HMAS Echuca (J252/M252), named for the town of Echuca, Victoria

Echuca, Victoria

Echuca is a town located on the banks of the Murray River and Campaspe river in Victoria, Australia. The Border town Moama is on the northern side of the Murray river in New South Wales. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Shire of Campaspe...

, 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

Echuca was laid down by HMA Naval Dockyard at Williamstown, Victoria

Williamstown, Victoria

Williamstown is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 8 km south-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Hobsons Bay. At the 2006 Census, Williamstown had a population of 12,733....

 on 22 February 1941. She was launched on 17 January 1942 by Lady Royle, wife of Fist Naval Member Sir Guy Royle, and commissioned into the RAN on 7 September 1942.

World War II

Echuca’s initial role was as an anti-submarine partol and convoy escort vessel alon the eastern Australia coast and in New Guinea waters. She stayed in this role from October 1942 until August 1944, when she was ordered to Darwin and attached to the United States Seventh Fleet

United States Seventh Fleet

The Seventh Fleet is the United States Navy's permanent forward projection force based in Yokosuka, Japan, with units positioned near Japan and South Korea. It is a component fleet force under the United States Pacific Fleet. At present, it is the largest of the forward-deployed U.S. fleets, with...

's Survey Group. She performed survey duties until the end of World War II, when she was refitted with minesweeping gear in Brisbane and assigned to the 20th Minesweeping Flotilla. The Flotilla was responsible for clearing minefields set up in the waters of Australia, New Guinea, New Britain, and the Solomon Islands.

Echuca received the battle honour

Battle honour

A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags , uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible....

s "Pacific 1942-44" and "New Guinea 1943-44" for her wartime service.

Echuca was paid off into Reserve in August 1946, but recommissioned in January 1947 for mine clearance work

Royal Australian Navy minesweeping after World War II

Following World War II the Royal Australian Navy was required to clear naval mines from the waters around Australia and New Guinea. Minesweeping in these areas began in December 1945 and was completed in August 1948...

 in the Great Barrier Reef

Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is the world'slargest reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometres over an area of approximately...

. The corvette performed this duty until August 1947, and in November 1947 towed the decommissioned corvette HMAS Inverell

HMAS Inverell

HMAS Inverell , named for the town of Inverell, New South Wales, was one of 60 Bathurst class corvettes constructed during World War II, and one of 36 initially manned and commissioned solely by the Royal Australian Navy ....

 to Sydney. Echuca was decommissioned again in Fremantle on 29 June 1948. At the end of April 1952, the corvette was sailed to Melbourne.

RNZN service

On 5 March 1952, Echuca and three other Bathurst class corvettes (HMA Ships Inverell

HMAS Inverell

HMAS Inverell , named for the town of Inverell, New South Wales, was one of 60 Bathurst class corvettes constructed during World War II, and one of 36 initially manned and commissioned solely by the Royal Australian Navy ....

, Kiama

HMAS Kiama

HMAS Kiama , named for the coastal town of Kiama, New South Wales, was one of 60 Bathurst class corvettes constructed during World War II, and one of 36 initially manned and commissioned solely by the Royal Australian Navy ....

, and Stawell

HMAS Stawell

HMAS Stawell was a Bathurst class corvette named for the town of Stawell, Victoria. Sixty Bathurst class corvettes were constructed during World War II, and Stawell was one of 36 initially manned and commissioned solely by the Royal Australian Navy .The corvette later served in the Royal New...

) were transferred to the Royal New Zealand Navy

Royal New Zealand Navy

The Royal New Zealand Navy is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force...

(RNZN). She was commissioned into the RNZN on 7 June 1952, and received the prefix HMNZS.

The corvette remained in service with the RNZN until 1967. She was sold to Pacific Scrap Limited of Auckland for scrapping on 11 April 1967.