Specifications of HMAS Castlemaine

Type: Australian Minesweeper, Bathurst Class.
Displacement (Standard): 733 tons (ship complete without fuel and reserve feed water).
Displacement (Full Load): 1025 tons (ship complete, fully equipped, and ready for sea as a fighting unit).
Length: 186 feet (56.73 metres).
Beam: 31 feet (9.455 metres).
Draft: 8 feet 5 inches (2.55 metres).
Laid down: 17 February 1941 at Melbourne Harbor Trust Dockyard, Williamstown on building berth No.1 lower.
Launched: 7 August 1941 by Mrs R G Menzies, the wife of then Prime Minister of Australia, Mr. Robert Menzies.
Commissioned: 17 June 1942.
Builders: Melbourne Harbor Trust Commissioners, at Williamstown Dockyard.
Armament: (As completed)
1 x 4-inch BL Mk IX gun on a CP Mk.1 mounting
3 X 20 mm Oerlikon guns on MkV mountings
1 X 0.303 Bren Gun
2 X 0.303 Lewis Machine Guns
2 X Depth Charge thrower Mk.2
2 X Double Depth Charge Chutes
2 X PAC Projectors
After 1943 refit – the 4inch gun was replaced by Mk.XIX QF gun on a CP Mk.XXIII mounting
After 1944 refit – the aft 20mm Oerlikon gun was replaced by a Bofors 40mm Mk.1 gun on Mk.III mounting. The depth charge throwers Mk.2 were replaced by Mk IV throwers.
Ammunition:
282 4-inch shells
Approx. 2,500 rounds for each small gun
30 normal and 20 heavy-duty depth charges
Minesweeping:
Paravanes (Oropesa Sweep) for contact mines
L.L. Sweep for magnetic mines
S.A. Type C Oscillator for acoustic mines
Radar:
At completion - Type 286P (R.A.A.F design)
1943 Type A.272 (Surface warning); Type A.286p Air/Surface warning
1944 Type A272 (Surface warning); Type A286Q Air/Surface warning; I.F.F. Type 253 Responder.
Anti-Submarine Detection:
At completion – Type 128B Asdic
1943 – Type 128C Asdic
Machinery:
2 x Yarrow Admiralty 3 Drum type oil fired boilers: 210 PSI. Built by Cockatoo Docks and Engineering Co., Sydney.
2 x triple expansion steam engines developing a total 2000 I.H.P. Built by Thompsons Engineering & Pipe Co. at Castlemaine, Victoria.
2 X 35 Kw. Steam driven generating sets. 220 volts DC by Kelly & Lewis.
1 X 25 Kw 4 cyl Southern Cross diesel generating set. 220 volts DC by Toowoomba Foundry.
1 X 42Kw 6 cyl Gardiner diesel generating set. 190 volts DC for degaussing and L.L. magnetic sweep.
Speed: 15 knots at full load.
Endurance: In excess of 2600 nautical miles (4752km) at 10 knots using approximately 0.5 ton of fuel per hour.
Fuel: 160 tons furnace fuel oil, 6 tons diesel oil.
Fresh Water: 40 tons.
Provisions: Fresh -10 days supply, Dry – 4 months.
Complement: 89 plus. Capable of carrying 300 in an emergency, 400 troops from ship to shore, or 100 over a period of four days.
Cost: £250,000 (A$500,000).