] The Australian government decided on 29 May that the situation had stabilised, with Townsville sailing for home that day.[10]
On 1 June 1990, the patrol boat intercepted a vessel carrying Cambodian refugees off Bathurst Island.[11] The vessel began sinking while the boarding and inspection was underway, with the personnel of Townsville rescuing 45 men, 17 women, and 17 children, and transporting them to Darwin.[11] The following month, the patrol boat was in Nuku'Alofa for celebrations of the King of Tonga's birthday.[12]
In January 1992, Townsville was used as the platform from which a team of clearance divers disposed of undetonated bombs found on Middleton Reef.[13]
In July 1993, Townsville was used for water flow and cavitation experiments on the vessel's propellers.[14] Two windows were inserted into the ship's hull above the propellers to allow filming of these effects.[14]
During February 1994, Townsville visited several Papua New Guinean ports while conducting patrol operations in the Coral Sea.[15]
In August 1995, Townsville participated in celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II in the Pacific theatre.[16]
From 24 to 28 May 1999, the patrol boat operated off Thursday Island as part of a sweep for illegal activity.[17]
Decommissioning and fate
[edit]In 2007, Townsville was marked for disposal. On 23 April, the Australian Government announced Townsville had been donated to the Townsville Maritime Museum as a museum ship, along with $200,000 in funding to build a dry dock for display.[18][19] Another $100,000 was promised by Townsville City Council.[20] The patrol boat was decommissioned at HMAS Cairns on 11 May 2007, in a joint ceremony with HMAS Ipswich.[21] The two patrol boats were the last of the class in active service.[21]
The vessel is fully operational (minus weaponry), and the museum intended to keep Townsville in a sailable condition, with maintenance undertaken by volunteers.[7][22][23] In addition to being opened for public display, the Townsville Maritime Museum has also been contacted by cadet groups and emergency response organisations wanting to use the vessel for training.[7] While waiting for approval to construct the dry dock adjacent to the museum site, Townsville was berthed at the Curtain Bros. wharf in Ross Creek.[22]
As of January 2012, construction of the dry dock was scheduled to begin in mid-2012, pending council approval of building plans and the securing of additional funding.[23] By March 2015, approval for the dock had not been granted: the museum blamed the delays on the Port of Townsville and other government authorities for not supporting the project and delaying approvals for a seabed site lease, while the Port of Townsville claimed that the museum had not put forward a viable business plan.[20][24] In the interim, the condition of the patrol boat has deteriorated, with the museum unable to fund maintenance.[20] There are concerns over the condition of Townsville's hull, both from marine growth and from the lack of recent care resulting in the patrol boat resting on the rocky bottom at low tide.[25][26]
Following meetings between the museum, the port authority, the council, and the regional development and tourism organisation, the Port of Townsville offered to take over the museum.[25]
Citations
[edit]- ^ Mitchell, Farewell to the Fremantle class, p. 105
- ^ a b c d e Gillett, Australian and New Zealand Warships since 1946, p. 89
- ^ a b Gillett, Australian and New Zealand Warships since 1946, p. 88
- ^ Jones, in Stevens, The Royal Australian Navy, p. 222
- ^ a b Moore, Jane's Fighting Ships 1985–86, p. 26
- ^ a b c d e "HMAS Townsville". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 11 September 2008.
- ^ a b c "HMAS Townsville Today". Townsville Maritime Museum. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
- ^ a b c d "HMAS Townsville (1981–2007)". Townsville Maritime Museum. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
- ^ "Farewell to the Fremantle class" (PDF). Semaphore. 2005 (17). Sea Power Centre. October 2005. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
- ^ a b Gubb, Mathew (1988). The Australian Military Response to the Fiji Coup, An Assessment. Strategic and Defence Studies Centre Working Paper No. 171. Canberra: Australian National University. p. 8. ISBN 0-7315-0497-6.
- ^ a b Bendle et al., Database of Royal Australian Navy Operations, 1990–2005, p. 5
- ^ Bendle et al., Database of Royal Australian Navy Operations, 1990–2005, p. 6
- ^ Bendle et al., Database of Royal Australian Navy Operations, 1990–2005, p. 14
- ^ a b Kuiper, G.; Grimm, M; McNeice, B.; Noble, D.; Krikke, M. (21 July 2003). "Propeller Inflow at Full Scale During a Manoeuvre". Twenty-Fourth Symposium on Naval Hydrodynamics. National Academies Press. pp. 551–565. ISBN 0309254701.
- ^ Bendle et al., Database of Royal Australian Navy Operations, 1990–2005, p. 20
- ^ Bendle et al., Database of Royal Australian Navy Operations, 1990–2005, p. 24
- ^ Bendle et al., Database of Royal Australian Navy Operations, 1990–2005, p. 37
- ^ "Fed Govt hands over HMAS Townsville to museum". ABC. 23 April 2007. Retrieved 2 May 2007.
- ^ Australian National Audit Office (5 February 2015), Management of the Disposal of Specialist Military Equipment (Report), Government of Australia, p. 62, retrieved 24 April 2015
- ^ a b c Raggat, Tony (16 March 2015). "HMAS Townsville 'rotting away' says former maritime museum volunteer". Townsville Bulletin. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
- ^ a b "Last of the Fremantles bow out". The Navy. 69 (3). Navy League of Australia: 28. September 2007.
- ^ a b Anderson, John (15 March 2011). "Low-key Dawn Service". Townsville Bulletin. Archived from the original on 13 September 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2011.
- ^ a b Fernbach, Nathalie (9 January 2012). "Patrol boat plans". ABC North Queensland. Retrieved 14 January 2012.
- ^ Raggat, Tony (20 March 2015). "Port says Maritime Museum needs viable plan for patrol boat". Townsville Bulletin. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
- ^ a b Raggat, Tony (26 March 2015). "Townsville port to take over running of maritime museum". Townsville Bulletin. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
- ^ Raggat, Tony (30 May 2015). "Port leads big rescue mission". Townsville Bulletin. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
References
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to HMAS Townsville (FCPB 205).
- Bendle, Vanessa; Griffin, David; Laurence, Peter; McMillan, Richard; Mitchell, Brett; Nasg, Greg; Perryman, John; Stevens, David; Wheate, Nial (2005). Database of Royal Australian Navy Operations, 1990–2005 (PDF). Working Papers. Vol. 18. Canberra: Sea Power Centre. ISBN 0642296235. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 June 2011. Retrieved 16 August 2009.
- Gillett, Ross (1988). Australian and New Zealand Warships since 1946. Brookvale: Child & Associates. ISBN 0-86777-219-0. OCLC 23470364.
- Jones, Peter (2001). "Towards Self Reliance". In Stevens, David (ed.). The Royal Australian Navy. The Australian Centenary History of Defence (vol III). South Melbourne: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-555542-2. OCLC 50418095.
- Mitchell, Brett (2007). "Farewell to the Fremantle Class". In Forbes, Andrew; Lovi, Michelle (eds.). Australian Maritime Issues 2006 (PDF). Papers in Australian Maritime Affairs. Sea Power Centre. ISBN 978-0-642-29644-3. ISSN 1327-5658. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 June 2011. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
- Moore, John, ed. (1985). Jane's Fighting Ships 1985–86. London: Janes Information Services. ISBN 0-7106-0814-4.