HMAS Murchison

HMAS Murchison operating off the coast of Korea, circa 1951–52

History
Australia
Name| Murchison
Namesake| Murchison River
Builder| Evans Deakin & Company, Brisbane
Laid down| 3 June 1943
Launched| 31 October 1944
Commissioned| 17 December 1945
Decommissioned| 15 April 1954
Motto| "With Undaunted Heart"
Honours and
awards|

* Battle honours:
* Korea 1951–52

Fate| Sold for scrap
General characteristics
Class and type| Modified River (Bay)-class frigate
Displacement| 1,537 tons (standard), 2,200 tons (full load)
Length| 301 ft (92 m)
Beam| 36 ft (11 m)
Draught| 12 ft (3.7 m)
Propulsion| Triple expansion, 2 shafts, 5,500 ihp (4,100 kW)
Speed| 19.5 knots (36.1 km/h; 22.4 mph)
Complement| 175
Armament|

* 4 × 4-inch guns
* 3 × 40 mm Bofors
* 4 × 20 mm Oerlikons
* 1 × Hedgehog
* 4 × Depth Charge Throwers

HMAS Murchison (K442/F442) was a Modified River or Bay-class frigate of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). The ship was laid down in 1943, but not commissioned until after the end of World War II. Murchison fought in the Korean War, was decommissioned in 1956, and sold for scrap in 1961.

## Construction

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Murchison was one of four Bay-class frigates constructed in Australia during World War II, being laid down by Evans Deakin & Company, Brisbane on 3 June 1943. She was launched on 31 October 1944, and commissioned on 17 December 1945. She was named for the Murchison River in Western Australia.[1]

## Operational history

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Completed too late in the war to take part in the fighting, Murchison began her career by visiting Morotai, Ternate, and the Celebes for surveillance duties and War Graves Commission tasks, before sailing to Japan and joining the British Commonwealth Occupation Force. The frigate returned to Australia in May 1946.[1]

Murchison later saw extensive operational service during the Korean War and was involved in the Naval Battle of Han River on 28–30 September 1951, during which she was heavily engaged by Chinese shore installations while conducting riverine operations. Four sailors were wounded in the encounter, while Murchison destroyed a number of Chinese gun positions.[2] The frigate was awarded the battle honour "Korea 1951–52" for her actions during the war.[3][4]

On 3 October 1952, Murchison was present of the Montebello Islands for the Operation Hurricane nuclear weapons test.[5]

## Fate

[edit]

Murchison paid off on 31 January 1956 and she was sold for scrap on 21 September 1961.[1]

## Citations

[edit]

1. ^ a b c "HMAS Murchison". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
2. ^ Coulthard-Clark 2001, p. 265.
3. ^ "Navy Marks 109th Birthday With Historic Changes To Battle Honours". Royal Australian Navy. 1 March 2010. Archived from the original on 13 June 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
4. ^ "Royal Australian Navy Ship/Unit Battle Honours" (PDF). Royal Australian Navy. 1 March 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 June 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
5. ^ Trembath, Brendan (3 October 2012). "Atom bomb veterans remember life-changing blast". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 21 October 2012.

## References

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* Coulthard-Clark, Chris (2001). The Encyclopaedia of Australia's Battles (Second ed.). Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86508-634-7.

## External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to HMAS Murchison (K442).

* v
* t
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River-class frigates

Royal Navy|

* Adur
* Aire
* Annan (K297)
* Annan (K404)
* Avon
* Awe
* Ballinderry
* Bann
* Barle (ex-PG-103)
* Braid
* Cam
* Chelmer
* Cuckmere (ex-PG-104)
* Dart
* Derg
* Deveron
* Duddon / Ribble (K525)
* Ettrick
* Evenlode (ex-Danville)
* Exe
* Fal
* Findhorn (ex-PG-106)
* Frome
* Glenarm / Strule
* Halladale
* Helford
* Helmsdale
* Inver (ex-PG-107)
* Itchen
* Jed
* Kale
* Lagan
* Lambourne / Dovey
* Lochy
* Lossie (ex-PG-108)
* Meon
* Monnow
* Mourne
* Moyola
* Nadder
* Nene
* Ness
* Nith
* Odzani
* Parret (ex-PG-109)
* Plym
* Ribble (K251)
* Rother
* Shiel (ex-PG-110)
* Spey
* Swale
* Taff
* Tavy
* Tay
* Tees
* Teme
* Test
* Teviot
* Torridge
* Towy
* Trent
* Tweed
* Usk
* Waveney
* Wear
* Windrush
* Wye

Royal Australian Navy|

| Completed|

* Barcoo
* Barwon
* Burdekin
* Condamine
* Diamantina
* Gascoyne
* Hawkesbury
* Lachlan
* Macquarie
* Murchison
* Culgoa
* Shoalhaven

|

Cancelled|

* Balmain
* Bogan
* Campaspe
* Murrumbidgee
* Namoi
* Nepean
* Warburton
* Williamstown
* Wimmera
* Wollondilly

Royal Canadian Navy|

| Completed|

* Adur
* Alvington (K677) / Royal Mount (K677)
* Annan (K297)
* Annan (K404)
* Antigonish
* Beacon Hill
* Beauharnois / Prestonian
* Cap de la Madeleine
* Cape Breton
* Capilano
* Carlplace
* Charlottetown
* Chebogue
* Coaticook
* Eastview
* Ettrick
* Giffard / Toronto
* Grou
* Hallowell
* Inch Arran
* Joliette
* Jonquiere
* Kokanee
* La Hulloise
* La Tuque / Fort Erie (K670)
* Lanark
* Lasalle
* Lauzon (K371)
* Lauzon (K414) / Glace Bay
* Leamington / Mégantic (K344) / Sea Cliff
* Lévis
* Longueuil
* Magog
* Meon
* Monnow
* Montreal
* Nene
* New Glasgow
* New Waterford
* Orkney
* Outremont
* Port Colborne
* Poundmaker
* Prince Rupert
* Ribble
* Rouyn (K676) / Penetang
* Royal Mount (K685) / Buckingham
* Runnymede
* Saint John
* Springhill
* St. Catharines
* St. Jerome / Kirkland Lake
* St. Pierre
* St. Stephen
* Ste. Therese
* Stettler
* Stone Town
* Stormont (K327)
* Stormont (K444) / Matane
* Strathadam
* Swansea
* Teme
* Thetford Mines
* Valdorian / Sussexvale (K683)
* Valleyfield
* Verdun / Dunver
* Victoriaville
* Waskesiu
* Wentworth

|

Cancelled|

* Alexandria
* Alvington
* Fort Erie
* Foster
* Hardrock
* Henryville
* Le Havre
* Lingabar
* Mégantic
* Merittonia
* Northumberland
* Pesaquid
* Plessisville
* Ranney Falls
* Rouyn
* Shipton
* St. Agathe
* St. Eduoard
* Sussexvale
* Tisdale
* Westbury
* Westville
* Wulastock

Free French Naval Forces|

* L'Aventure (ex-Braid)
* Croix de Lorraine (ex-Strule)
* La Découverte / Lucifer (ex-Windrush)
* L'Escarmouche / L'Ailette (ex-Frome)
* La Surprise (ex-Torridge)
* Tonkinois / La Confiance (ex-Moyola)

Royal Netherlands Navy|

* Johan Maurits van Nassau (ex-Ribble (K251))

South African Navy|

* Swale
* Teviot

United States Navy
Asheville class|

* Asheville (ex-Adur)
* Natchez (ex-Annan (K297))
* PG-103
* PG-104
* Danville
* PG-106
* PG-107
* PG-108
* PG-109
* PG-110

Post World War II operators

Argentine Navy|

* Hércules (ex-Asheville)
* Juan B. Azopardo (ex-Hércules)

Royal Ceylon Navy /
Sri Lanka Navy|

* Gajabahu (ex-Misnak)
* Mahasena (ex-Mivtakh)

Chilean Navy|

* Covadonga (ex-Sea Cliff)
* Esmerelda / Baquedano (ex-Glace Bay)
* Iquique (ex-Joliette)

Royal Danish Navy|

* Holger Danske (ex-Monnow)
* Niels Ebbesen (ex-Annan (K404))

Dominican Navy|

* Juan Pablo Duarte (ex-Natchez)
* Presidente Trujillo / Mella (ex-Carlplace)

Egyptian Navy|

* Abikir (ex-Usk)
* Domiat (ex-Nith)
* Rashied (ex-Spey)

Indian Navy|

* Bengal (ex-Kokanee)
* Dhanush (ex-Deveron)
* Hooghly (ex-Waskesiu)
* Kukri / Khukri (ex-Trent)
* Neza (ex-Test)
* Shamsher (ex-Nadder)
* Tamar / Aire (ex-Aire)
* Tir (ex-Bann)

Israeli Navy|

* Mivtakh (ex-Orkney)
* Misgav (ex-Strathadam)
* Misnak (ex-Hallowell)

Royal Moroccan Navy|

* Al Maouna (ex-La Surprise)

Myanmar Navy|

* Mayu (ex-Fal)

Royal New Zealand Navy|

* Lachlan

Royal Norwegian Navy|

* Glomma (ex-Ballinderry)

Pakistan Navy|

* Shamsher
* Zulfiquar (ex-Dhanush)

Peruvian Navy|

* Teniente Palacios / Palacios (ex-St. Pierre)
* Teniente Ferré / Ferré (ex-Poundmaker)

Portuguese Navy|

* Diogo Gomes (ex-Awe)
* Nuno Tristão (ex-Avon)

* Preceded by: None
* Followed by: Tacoma class (USN) / Colony class (RN) / Prestonian class (RCN)

* List of frigates of the Royal Navy
* List of frigates of the Royal Australian Navy
* List of frigates of the Royal Canadian Navy
* List of patrol vessels of the United States Navy

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