HMAS Vigilant (later known as HMAS Sleuth and HMAS Hawk) was an auxiliary patrol boat serving with 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...

 during the Second World War. Notably it was the 120th ship built by the Cockatoo Island Dockyard and the first aluminium ship built in Australia.

History

PV Vigilant was a prototype ship designed and built at Cockatoo Island Dockyard in 1937–38. The hull and wheelhouse were constructed entirely of aluminium to save weight. As a result, the 102 feet (31.1 m) ship had a total displacement of only 106 tons.

It was built for the Department of Trade and Customs, intended for use patrolling waters to the north of Australia in conjunction with the Kuru

HMAS Kuru

HMAS Kuru was an auxiliary patrol boat operated by the Royal Australian Navy during World War II. Constructed in 1938 for the Northern Territory Patrol Service, Kuru was requesitioned by the RAN following the Japanese declaration of war in December 1941...

. It was initially based at Townsville

Townsville, Queensland

Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Australia, in the state of Queensland. Adjacent to the central section of the Great Barrier Reef, it is in the dry tropics region of Queensland. Townsville is Australia's largest urban centre north of the Sunshine Coast, with a 2006 census...

.

Naval service

The ship was still undergoing sea trials when it was requisitioned by the Royal Australian Navy in October 1940, commissioning as HMAS Vigilant on 12 November1940. It was classed as an auxiliary patrol vessel. It was initially equipped with a 3 pounder QF

Ordnance QF 3 pounder Vickers

The Ordnance QF 3 pounder Vickers was a British artillery piece first tested in Britain in 1910. It was used on Royal Navy warships. It was more powerful than and unrelated to the older QF 3 pounder Hotchkiss, with a propellant charge approximately twice as large, but it initially fired the same...

 gun but this was replaced with a 20 mm Oerlikon

Oerlikon 20 mm cannon

The Oerlikon 20 mm cannon is a series of autocannons, based on an original design by Reinhold Becker of Germany, very early in World War I, and widely produced by Oerlikon Contraves and others...

. As well as the mounted gun, it carried a variety of light arms including a Bren light machine gun.

Vigilant was transferred to Darwin, Northern Territory

Darwin, Northern Territory

Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...

 in 1941 and was used for protecting the harbour approaches. During the Bombing of Darwin, Vigilant engaged some of the attacking aircraft with its 20 mm Oerlikon and later assisted in picking up survivors from the water in Darwin Harbour.

Vigilant, with a hold capacity of 7 tons, played an important role in the Battle of Timor from May 1942 and made several supply trips to the island. During one of these supply voyages, it assisted in the search for survivors from HMAS Armidale

HMAS Armidale (J240)

HMAS Armidale , named for the city of Armidale, 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 ....

. During this time, it also resupplied corvettes operating in the Timor Sea, notably resupplying HMAS Deloraine

HMAS Deloraine

HMAS Deloraine , named for the town of Deloraine, Tasmania, 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 .-Construction:...

 with depth charges.

HMAS Vigilant was renamed HMAS Sleuth on 17 April 1944 and HMAS Hawk on 13 March 1945. Hawk was paid off on 12 November 1945.

Post-war service

After the war, the ship was returned to the Department of Trade and Customs as PV Vigilant, and served as a whaling patrol ship off Western Australia

Western Australia

Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...

 until 1965. Despite attempts to save the ship for preservation, it was scuttled off Sydney in April 1966.

Legacy

Vigilant Close in Bentley Park, Queensland

Bentley Park, Queensland

Bentley Park is a suburb of Cairns, Queensland, Australia, and is located approximately 9km south of the Cairns CBD . At the 2006 census, Bentley Park had a population of 5,378.-External links:* *...

 is named after HMAS Vigilant.

Following an overhaul of the RAN 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 system, completed in March 2010, the RAN decided that, in recognition of the vessel's wartime service, future ships named HMAS Vigilant would be entitled to carry the honours "Darwin 1942-43" and "Pacific 1942-43".