HMAS Murray (Frg-1938+)

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The original ship of this class HMAS Darling, was designed in 1935 with the first ship laid down in 1936 with 3 others, with groups of 4 per year being laid down subsequently. The design was to replace all of the old R&S destroyer escorts that were worn out and the even older WW1 Flower class escorts. The design also had to be simple so that it could be built quickly and cheaply during the war that was already darkening the horizon. The parts could be manufactured at non naval yards with assembly only being completed in a naval yard. At wars start a second design utilising the same hull layout as the Darling was done as an AA escort and the Cape York Type was born.

The Darling type became the standard Escort type, outnumbering the more expensive Cape York type by over 4 to 1. 15 Cape York were laid down between 1941 and 1942, while 60 (+those already laid down or completed pre-war) Darling type were laid down 1940 to 1944. With the UK and Canadian built units, over 250 of this type of Frigate (River/Loch/Bay/Cape) were built.

They proved excellent and ended up being used from the Arctic to the Pacific and everywhere inbetween. In 1943 the German type XXI U-Boats became a problem as they were capable of over 20 knots submerged - almost as fast or faster than the escorts.

Cape Class Frigates. (15)

HMAS Cape York, HMAS Cape Crawford, HMAS Cape Ronsard, HMAS Cape St Crica, HMAS Cape Cuvier, HMAS CapeFarquhar, HMAS Cape Cossigny, 
HMAS Cape Joubert, HMAS Cape Keraudren, HMAS Cape Leveque, HMAS Cape Londonderry, HMAS Cape Whiskey, HMAS Cape Hay,
HMAS Cape Scott, HMAS Cape Arnhem

River Class Frigates (76)

HMAS Murray River, HMAS Murrumbidgee River, HMAS Darling River, HMAS Lachlan River, HMAS Cooper Creek, HMAS Flinders River, 

HMAS Carbunup River, HMAS Chapman River, HMAS Charnley River, HMAS Collie River, HMAS Dale River, HMAS Dandalup River HMAS De Grey River, 

HMAS Diamantina River, HMAS Barcoo River, HMAS River Angas, HMAS Bremer River, HMAS Bungala River, HMAS Field River, HMAS Finniss River,

HMAS Glenelg River, HMAS Greenough River, HMAS Harvey River, HMAS Helena River, HMAS Angove River, HMAS Armanda River,

HMAS Gawler River, HMAS Georgina River, HMAS Gilbert River, HMAS Hill River, HMAS Hutt River, HMAS Clutha River, HMAS Marne River,

HMAS Deep River, HMAS Denmark River, HMAS Fitzgerald River, HMAS Fortescue River, HMAS Frankland River, HMAS Gairdner River, 

HMAS Para River, HMAS Waiwakaiho River, HMAS Onkaparinga River, HMAS River Torrens, HMAS Wakefield River, HMAS Warburton River, 

HMAS Kalgan River, HMAS King River, HMAS Lennard River, HMAS Lort River, HMAS Lyons River, HMAS Alligator River, HMAS Daly River,

HMAS Beaufort River, HMAS Blackwood River, HMAS Bow River, HMAS Bremer River, HMAS Brunswick River, HMAS Calder River, HMAS Canning River, 

HMAS Arrowsmith River, HMAS Arthur River, HMAS Hotham River HMAS Ashburton River, HMAS Avon River, HMAS Balgarup River, HMAS Bannister River 

HMAS Douglas River, HMAS Dry River, HMAS Finke River, HMAS Fish River, HMAS Johnson River, HMAS Katherine River, HMAS King River,

HMAS Palmer River, HMAS Roper River, HMAS Sandover River.

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