| Minesweepers to Minehunters : The Changing History of The HMAS Curlew and The HMAS Snipe |
| Minesweeper to Minehunter Ton Class, Royal Australian Navy The RAN purchased six Ton Class Minesweepers from Britain in 1961; two of the minesweepers were built as minehunters, but functioned as minesweepers until the late 1960s when they were converted to minehunters. HMAS Curlew decommissioned in December 1966 and was converted to a minehunter at Garden Island Dock, Sydney, and recommissioned in 1968. HMAS Snipe decommissioned the day before in 1968 and went into dockyard hands to be converted to a minehunter. Both operated together as minehunters from late 1969 until Snipe decommissioned in 1983 and Curlew in 1991. The conversion entailed fitting a high definition, short range sonar, the A/S 193 into the dome space, rudders were replaced with active rudders and the ship was steered with a joystick via a computer instead of the traditional wheel. The crew was made up of 3 officers and 28 other ranks with 5 being Clearance Divers. Tons converted for minehunting had their influence minesweeping systems removed but retained their Oropesa mechanical sweeps. |
| Royal Australian Navy - 16th Minesweeping Squadron |
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HMAS Curlew
| The operation of clearing mines entailed locating the mine using the sonar, maneuvering the ship with the active rudders to keep it stationary while divers were sent in an inflatable boat using radar ranging to a position directly over the mine where they either placed an underwater charge by diving down or winched an explosive device to a position alongside the mine. |
HMAS Snipe
| HMAS Snipe propellers and Active Rudders |
HMAS Curlew Wheel house
| INFO SPOT: The Navy News has a nice piece regarding Cyclone Tracy and the role the Navy played in helping with the rescue and recovery operations, including the roles of the Mine hunters HMAS Snipe and Curlew. |
HMAS Curlew in 1968
All Text and Photographs copyright and used with the kind
permission of Phil Bensted who kindly wrote this piece for us
regarding the change from Minesweeper to Minehunters.
Phils main site can be found
at:http://users.qld.chariot.net.au/~dialabull/index.html
permission of Phil Bensted who kindly wrote this piece for us
regarding the change from Minesweeper to Minehunters.
Phils main site can be found
at:http://users.qld.chariot.net.au/~dialabull/index.html
In May and June 1975 the minehunters HMAS Curlew and HMAS Snipe, using their A/S 193
sonar, together with the minesweeper HMAS Ibis surveyed the approaches to Darwin and the
harbour itself, locating trawlers sunk during Cyclone Tracy, and other navigational hazards. Both
ships surveyed the approaches to all major ports in Australia, surveyed the recommended
passages through the Great Barrier Reef and helped with the location and recovery of an RAAF
F111 which crashed into the sea in New Zealand.
sonar, together with the minesweeper HMAS Ibis surveyed the approaches to Darwin and the
harbour itself, locating trawlers sunk during Cyclone Tracy, and other navigational hazards. Both
ships surveyed the approaches to all major ports in Australia, surveyed the recommended
passages through the Great Barrier Reef and helped with the location and recovery of an RAAF
F111 which crashed into the sea in New Zealand.
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