HMAS

Quadrant

Quadrant was one of eight Q Class destroyers built for the Royal Navy. She commissioned in the Royal Navy as HMS Quadrant on 26 November 1942. Before the year ended she was engaged in escort duties with Arctic convoys. She continued on this arduous task in 1943. Her war service also included convoy escort duties in the South Atlantic and Indian Ocean.

Quadrant took part in the North African landings, aircraft carrier strikes against Sourabaya and bombardment of the Nicobar Islands. In 1945 she became a unit of the British Pacific Fleet, taking part in operations against Formosa, the invasion of Okinawa and operations against the Japanese home islands. In the early post war months she acted as a troop carrier from New Guinea to Australia.

HMS Quadrant prior to her transfer into the Royal Australian Navy, 1945

HMAS Quadrant's ships bell is now on display in the Naval Heritage Collection.

Later in 1945 Quadrant was transferred on loan from the Royal Navy to the Royal Australian Navy. She commissioned as HMAS Quadrant at Sydney on 18 October 1945 under the command of Acting Lieutenant Commander William F Cook RAN.

After further service in Australian and northern waters, including a visit to Japan and Hong Kong, Quadrant paid off into Reserve at Sydney on 20 June 1947. During her first RAN commission she steamed 39,093.2 miles.

On 15 February 1950 the heavy cruiser HMAS Australia (II) departed Sydney for Melbourne with Quadrant in tow. The vessels arrived at Melbourne on 18 February. In April 1950 work began at Williamstown Naval Dockyard to convert Quadrant to a modern fast anti-submarine vessel. In June 1950 the ship's transfer to the Royal Australian Navy was made permanent.

On recommissioning at Williamstown on 16 July 1953, the ship was classified as an anti-submarine frigate. She was under the command of Captain Stephen H Beattie VC RN, who also assumed the duties of Captain (F), 1st Frigate Squadron. The Squadron, when completed by the conversion of three sister ships from destroyers to frigates, comprised HMA Ships Quadrant, Queenborough, Quiberon and Quickmatch. Another sister ship Quality, also transferred from the Royal Navy, was not converted.

After recommissioning,Quadrant's service was mainly in Australian waters. In February 1954 she acted as escort to the Royal Yacht Gothic during the visit to Australia of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh. Quadrant visited New Guinea, Manus and New Britain in October 1954, New Zealand in March 1955, and spent a period on exercises in Far East waters in June 1955. In March 1956 she took part in exercises in Malayan waters.

On 10 April 1956, the Captain (F), 1st Frigate Squadron (Captain VA Smith DSC RAN), relinquished command of Quadrant and transferred to Queenborough.

During June 1956 Quadrant served for a period as a surveillance vessel with the Japanese pearling fleet in the Arafura Sea. In October 1956 she again proceeded to the Far East for further exercises, visiting Hong Kong, Singapore and Manila.

In February 1957 Quadrant again visited New Zealand. The remainder of her seagoing service, which ended in May 1957, was spent in home waters. Quadrant paid off into Operational Reserve at Sydney on 16 August 1957. During her second RAN commission she steamed 113,508.5 miles. The total mileage steamed during her RAN service was, therefore, 152,601.7 miles.

HMAS Quadrant flying her decommissioning pennant, 16 August 1957.

On 15 February 1963 Quadrant was sold for scrap to a Japanese firm, Kinoshita & Co Ltd.

Further reading

'Q Class Destroyers and Frigates of the Royal Australian Navy: Destroyers 1942-1956 Frigates 1953-1972' by Trevor Weaver The Naval Historical Society, Garden Island, 1994.