See main article: Bathurst-class corvette. In 1938, the Australian Commonwealth Naval Board (ACNB) identified the need for a general purpose 'local defence vessel' capable of both anti-submarine and mine-warfare duties, while easy to construct and operate.[2] [3] The vessel was initially envisaged as having a displacement of approximately 500 tons, a speed of at least, and a range of [4] The opportunity to build a prototype in the place of a cancelled Bar-class boom defence vessel saw the proposed design increased to a 680-ton vessel, with a top speed, and a range of, armed with a 4-inch gun, equipped with asdic, and able to fitted with either depth charges or minesweeping equipment depending on the planned operations: although closer in size to a sloop than a local defence vessel, the resulting increased capabilities were accepted due to advantages over British-designed mine warfare and anti-submarine vessels.[2] [5] Construction of the prototype did not go ahead, but the plans were retained.[6] The need for locally built 'all-rounder' vessels at the start of World War II saw the "Australian Minesweepers" (designated as such to hide their anti-submarine capability, but popularly referred to as "corvettes") approved in September 1939, with 60 constructed during the course of the war: 36 (including Deloraine) ordered by the RAN, 20 ordered by the British Admiralty but manned and commissioned as RAN vessels, and 4 for the Royal Indian Navy.[2] [7] [8] [9] [1]
Deloraine was laid down at Morts Dock & Engineering Co in Balmain, New South Wales on 19 March 1941.[1] She was launched on 26 July 1941 by Dame Mary Hughes, wife of the Minister for the Navy, and commissioned into the RAN on 22 November 1941.[1]
After commissioning, Deloraine sailed to Darwin, where she was based for the first part of her career as a convoy escort and anti-submarine patrol vessel.[1] On 20 January 1942, the United States destroyer USS Edsall, escorting the American oiler USS Trinity (AO-13), reported a Japanese submarine was in the area after an unsuccessful attack on the oiler.[1] The submarine, I-124 of the Imperial Japanese Navy, tried and failed to torpedo Deloraine at 1:35 pm, with Deloraine locating the submarine on asdic. After two depth-charge attacks the submarine briefly broke the surface. Deloraine then observed 'large bubbles of oil and air'.[1] Sister ships Katoomba and Lithgow arrived in the area; the two ships continuing to patrol and depth-charge the area while Deloraine reloaded.[1] They were successful, and the four ships were jointly credited with the kill of I-124—the first enemy submarine to be sunk in Australian waters, going down with 80 lives.[10]
The ship was present in Darwin Harbour during the Japanese bombing of Darwin in February 1942. She was undamaged by the attack and assisted in rescue and recovery operations. On 5 March, Deloraine was attacked on several occasions by a Japanese flying boat, but was again undamaged.[1]
In July 1942, the corvette returned to Sydney, and spent the next twenty months escorting supply convoys from Sydney to Newcastle, Brisbane, and New Guinea.[1] In April 1943, Deloraine rescued 19 survivors from the torpedoed merchant ship Lydia M. Child.[1] On 16 June 1943, Portmar and LST-469 were torpedoed and sunk by a Japanese submarine while travelling in Convoy GP55: the only two ships lost in the convoys Deloraine was attached to during her service history.[1]
In May 1944, Deloraine was redeployed to New Guinea waters for escort, patrol, and troop transport duties.[1] She carried out bombardments in support of several Allied landings in New Guinea.[1] At the end of April 1945, the corvette sailed to Brisbane for refits: hostilities ended while she was in dock.[1]
The corvette was awarded three battle honours for her wartime service: "Darwin 1942", "Pacific 1942–45", and "New Guinea 1943–44".[11] [12]
After refitting, Deloraine was used to transport an occupation force from Morotai to Menado, then returned to Sydney and commenced clearing minefields off the New South Wales coast.[1] For the first half of 1946, Deloraine was assigned to New Britain, again clearing minefields.[1] She was paid off into reserve on 4 November 1945, but was recommissioned on 16 December, and recommenced minesweeping duties along the Australian coast.[1]
Deloraine was paid off into reserve at Fremantle, Western Australia on 30 June 1948. She was sold for scrap to the Hong Kong Delta Shipping Company on 8 August 1956.[1]