Castlemaine began 1944 with escorts between Australian ports and New Guinea, interspersed with exercises and refuelling. Boiler cleaning repeatedly required time in port. Cyclonic winds and seas made work difficult, and some voyages relied entirely on dead reckoning because the weather prevented navigational sights. During one February convoy, two motor torpedo boats under tow were released to proceed under their own power, avoiding an additional dangerous night at sea. Exercises with other corvettes continued between convoy duties.
Notable Point · 1:03:27-1:05:33
Castlemaine's early 1944 escorts combined bad weather and boiler work
Bad weather, refuelling, exercises, and repeated boiler cleaning shaped Castlemaine's escort routine between Australia and New Guinea.