HMAS Gladstone (FCPB 216)

For other ships with the same name, see HMAS Gladstone.

The former HMAS Gladstone in 2010
History
Australia
Namesake	Port city of Gladstone, Queensland
Builder	North Queensland Engineers and Agents
Laid down	7 March 1983
Launched	28 July 1984
Commissioned	8 September 1984
Decommissioned	13 March 2007
Motto	"Defend the right"
Honours and awards	Two inherited battle honours
Status	Marked for preservation as museum ship
Badge
General characteristics
Class and type	Fremantle class patrol boat
Displacement	220 tons
Length	137.6 ft (41.9 m)
Beam	25.25 ft (7.70 m)
Draught	5.75 ft (1.75 m)
Propulsion	2 MTU series 538 diesel engines, 3,200 shp (2,400 kW), 2 propellers
Speed	30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Range	5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph)
Complement	22
Armament	One general purpose 40/60 mm Bofors gun Two 12.7 mm machine guns One 81 mm mortar (removed later)

HMAS Gladstone (FCPB 216), named for the city of Gladstone, Queensland, is a Fremantle class patrol boat, formerly of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

Design and construction

Main article: Fremantle class patrol boat

Starting in the late 1960s, planning began for a new class of patrol boat to replace the Attack class, with designs calling for improved seakeeping capability, and updated weapons and equipment. The Fremantles had a full load displacement of 220 tonnes (220 long tons; 240 short tons), were 137.6 feet (41.9 m) long overall, had a beam of 24.25 feet (7.39 m), and a maximum draught of 5.75 feet (1.75 m). Main propulsion machinery consisted of two MTU series 538 diesel engines, which supplied 3,200 shaft horsepower (2,400 kW) to the two propeller shafts. Exhaust was not expelled through a funnel, like most ships, but through vents below the waterline. The patrol boat could reach a maximum speed of 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph), and had a maximum range of 5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 5 knots (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph). The ship's company consisted of 22 personnel. Each patrol boat was armed with a single 40 mm Bofors gun as main armament, supplemented by two .50 cal Browning machineguns and an 81-mm mortar, although the mortar was removed from all ships sometime after 1988. 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.

Gladstone was laid down by North Queensland Engineers and Agents at Cairns, Queensland on 7 March 1983, launched on 28 July 1984, and commissioned into the RAN on 8 September 1984.

Fate

Gladstone operated out of HMAS Cairns until 13 March 2007, when she decommissioned. She was gifted on the same day to the Gladstone Maritime History Society. Gladstone was to be preserved as a museum ship and attached to the Gladstone Maritime Museum during the latter's redevelopment. As of late 2009, the redevelopment has been suspended due to the global financial crisis, but not cancelled completely. Between 2007 and 2009, the patrol boat was stored at the Gladstone Marina, and in late 2009, plans were announced to move Gladstone to a more prominent location, before mounting the vessel out of the water on a plinth when the museum upgrade is complete.

References

• Gillett, Ross (1988). Australian and New Zealand Warships since 1946. Brookvale, NSW: Child & Associates. ISBN 0-86777-219-0. OCLC 23470364.
• Jones, Peter (2001). "Towards Self Reliance". In Stevens, David (ed.). The Royal Australian Navy. The Australian Centenary History of Defence (vol III). South Melbourne, VIC: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-555542-2. OCLC 50418095.
• Mitchell, Brett (2007). "Farewell to the Fremantle Class". In Forbes, Andrew & Lovi, Michelle (ed.). Australian Maritime Issues 2006 (PDF). Papers in Australian Maritime Affairs. Sea Power Centre - Australia. ISBN 0-642-29644-8. ISSN 1327-5658. Retrieved 12 May 2010.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: editors list (link)
  • The chapter is available separately as Semaphore, Issue 17, 2005 in PDF and HTML formats.