The Fremantle-class patrol boats were coastal patrol vessels operated by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) from 1979 to 2007. Designed by British shipbuilder Brooke Marine and constructed in Australia by NQEA, the Fremantle class were larger, more powerful, and more capable than the preceding Attack class, and the two primary patrol boat bases required infrastructure upgrades to support them. Although up to 30vessels were planned, fifteen were ordered and constructed, with an unexercised option for five more.
Their retirement was announced in 2001 and a decommissioning schedule published in 2004. From May2005 they were replaced by the Armidale-class patrol boats with the last two Fremantles decommissioning in May2007. Most of the class were scrapped, with two marked for preservation as museum ships. The Fremantle class has also appeared in two drama television series based on the Royal Australian Navy.
Planning and development
The concept for the Fremantle class began somewhere between 1967 and 1969, as the Attack-class patrol boats entered service, and areas for improvement were observed.[1] In September 1970, the RAN announced the intention to construct ten new patrol boats, which would operate in tandem with the Attack class and replace two general purpose vessels.[1] These new vessels were intended to enter service between 1976 and 1980.[1] The number of vessels to be built fluctuated, peaking at thirty vessels (16RAN, 4 Royal Australian Naval Reserve, and 10 for the military of Papua New Guinea),[1] and settling at fifteen.[2]
Plans of acquisition were announced in April 1975, with eleven shipbuilders submitting tenders, of which two were shortlisted in 1976; Brooke Marine of England and Lürssen Werft of West Germany.[2] Brooke Marine won the contract to design and produce the lead ship, with NQEA contracted to build the other fourteen vessels.[2] An option for an additional five vessels existed, but they were placed on indefinite hold in 1982.[2][3] There was a separate acquisition plan for six missile-armed variants, but this was suspended due to the lack of available funding, and the belief that such ships could be constructed on short notice if required.[3]
Design and construction
The design of the Fremantle class called for ships with improved seakeeping, and newer equipment and weapons than those fitted to the Attack class.[1] The Fremantles had a full load displacement of 220 tonnes (220 long tons), were 41.9 metres (137ft 6in)long overall, had a beam of 7.39 metres (24ft 3in), and a maximum draught of 1.75 metres (5ft 9in).[4] The Fremantles were 28% longer and 50% heavier than their predecessors.[5] During sea trials, NUSHIP Fremantle was revealed to be 20tons over the contracted limit.[6] Main propulsion machinery consisted of two MTU series 538 diesel engines, which supplied 3,200 shaft horsepower (2,400kW) to the two propeller shafts. They also had an APU (auxiliary propulsion unit that was fitted in the interest of fuel saving whilst on patrol. (One Dorman 12-cylinder auxiliary propulsion engine) These were later removed as they proved inefficient when compared to the two main engines[4] Exhaust was not expelled through a funnel, like most ships, but through vents below the waterline.[7] The patrol boat could reach a maximum speed of 30 knots (56km/h; 35mph), and had a maximum range of 5,000 nautical miles (9,300km; 5,800mi) at 5 knots (9.3km/h; 5.8mph).[4] The ship's company consisted of 22 personnel.[4] Each patrol boat was armed with a single, bow-mounted Bofors 40 mm L/60 gun as main armament, supplemented by two .50-calibre Browning machineguns and an 81mm mortar,[4][8] although the mortar was removed from all ships sometime in the late 1990s.[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][7]
Early on in the construction program, it was realised that the two main patrol boat bases, HMASCairns in Cairns, Queensland and HMASCoonawarra in Darwin, Northern Territory, were not capable of supporting ships of this size on a permanent basis.[5] This resulted in a $10 million infrastructure upgrade for the two bases, which was completed in 1981 and 1982, respectively.[7] This included modern maintenance, logistic, and administrative facilities at both bases, and the installation of a synchro-lift at Coonawarra.[5]
Cessnock underway in the mid-1980s
Construction of Fremantle began in October 1977.[6] It was launched on 16February 1979, and commissioned on 17March 1980.[6] During sea trials, Fremantle received distinction for locating and rescuing a British sailor thrown from a commercial trawler following its collision with an oil tender.[6] Construction of the first Australian-built vessel, HMASWarrnambool, began in September 1978, with Warrnambool launched on 25October 1980 and commissioned on 14March 1981.[9] The final ship of the class, HMASBunbury, was commissioned on 15December 1984.[9] The Australian-built vessels were built through an assembly-line method.[7] Hulls were built upside-down from the keel to the second-uppermost deck, then rolled over and built to the top of the hull.[7] After this, the superstructure, which had been fabricated at the same time, was welded onto the hull.[7] Construction of the class (including the two naval base upgrades) cost $150 million.[7] All fifteen vessels were named after Bathurst-class corvettes.[3]
Operational history
The first ship of the class, HMASFremantle, arrived in Australia on 27August 1980, after an 82-day voyage covering 14,509 nautical miles (26,871km; 16,697mi).[10] NQEA completed three patrol boats in both 1981 and 1982, and four in both 1983 and 1984.[9] By the end of 1984, four Fremantles were located at HMASCoonawarra, HMASCairns, and Fleet Base East, two at HMASStirling, and one at HMAS Cerberus.[11] Also by 1984, all of the Attack class had left active service, with many transferring to the RANReserve or the Indonesian Navy.[11]
On 31 May 1985, Wollongong grounded on rocks at Gabo Island, causing extensive damage to the vessel.[7] It was repaired by the builder, and returned to service in late 1986.[7]
From May 2005 onwards, the Fremantles were replaced in service by the fourteen Armidale-class patrol boats. During late 2006, the decommissioned Wollongong remained laid up alongside Waterhen in Waverton, Sydney for use as the alongside set for the drama series Sea Patrol. The last two ships, Townsville and Ipswich, decommissioned in a joint ceremony on 11May 2007.[12]
Fate
Gladstone in 2010, awaiting preservation in its namesake city
During 2006 and 2007, most of the Fremantles were broken up for scrap in Darwin, at a cost of between $400,000 and $450,000 each to the Australian government.[13] A total of 11 of the class were dismantled at Darwin, although the MTU engines were salvaged and sold on market, and some high value item were also saved.[14] The exceptions were Wollongong (which was instead scrapped in Port Macquarie), Townsville (gifted to the Townsville Maritime Historical Society for preservation as a museum ship), and Gladstone (gifted to the Gladstone Maritime Museum for preservation).[13][15]
The fictional HMAS Hammersley is the setting of the first season of Channel Nine's 2007 drama series Sea Patrol. This vessel was portrayed by HMA Ships Wollongong and Ipswich.[17] A second patrol boat, HMAS Kingston, also appears in the series. From the second season onwards, an Armidale-class boat is used.
The Armidale class is a class of patrol boats built for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Planning for a class of vessels to replace the fifteen Fremantle-class patrol boats began in 1993 as a joint project with the Royal Malaysian Navy, but was cancelled when Malaysia pulled out of the process. The project was reopened in 1999 under the designation SEA 1444, with the RAN as the sole participant. Of the seven proposals tendered, the Austal/Defence Maritime Services (DMS) proposal for twelve vessels based on an enlarged Bay-class patrol boat was selected. Two additional boats were ordered in 2005 to provide a dedicated patrol force for the North West Shelf Venture.
HMAS Armidale, named for the city of Armidale, New South Wales, is the lead ship of the Armidale class of patrol boats serving in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). It was commissioned in June 2005 and decommissioned in March 2023.
The Australian Patrol Boat Group is a Force Element Group (FEG) of the Royal Australian Navy. It manages the Navy's patrol boats.
HMAS Dubbo, named for the city of Dubbo, New South Wales, was a Fremantle-class patrol boat of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
HMAS Wollongong, named for the city of Wollongong, New South Wales, was one of fifteen Fremantle-class patrol boats to operate with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Wollongong is the only RAN vessel to have appeared in two television series, portraying a fictional Fremantle-class patrol boat in both.
HMAS Ipswich, named for the city of Ipswich, Queensland, was a Fremantle-class patrol boat in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
Patrol Boat is an Australian television drama series that screened on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Patrol Boat was created by James Davern and two series were produced, in 1979 and 1983, with a total of 26 episodes.
HMAS Townsville, 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.
HMAS Cessnock, named for the city of Cessnock, New South Wales was a Fremantle-class patrol boat of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
HMAS Whyalla, named for the city of Whyalla, South Australia, was a Fremantle-class patrol boat of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
HMAS Fremantle, named for the city of Fremantle, Western Australia, was the lead ship of the Fremantle-class patrol boats, entering service in the Royal Australian Navy in 1980 and decommissioning in 2006. Fremantle was the only ship of the class not constructed in Australia, and it is claimed that her delivery voyage from England to Austrlaia was the longest ever made by a patrol boat.
HMAS Bunbury, named for the city of Bunbury, Western Australia, was a Fremantle-class patrol boat of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
HMAS Gawler, named for the town of Gawler, South Australia was a Fremantle-class patrol boat of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
HMAS Gladstone, named for the city of Gladstone, Queensland, is a Fremantle-class patrol boat, formerly of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Built by NQEA during the early 1980s, Gladstone was commissioned into RAN service in 1984.
HMAS Geraldton, named for the port city of Geraldton, Western Australia, was a Fremantle-class patrol boat of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
HMAS Geelong, named for the city of Geelong, was a Fremantle-class patrol boat of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
HMAS Launceston, named for the city of Launceston, Tasmania, was a Fremantle-class patrol boat of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
HMAS Warrnambool, named after the city of Warrnambool, Victoria, was a Fremantle-class patrol boat of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
NQEA Pty Ltd is an engineering and shipbuilding company based in Cairns, Australia. The company was founded in 1948 as an engineering supply company named North Queensland Engineers & Agents, then expanded in 1966 into shipbuilding and was renamed.
Gillett, Ross (1988). Australian and New Zealand Warships since 1946. Brookvale: Child & Associates. ISBN0-86777-219-0. OCLC23470364.
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. ISBN0-19-555542-2. OCLC50418095.
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