(Out of the topic in this video) if the yamato was not destroyed in operation ten go which was a daring mission for the yamato would the US lost the battle of Okinawa.
Given the typically ferocious attrition pre-war and early war escorts typically suffered, what circumstances saved the Bathurst class from such losses?
ORP Piorun is rightly remembered for showing a level of agression that Admiral Nelson would approve of, but had she rammed the Bismarck and then presumably tried a boarding action acompanied by lots of Polish insults, slurs and vast amounts of violence, who would win? (And yes as i write this the mental image of KGV and Rodney turning up and seeing Bismarck flying the Polish navy ensign while the singal man is flashing "I am a Pole" has entered my head will never leave it)
@@scrubsrc4084 ua-cam.com/video/-sMKP7tMnKE/v-deo.html First I heard of him and I couldn't believe he wasn't awarded a VC for his actions until the petition earlier this year.
Teddy Sheehan was nominated for the VC alot earlier but due to his actions not been witnessed by an officer, that's why it never got approved up till now. The Japanese provided their war records which confirmed the action as the pilots were officers (although enemies) the requirements were met. Long overdue but the right people finally came together and made sure his courage was officially recognized.
The problem was that during WW2 bravery awards for the RAN had to go through the RN in the UK. Why, I have not idea as this system was not applied to the RAAF or AIF. Sheean's actions were observed by an officer, the captain survived the sinking and subsequent strafing but on reaching Darwin the crew were told to shut up about the sinking and dispersed. The captain was hastily removed from the scene. He never had command of a vessel again. It was though the whole sinking was the fault of the ship's company and any recommendations for bravery awards were disposed of without comment.
In that case, he's only the second person for whom the necessary recommendation by an officer was provided solely by an enemy. (There's at least one instance in which an enemy added support to a recommendation.) The first was Lloyd Trigg VC.
@@mikesummers-smith4091 Sorry, and with all respect to yourself, but Lloyd Trigg was the third person to receive a VC on the recommendation of an enemy. Lieutenant-Commander Gerard Roope, commanding officer if HMS Glowworm, was awarded a VC after being recommended for the highest award by Kapitän zur See Heye, the commander of the Admiral Hipper (the letter of recommendation was sent via the Red Cross), after the Glowworm was sunk by the Hipper.
My grandfather Thomas Hartley-Smith captained this ship in the battle of Singapore. I heard he was the last ship out of the battle heavily damaged. He didnt have the best reputation in the Navy but he was a great leader and a great captain RIP grandad! He died of lymphoma cancer. He also captained the Wollongong.
Thank you Drach for your reference to the RAN being a "expertise-rich but hull-poor Navy": the former wouldn't have been achieved without the support provided by the RN from 1909 onwards, but nice to have the acknowledgment that we put it to good use (most of the time anyway)
I was told in training that the Collins Class submarine HMAS Sheehan was the first RAN warship to carry the name of an ordinary seaman. So the RAN recognised his heroism 20-25 years ago
I very much look forward to a video about the HMAS Armidale, and more particularly, a nice section (or complete video) about Ordinary Seaman Teddy Shean.
Just today, I got home from a roadtrip; having looked at HMAS Whyalla (B 252) which is set up as a museum ship in its home port of Whyalla, South Australia (where it was commissioned on 8 January 1942 under the command of Lieutenant Leslie N Morison ), to find this guide waiting for me !! What incredible timing !! Thank you!
Finding out that Her Magisty granted the VC, makes that drydock all the more worth watching. One of the best things about the modern information era is that these stories are shared.
I worked in the engine room of the museum ship HMAS Castlemaine in the 80s, mainly at the tiny work bench right aft by the starboard propeller shaft. And if I may be allowed an ad, my story "Out of the Storm", set aboard a Bathurst class minesweeper, is up on UA-cam
3 Bathurst Class were lost during the war but a 4th Hmas Warrnambool (named after my home town)served though the whole pacific war only to sink in 1947 after hitting a WW2 mine. Also drach after hearing you pronounce Bathurst I would love you to attempt Warrnambool, thanks for covering an Ran ship keep up the good work
Not every ship which has significant responsibilities for national defense is glamorous, cutting-edge, or capable of incredibly hurculean feats. Nevertheless, these workmanlike vessels and the gallant men that crewed them are the heros with ordinary tools that made the difference in the last global war. They're efforts are responsible for executing the absolutely vital war winning tasks without notice or fanfare in time of the last global crisis. Great to see their stories told and their efforts and sacrifices acknowledged despite the passage of nearly 80 years in this instance.
*YES FINALLY MY PRAYERS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED* thank you drach i like your channel but i thank you for doing this class from an aussie to an englishmen also there are so many stories of heroism in the RAN from HMAS vampire, HMAS sydney (II) and to HMAS Perth we may have been a small navy but we gave as good as we got
It is a real shame because his peers and elders never got to see the award bestowed, but it also is a source of hope that even 75+ years later gallantry can still be recognised. Whoever was behind having the case reviewed has my respect.
Drachinifel, another outstanding video. Your knowledge is impressive and vast. Sir, I am an anglophile and an aussiephile(?). I support "the old alliances" and pray that they are not dead. With the growing belligerence of China, we ALL need the ANZUS and UK-US alliances more than ever. Plus, as Erwin Rommel (I met Rommel's son when he was mayor of Munich in the 80's) once said, "If I had to take Hell, I would use the Australians to take it, and the New Zealanders to hold it." And as the Brit's great Tolkien said (paraphrased), You can each retreat to your strongholds and be destroyed one by one. Or you can make a stand together and have a chance! Drachinifel, please do a video that details the great friendship between the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, and the U.S. For example, an Aussie destroyer gallantly attacking a capital ship to save a Royal or American Navy ship? In what ways did our navies work together? Did the massive US war industry give any ships, especially good ones, to our allies? Anything that illustrates the depth and character of our friendships, especially at Sea, from 1914 to 1945 or even to today? Thank you, sir! My son and I love your videos.
I do think that the point that has been missed here, is what a giant role this class of ship played in the defense of Australia in WW2. With over 60 produced, the sort of Flower class Corvettes of this country perhaps?
My first draft was to HMNZS Inverell as a buff stoker. It was entertaining checking the bearing oils in roughers with large counterweights flaying inches from the hands. These ships certainly rolled about in any sea condition. Power plant were 2 boilers and 2 engines
yessss, yeeeessss more obscure Australian and Commonwealth ships! HMVS Cerberus and the other oddities! you already know my odd love of HMCS Protector. :p
@@thatsme9875 we got the Krait tied up at the ANMM after this COVID thing the guy who manages us volunteers told us that they'd be restarting tours on the and around the Krait, a real delight to be able to work around these marvelous vessels! :)
@@corneliakashigawi5743 fabulous news !! I have read several books about the "Z" Force and the Krait, and seen it moored at the ANMM, but never set foot on it.
Thats Me Yeah can’t wait to be able to give tours around her (Not sure if I’m meant to say this or not but I’m just to excited not to tell people.) But these are in his words by the way ‘Firstly Neil Hird and Neale Philip have produced a fabulous session on the small vessels of the fleet. When things return to normal, we will be conduction tours for visitors which will include going aboard the Krait, John Louis and SY Ena.’
HMCS Protector would be a good one. Surely not just Australians would be interested in that. The colonial navies would make an interesting episode actually.
as someone who was born in Bathurst, NSW, Australia, I can confidently state that it is pronounced Bathurst as in bat, not but otherwise, another excellent production by Drachinifel !!
Oddly enough I walk my dog at Morts Shipyard at Balmain in Sydney where many of these were built. The dock is now been filled in, though the outline is still there in the top layer of stones. And its a giant dog park! Theres are nice memorial there to the yard, all the bathurst's built and their fates.
Its pretty amazing that the little 1,000 ton ship took two torpedoes before it sank. Her spirit and determination must have rubbed off on the crew and vice versa.
I’m a Bathurst originating fromLechlade, UK. Here in the US we pronounce it Bath-rust. Nice to know that there is a class of ships named after the family.
Thanks for featuring the Bathurst class Drachinifel. Two such ships remain in Australia as museum ships. On pronunciation, if the ships were named for the Australian town of Bathurst, the pronunciation would be akin to Math rather than Path. Apparently they were a thoroughly uncomfortable ship, but thoroughly reliable, and they did stirling work and were a great nuisance to the Japanese around Northern Australia, New Guinea, and the Dutch East Indies. Cheers. .
A fourth Bathurst was sunk during mine clearing operations. While performing clearance work on 13 September 1947, the corvette hit a mine around 16:00 near Cockburn Reef, off the northern Queensland coast. Four sailors were killed and another 29 were injured.Warrnambool sank shortly afterward, in 25 metres (82 ft) of water. The wreck was sold to Southern Cross Diving and Salvage on 3 July 1972.A Board of Inquiry found that there was no culpable negligence in the loss of the corvette, and praised the conduct of her crew and commanding officer.Warrnambool is the only RAN ship to be sunk by a mine.] A survey conducted in 2016 by HMAS Mermaid found that the wreck of Warrnambool remained largely intact.
Yay finally some RAN love and it's more pronounced Baf Hurst or I've heard other pronunciation but never bath , but I understand your English so forgiven .
Great video, Drach. The Bathursts were terrific little ships that successfully performed pretty much every duty a warship of that size could possibly perform - and then some. Routinely, they were the first to go into harm's way, and the last to leave. It is also worth knowing that, as the war progressed, the Bathursts started packing so much extra AA weaponry and radar topside that the RAN worried about stability - posting directives limiting the amount of PAINT that could be used on the upperworks (any excess had to be removed before new paint applied). Recommended reading for anyone interested - 'Corvettes - Little Ships For Big Men' by Frank B Walker, which covers the history of the class, including listing the names of all those who served on them. Btw, Drach. On future pronunciation of Aussie names, the tendency here is to put primary hard emphasis on the first syllable and pretty much swallow the rest. Hence, BATH-urst (short 'a' in the BATH). Similarly, it's usually CAN-bra, not CanBERRa as the BBC or certain other people might say.
Also btw. Very fittingly, a small contingent of Bathursts were present for the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay, They were the first Allied ships to enter a number of Japanese ports during the surrender.
We still have two intact in Australia one is HMAS Whyalla on dry land and the other is HMAS Castlemaine in the water at Williamstown Victoria worth a visit. And you can board her
Aww yiss. Nice one Drach. One on HMAS Australia (I) and (II) would great too :-) We actually named one of our current diesel-electric submarines after Teddy Sheean- Along with the Captain captains of the flagship, and Commodore John Collins, our most senior naval officer during WW2. Teddy well deserves his VC, and a place in the big officer's mess in the sky :-)
If anyone fancies a closer look at a Bathurst-class corvette without getting their feet wet, HMAS Whyalla still exists - as a land-locked museum ship. Apparently she was one of the Bathursts sold to civilians post-war and was rescued from a scrapyard in the 1980s. Worth a visit if you're in the area.
Served in thr RNZN on both Inverell an Kaiama ( both EX AUSTRALIAN NAVY) have a photo of one with the bow back to aft of thebridgeout of the water in rough weather
Teddy Sheean was ranked as an ordinary seaman but he was no ordinary seaman. He was a Hero First Class. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." - John 15:13
"Relatively small and uncomfortable for their crews, the _Bathursts_ tended to behave unpredictably in anything other than fine weather. 'As stomach pumps they were hard to beat' was one ex-corvette officer's considered opinion." - David Stevens, _U-Boat Far From Home_
The old man served on HMAS Lismore which operated in the Mediterranean and Indian ocean. Has credit of shooting down 9 enemy aircraft during escorting a convoy of ships towards Gibraltar. They were not alone, there also the Maryborough and Ipswich
A sister of this ship HMAS Castlemaine is floating on display in Williamstown a suburb of Melbourne.About a kilometre away is a memorial to the HMAS Yarra a Grimsby class that sacrificed her self with all hands in order to allow a convoy to disperse and run from attack.
Also can we have an episode on the minesweepers: net and boom defence classes (e.g. HMAS Kookaburra, HMAS Kangaroo and the brittish ones too just to name a few. I would rather apriciate it :)
hi mate, great video. My dad served on the HMAS Warnambool (Corvett) in WW2 as a morse code operator, I still have his automatic (mechanically) morse code key. there is not much information about the class that I can find. I'm pretty sure this is the type of ship he served on. I try to imagine his life in those hard times. this helps. thanks.
Not shaped for sportive tricks your point about the Penguins is well taken, 🤣,but the RAN still needed to take into account the transit distance between the two Oceans... even small ships like these are difficult to load onto the train from Cockatoo Island to the Swan river
Am I right to assume that Bathurst had a lot in common with Flower class corvettes? Cause it looks almost exactly like it, exept the bigger superstructure 😉
Perfect example of Jack of All trades and master of none. Its a clear example of the Australian Navy needing a ship that can do a number of jobs good enough and not a ship that's perfect at one job.
yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes! Look here everybody! It's the Flower Class' insane colonial cousin, twice removed! I had family that served aboard J195 and J231 (as well as direct family aboard HMAS Yarra II, HMAS Sydney I and very distant relatives aboard SMS Emden 1906).
Teddy Sheean is a hero. The order ws given to abandon ship, he helped release a lifeboat, got shot in the back by strafing machinegun fire, then turned around, went back & strapped himself into the oerlikon. Perhaps he thought he was already a dead man from his wounds or perhaps it was his plan all along. I admit its possible his story was embelished by his fellow sailors but he supposedly continued firing even as he himself sank into the water, with some people claiming seeing fire continue coming from beneath the waves. He was only 18 & not only did he give his life for his shipmates, he made a real difference & almost certainly saved lives. I don't understand why it took so long for him to be formally recognised, his story has always been known - perhaps technically because he disobeyed orders to abandon ship? I am not a military person & have no idea the details of how the VC is awarded.
Is the apprent similartity to the flowers spurious? Convergent evolution? Co-designs? With thexception of the mast being properly mounted BEHOND the bridge, of course.
Merchant ships need to meet the requirements of the Collision Regulations which require a mast in the fore part of the vessel to locate mast light on. The Southern Pride on which the Flowers were designed was a whale catcher.
Probably parallel evolution: check out the Algerine- and Bangor-class minesweepers. I'm no engineer, but their photos indicate a few similarities with the Bathursts. The Flowers came into the RN separately. Having said that, the Bathursts were built all over Australia the same way the Flowers were in the UK and (especially) Canada.
Pinned post for Q&A :)
I loved the "how to build/engineer" vids you have done. Do you plan any more?
Could you elaborate on the missile refit for Vanguard and/or the proposed missile cruiser refit of HMS leviathan
?
(Out of the topic in this video) if the yamato was not destroyed in operation ten go which was a daring mission for the yamato would the US lost the battle of Okinawa.
Given the typically ferocious attrition pre-war and early war escorts typically suffered, what circumstances saved the Bathurst class from such losses?
ORP Piorun is rightly remembered for showing a level of agression that Admiral Nelson would approve of, but had she rammed the Bismarck and then presumably tried a boarding action acompanied by lots of Polish insults, slurs and vast amounts of violence, who would win?
(And yes as i write this the mental image of KGV and Rodney turning up and seeing Bismarck flying the Polish navy ensign while the singal man is flashing "I am a Pole" has entered my head will never leave it)
Strapped himself on an Oerlikon mount, went down fighting while taking a bomber with him. What a badass. RIP Teddy Sheean
The definition of Badass.
Recently (finally) awarded a VC as well, so I hear.
Still firing once underwater. Finally awarded his vc
Nowadays here would have been reported to HR for problematic anger management issues.... respect to him.
@@scrubsrc4084 ua-cam.com/video/-sMKP7tMnKE/v-deo.html First I heard of him and I couldn't believe he wasn't awarded a VC for his actions until the petition earlier this year.
Teddy Sheehan was nominated for the VC alot earlier but due to his actions not been witnessed by an officer, that's why it never got approved up till now. The Japanese provided their war records which confirmed the action as the pilots were officers (although enemies) the requirements were met. Long overdue but the right people finally came together and made sure his courage was officially recognized.
The problem was that during WW2 bravery awards for the RAN had to go through the RN in the UK. Why, I have not idea as this system was not applied to the RAAF or AIF. Sheean's actions were observed by an officer, the captain survived the sinking and subsequent strafing but on reaching Darwin the crew were told to shut up about the sinking and dispersed. The captain was hastily removed from the scene. He never had command of a vessel again. It was though the whole sinking was the fault of the ship's company and any recommendations for bravery awards were disposed of without comment.
In that case, he's only the second person for whom the necessary recommendation by an officer was provided solely by an enemy. (There's at least one instance in which an enemy added support to a recommendation.) The first was Lloyd Trigg VC.
What a hero
@@mikesummers-smith4091 I recall that the captain of HMS Glowworm which rammed a certain flat German cruiser also have that distinction
@@mikesummers-smith4091 Sorry, and with all respect to yourself, but Lloyd Trigg was the third person to receive a VC on the recommendation of an enemy. Lieutenant-Commander Gerard Roope, commanding officer if HMS Glowworm, was awarded a VC after being recommended for the highest award by Kapitän zur See Heye, the commander of the Admiral Hipper (the letter of recommendation was sent via the Red Cross), after the Glowworm was sunk by the Hipper.
My grandfather Thomas Hartley-Smith captained this ship in the battle of Singapore. I heard he was the last ship out of the battle heavily damaged. He didnt have the best reputation in the Navy but he was a great leader and a great captain RIP grandad! He died of lymphoma cancer. He also captained the Wollongong.
Should do video on HMAS Yarra.
It was a sloop that took on 3 Japanese Cruisers and 4 destroyers.
Bit of a note with Australian pronouncing: we pronounce it like Ba-thirst.
OI OI OI
yep, though I pronounce it more like ba-therst
Bath, with the a like cat... not like bar
Boy im australian and i agree with drach's pronounciation.
@@Foxttellio I mean you can agree, but it's a town with a famous race you gronk
Thank you Drach for your reference to the RAN being a "expertise-rich but hull-poor Navy": the former wouldn't have been achieved without the support provided by the RN from 1909 onwards, but nice to have the acknowledgment that we put it to good use (most of the time anyway)
It was a down under handed complement
I was told in training that the Collins Class submarine HMAS Sheehan was the first RAN warship to carry the name of an ordinary seaman. So the RAN recognised his heroism 20-25 years ago
It’s absolutely appreciated immensely of your history that you yourself are willing to share so that we can learn more.
Of course the navy remembered him.
It's the damned politicians who have screwed him over.
Most importantly, the Lord knows. Be safe.
I very much look forward to a video about the HMAS Armidale, and more particularly, a nice section (or complete video) about Ordinary Seaman Teddy Shean.
Just today, I got home from a roadtrip; having looked at HMAS Whyalla (B 252) which is set up as a museum ship in its home port of Whyalla, South Australia (where it was commissioned on 8 January 1942 under the command of Lieutenant Leslie N Morison ), to find this guide waiting for me !! What incredible timing !! Thank you!
Teddy Sheehan, what a boss. Glad the politicos FINALLY got off their butts and recognized that kind of selfless devotion to one's fellow man.
I salute you, Seaman Ted Sheehan. You are a stellar example for all people.
I see HMAS and I press like,
Have been to HMAS Castlemaine floating museum and suggest visiting it
Finding out that Her Magisty granted the VC, makes that drydock all the more worth watching. One of the best things about the modern information era is that these stories are shared.
I worked in the engine room of the museum ship HMAS Castlemaine in the 80s, mainly at the tiny work bench right aft by the starboard propeller shaft. And if I may be allowed an ad, my story "Out of the Storm", set aboard a Bathurst class minesweeper, is up on UA-cam
3 Bathurst Class were lost during the war but a 4th Hmas Warrnambool (named after my home town)served though the whole pacific war only to sink in 1947 after hitting a WW2 mine.
Also drach after hearing you pronounce Bathurst I would love you to attempt Warrnambool, thanks for covering an Ran ship keep up the good work
Also note that an additional Bathurst was lost not long after ww2, while clearing a minefield.
Oops. Less commentary, more reading by me needed. My bad.
@@7thsealord888 no worries I thought that would be a big coincidence
Not every ship which has significant responsibilities for national defense is glamorous, cutting-edge, or capable of incredibly hurculean feats. Nevertheless, these workmanlike vessels and the gallant men that crewed them are the heros with ordinary tools that made the difference in the last global war. They're efforts are responsible for executing the absolutely vital war winning tasks without notice or fanfare in time of the last global crisis. Great to see their stories told and their efforts and sacrifices acknowledged despite the passage of nearly 80 years in this instance.
*YES FINALLY MY PRAYERS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED*
thank you drach i like your channel but i thank you for doing this class from an aussie to an englishmen
also there are so many stories of heroism in the RAN from HMAS vampire, HMAS sydney (II) and to HMAS Perth we may have been a small navy but we gave as good as we got
👍Drach from all your Aussie fans!
If anyone wants to see one of these ships, drop by Melbourne (post COVID) and head to HMAS Castlemaine in Williamstown, it's well worth your time
For anyone living in Victoria, highly recommend checking out HMAS Castlemaine when lockdown ends. Very nice museum ship with few visitors
HMVS Cerberus would be a really interesting topic for a future video.
Another good video Drac. Very similar ships to the RN Bangor class sweepers,which also did more than just sweep.
Don’t forget HMAS Whyalla, now a museum ship in Whyalla, South Australia.
It is a real shame because his peers and elders never got to see the award bestowed, but it also is a source of hope that even 75+ years later gallantry can still be recognised. Whoever was behind having the case reviewed has my respect.
Drachinifel, another outstanding video. Your knowledge is impressive and vast. Sir, I am an anglophile and an aussiephile(?). I support "the old alliances" and pray that they are not dead. With the growing belligerence of China, we ALL need the ANZUS and UK-US alliances more than ever.
Plus, as Erwin Rommel (I met Rommel's son when he was mayor of Munich in the 80's) once said, "If I had to take Hell, I would use the Australians to take it, and the New Zealanders to hold it."
And as the Brit's great Tolkien said (paraphrased), You can each retreat to your strongholds and be destroyed one by one. Or you can make a stand together and have a chance!
Drachinifel, please do a video that details the great friendship between the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, and the U.S. For example, an Aussie destroyer gallantly attacking a capital ship to save a Royal or American Navy ship? In what ways did our navies work together? Did the massive US war industry give any ships, especially good ones, to our allies? Anything that illustrates the depth and character of our friendships, especially at Sea, from 1914 to 1945 or even to today?
Thank you, sir! My son and I love your videos.
+1 on all accounts
I love these little ships
Thanks!
I do think that the point that has been missed here, is what a giant role this class of ship played in the defense of Australia in WW2. With over 60 produced, the sort of Flower class Corvettes of this country perhaps?
I've been on board HMAS Castlemaine, which is now a museum ship at Gem pier Williamstown in Melbourne. one of the Australian Bathurst class.
No: Bathurst NSW. All the RAN ships were named after Australian country towns (at least two pub size)
My first draft was to HMNZS Inverell as a buff stoker. It was entertaining checking the bearing oils in roughers with large counterweights flaying inches from the hands. These ships certainly rolled about in any sea condition. Power plant were 2 boilers and 2 engines
More Australian warship representation, this is awesome. Can you do the Battlecruiser HMAS Australia plz
I very much appreciate that you cover such an eclectic range of ships and topics, Uncle Drach.
yessss, yeeeessss more obscure Australian and Commonwealth ships! HMVS Cerberus and the other oddities! you already know my odd love of HMCS Protector. :p
please do the Krait ??
@@thatsme9875 we got the Krait tied up at the ANMM after this COVID thing the guy who manages us volunteers told us that they'd be restarting tours on the and around the Krait, a real delight to be able to work around these marvelous vessels! :)
@@corneliakashigawi5743 fabulous news !! I have read several books about the "Z" Force and the Krait, and seen it moored at the ANMM, but never set foot on it.
Thats Me Yeah can’t wait to be able to give tours around her (Not sure if I’m meant to say this or not but I’m just to excited not to tell people.) But these are in his words by the way ‘Firstly Neil Hird and Neale Philip have produced a fabulous session on the small vessels of the fleet. When things return to normal, we will be conduction tours for visitors which will include going aboard the Krait, John Louis and SY Ena.’
HMCS Protector would be a good one. Surely not just Australians would be interested in that. The colonial navies would make an interesting episode actually.
as someone who was born in Bathurst, NSW, Australia, I can confidently state that it is pronounced Bathurst as in bat, not but
otherwise, another excellent production by Drachinifel !!
@ukkowalski why is a pom like a dose of piles? because they come out, they stay out, they are a pain in the a&%e and you can never get rid of them !
Oddly enough I walk my dog at Morts Shipyard at Balmain in Sydney where many of these were built. The dock is now been filled in, though the outline is still there in the top layer of stones. And its a giant dog park! Theres are nice memorial there to the yard, all the bathurst's built and their fates.
Its pretty amazing that the little 1,000 ton ship took two torpedoes before it sank. Her spirit and determination must have rubbed off on the crew and vice versa.
I’m a Bathurst originating fromLechlade, UK. Here in the US we pronounce it Bath-rust. Nice to know that there is a class of ships named after the family.
One of the Collins Class submarines is named Sheean.
Bath, is pronounced with a soft "a" as in bathyscaphe rather than the resonant "a" in "Bath." Thank you for covering an Aussie class.
Though that depends on how your pronounce Bath. Drach bring Southerner n'all
Depends where your from lol, i would pronounce bathurst as ba-thst, and im australian.
Yes, I agree - there is only one 'r' in Bathurst.
You should put yourself forward as a candidate for the VO on an Australian ship name pronunciation video lol
I've heard Aussies pronounce it Bat-hurst.
One of the class, HMAS Castlemame can be found south of Melbourne as a museum ship.
Love your work Drach. RIP Teddy.
There is an interesting video about HMIS Bengal, taking on two Japanese Merchant Cruiser along with a Royal Dutch Shell tanker.
Thanks for featuring the Bathurst class Drachinifel. Two such ships remain in Australia as museum ships. On pronunciation, if the ships were named for the Australian town of Bathurst, the pronunciation would be akin to Math rather than Path. Apparently they were a thoroughly uncomfortable ship, but thoroughly reliable, and they did stirling work and were a great nuisance to the Japanese around Northern Australia, New Guinea, and the Dutch East Indies. Cheers. .
A fourth Bathurst was sunk during mine clearing operations. While performing clearance work on 13 September 1947, the corvette hit a mine around 16:00 near Cockburn Reef, off the northern Queensland coast. Four sailors were killed and another 29 were injured.Warrnambool sank shortly afterward, in 25 metres (82 ft) of water. The wreck was sold to Southern Cross Diving and Salvage on 3 July 1972.A Board of Inquiry found that there was no culpable negligence in the loss of the corvette, and praised the conduct of her crew and commanding officer.Warrnambool is the only RAN ship to be sunk by a mine.] A survey conducted in 2016 by HMAS Mermaid found that the wreck of Warrnambool remained largely intact.
Yay finally some RAN love and it's more pronounced Baf Hurst or I've heard other pronunciation but never bath , but I understand your English so forgiven .
Great video, Drach. The Bathursts were terrific little ships that successfully performed pretty much every duty a warship of that size could possibly perform - and then some. Routinely, they were the first to go into harm's way, and the last to leave.
It is also worth knowing that, as the war progressed, the Bathursts started packing so much extra AA weaponry and radar topside that the RAN worried about stability - posting directives limiting the amount of PAINT that could be used on the upperworks (any excess had to be removed before new paint applied).
Recommended reading for anyone interested - 'Corvettes - Little Ships For Big Men' by Frank B Walker, which covers the history of the class, including listing the names of all those who served on them.
Btw, Drach. On future pronunciation of Aussie names, the tendency here is to put primary hard emphasis on the first syllable and pretty much swallow the rest. Hence, BATH-urst (short 'a' in the BATH). Similarly, it's usually CAN-bra, not CanBERRa as the BBC or certain other people might say.
Also btw. Very fittingly, a small contingent of Bathursts were present for the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay, They were the first Allied ships to enter a number of Japanese ports during the surrender.
We still have two intact in Australia one is HMAS Whyalla on dry land and the other is HMAS Castlemaine in the water at Williamstown Victoria worth a visit. And you can board her
Aww yiss. Nice one Drach. One on HMAS Australia (I) and (II) would great too :-)
We actually named one of our current diesel-electric submarines after Teddy Sheean- Along with the Captain captains of the flagship, and Commodore John Collins, our most senior naval officer during WW2. Teddy well deserves his VC, and a place in the big officer's mess in the sky :-)
If anyone fancies a closer look at a Bathurst-class corvette without getting their feet wet, HMAS Whyalla still exists - as a land-locked museum ship. Apparently she was one of the Bathursts sold to civilians post-war and was rescued from a scrapyard in the 1980s. Worth a visit if you're in the area.
Located where, please? I'm always up to visit lesser-known historical sites/things when I'm visiting someplace.
@@Archon1995 southaustralia.com/products/eyre-peninsula/attraction/whyalla-maritime-museum
There is also HMAS Castlemaine afloat in Williamstown near Melbourne. Well worth a visit.
These are the perfect vessel for the Navy of the People's Republic of Elbonia, I feel certain they would put them to great use.
Love these kind of units!
Served in thr RNZN on both Inverell an Kaiama ( both EX AUSTRALIAN NAVY) have a photo of one with the bow back to aft of thebridgeout of the water in rough weather
Teddy Sheean was ranked as an ordinary seaman but he was no ordinary seaman. He was a Hero First Class. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."
- John 15:13
Just to clarify, it's not the Barthurst class, it's the Bathurst. ;)
Yes, I was about to make the same correction. Emphasis on the "AT", as in "cat".
yes Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaathurst
At least it's not Bratwurst class
Like the race?
@@kaymish6178 Yes the ship and the race a named after the same town
Please do the Grimsby Class Sloop in particular the HMAS Yarra
A heartfelt Thank you for this excellent review.
Perfect timing for this video mate. Thank you 👍 Much appreciated from down under.
You're right: the story of Seaman Sheehan and his ship needs its own video.
"Relatively small and uncomfortable for their crews, the _Bathursts_ tended to behave unpredictably in anything other than fine weather. 'As stomach pumps they were hard to beat' was one ex-corvette officer's considered opinion." - David Stevens, _U-Boat Far From Home_
Ah yes, my hometown of Bathurst, I know a lot of people have mentioned the pronunciation so I’m not going to bother, but thankyou for the review Drach
The old man served on HMAS Lismore which operated in the Mediterranean and Indian ocean. Has credit of shooting down 9 enemy aircraft during escorting a convoy of ships towards Gibraltar. They were not alone, there also the Maryborough and Ipswich
Coincidentally, I happened to stumble across Sheean's bio this morning. Nice to see he's finally getting his VC.
Good looking ship.
I believe these ships were the precursor to what we call Patrol boats in the Australian Navy, the most recent being the Armidale class I believe.
Great video, as always.
A sister of this ship HMAS Castlemaine is floating on display in Williamstown a suburb of Melbourne.About a kilometre away is a memorial to the HMAS Yarra a Grimsby class that sacrificed her self with all hands in order to allow a convoy to disperse and run from attack.
also worth point out that some of our corvettes were converted into colliers and boiler cleaning vessels.
By jove im here two mins after upload!
Also can we have an episode on the minesweepers: net and boom defence classes (e.g. HMAS Kookaburra, HMAS Kangaroo and the brittish ones too just to name a few. I would rather apriciate it :)
Sounds a lot like the Australian version of the Flower class.
Love your channel!
Interesting class of vessel
wow a very nicely done Episode.
Great video on a class of interesting and highly useful ships. 🙂
Facinating.
The Collins Class Submarine, HMAS Sheean is the first commissioned vessel to be named after a non-commissioned seaman.
Any chance of doing the Tree class minesweepers of the RN, My grandfather was killed on HMT Myrtle (14/06/1940).
That kid deserved a medal on the spot.
very interesting great information loved it . pity about the pronunciation of Bathurst . funny hearing a pom say it. love this channel .
Thanks mate
good looking ship
Love...this...channel!
hi mate, great video. My dad served on the HMAS Warnambool (Corvett) in WW2 as a morse code operator, I still have his automatic (mechanically) morse code key. there is not much information about the class that I can find. I'm pretty sure this is the type of ship he served on. I try to imagine his life in those hard times. this helps. thanks.
Cute and dangerous. Lovely little ships.
Bathurst class vs Flower class corvette, which is the better ship ?
That’s THREE Oceans 1. Pacific 2. Southern 3. Indian
Technically true, but as the penguins maintained a strictly neutral stance in both World Wars, the Southern Ocean can be practically discounted.
A response worthy of being called a "drachism"
Not shaped for sportive tricks your point about the Penguins is well taken, 🤣,but the RAN still needed to take into account the transit distance between the two Oceans... even small ships like these are difficult to load onto the train from Cockatoo Island to the Swan river
Infain Atlantic Pacific an southern..where does the Atlantic end btw ?
Gary Mingy en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Ocean This may help...yes I know Wikipedia, but it looks reasonable
Am I right to assume that Bathurst had a lot in common with Flower class corvettes? Cause it looks almost exactly like it, exept the bigger superstructure 😉
Totally different design
Perfect example of Jack of All trades and master of none. Its a clear example of the Australian Navy needing a ship that can do a number of jobs good enough and not a ship that's perfect at one job.
a small detail its a short a not Baarth, but thanks, its good to see an Australian ship being covered. Our pronunciation tends to baffle most people.
.. to barffle most people. I'll see myself out.
yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes!
Look here everybody! It's the Flower Class' insane colonial cousin, twice removed!
I had family that served aboard J195 and J231 (as well as direct family aboard HMAS Yarra II, HMAS Sydney I and very distant relatives aboard SMS Emden 1906).
Teddy Sheean is a hero.
The order ws given to abandon ship, he helped release a lifeboat, got shot in the back by strafing machinegun fire, then turned around, went back & strapped himself into the oerlikon. Perhaps he thought he was already a dead man from his wounds or perhaps it was his plan all along.
I admit its possible his story was embelished by his fellow sailors but he supposedly continued firing even as he himself sank into the water, with some people claiming seeing fire continue coming from beneath the waves.
He was only 18 & not only did he give his life for his shipmates, he made a real difference & almost certainly saved lives.
I don't understand why it took so long for him to be formally recognised, his story has always been known - perhaps technically because he disobeyed orders to abandon ship? I am not a military person & have no idea the details of how the VC is awarded.
Is the apprent similartity to the flowers spurious? Convergent evolution? Co-designs? With thexception of the mast being properly mounted BEHOND the bridge, of course.
Merchant ships need to meet the requirements of the Collision Regulations which require a mast in the fore part of the vessel to locate mast light on. The Southern Pride on which the Flowers were designed was a whale catcher.
Probably parallel evolution: check out the Algerine- and Bangor-class minesweepers. I'm no engineer, but their photos indicate a few similarities with the Bathursts. The Flowers came into the RN separately.
Having said that, the Bathursts were built all over Australia the same way the Flowers were in the UK and (especially) Canada.
Great channel...
Lovely.
2 of the class has been preserved, one at a port and one on land.
Please do USS Shaw
Holy Early Batman!
Looks like the Flower class.
Do you have a video on the fastest warships of world war 1, world war 2, all time if its know, etc.
Oh good, glad to see the pronunciation crew is out to play