Template:RAN The History of the Royal Australian Navy can be traced back to 1788 and the colonisation of Australia by the British. During this period until 1859 vessels of the Royal Navy made frequent trips to the new colony. In 1859 the Australia Squadron was formed as a separate squadron and remained in Australia until 1913. During the period before Federation each of the 6 Australian colonies operated there own colonial naval force, these amalgamated in 1901 as the Commonwealth Naval Force. The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) was established in 1911 and in 1913 the fleet steamed through Sydney Heads for the first time.
The Royal Australian Navy has seen action in every ocean of the world during its short life. The navy first saw action in World War I and distinguished itself in three oceans. Between the wars the RAN's fortunes shifted with the financial situation of Australia, experiencing great growth during the 1920s but was forced to shrink in the 1930s. Entering World War II the navy was not in the situation in was in 1914. During the war the size of the RAN grew to over 300 vessels of all classes. After World War II the RAN saw action in Korea, Vietnam and other smaller conflicts. Today the RAN fields a small but modern force, widely regarded as one of the most powerful forces in the Asia Pacific Region.
From settlement in 1788 to 1859, Australia depended on units detached from the Royal Navy based in Sydney to provide blue water naval defence. In 1859, Australia was established as a separate British Naval Station and until 1913; a squadron of the Royal Navy was maintained in Australian waters. Prior to Federation, each self-governing colony in Australia operated its own colonial naval force. These usually consisted of naval gunboats for coastal defence of harbours and rivers. In 1861, the Victorian Colonial ship the HMVS Victoria went to help the New Zealand Colonial government against another Maori rebellion. After it finished its work there, one sailor was killed. New South Wales for years was widely regarded as having the most able colonial naval force, but in the years leading up to Federation the Victoria naval force was considered the most powerful of all the naval forces. Every colony except Western Australia maintained at least one naval vessel during the period.[1]
Formation
After federation of Australia in 1901, the Commonwealth Naval Forces was formed. The Commonwealth government, however, paid for the Royal Navy to continue providing blue water defence.
A growing number of people, among them Captain William Rooke Creswell, the director of the Commonwealth Naval Forces, demanded an autonomous Australian navy, financed and controlled by Australia. In 1909 Prime Minister Alfred Deakin and Creswell, while attending the Imperial Conference in London, sought the British Government's agreement to end the subsidy system and develop an Australian navy. The Admiralty rejected and resented the challenge, but suggested diplomatically that a small fleet of destroyers and submarines would be sufficient. Deakin was not impressed with the Admiralty and in 1908 invited the Great White Fleet to visit Australia, this fired the public enthusiasm for a modern navy. This lead to the order of two 700 ton River class destroyers a purchase that angered the British. The surge in German naval construction in 1909 lead the Admiralty to change their position on an Australian Navy. For his work Creswell's name lives on as the name of base, HMAS Creswell, the site of the Royal Australian Naval College at Jervis Bay.[2]
The first Australian warship, the destroyer HMAS Parramatta, was launched at Govan in Scotland on Wednesday 9 February 1910 and its sister ship HMAS Yarra, was launched at Dumbarton in Scotland on Saturday 9 April 1910. Both ships were commissioned into the Royal Navy on Monday 19 September 1910 and sailed for Australia. They arrived at Port Phillip on Saturday December 10 1910 an event that was marred by the death of Engineer Lieutenant W. Robertson, RN. Robertson suffered a heart attack 8 miles outside Port Phillip Heads whilst onboard HMAS Yarra and drowned.
In October 1911 King George V fixed his signature to the approval for the Royal Australian Navy and the ships now officially received the prefix "His Majesty's Australian Ship" (HMAS). The manpower of the fleet stood at four hundred officers and men and, for the next two years, ships were built for the fledgling navy. On Saturday 4 October 1913 the first Fleet Review of the Royal Australian Navy took place, the battle cruiser HMAS Australia, the cruisers HMAS Melbourne and HMAS Sydney, the protected cruiser HMAS Encounter and the torpedo boat destroyers HMAS Parramatta, HMAS Yarra and HMAS Warrego, entered Sydney Harbour.
World War I
In 1914, the United Kingdom declared war on Germany, bringing the whole British Empire into war, including Australia. The war was greeted with enthusiasm in Australia, and over 200,000 troops were deployed to the Middle East for campaigns in Gallipoli, Turkey.
At the outbreak of war the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) consisted of the; Battlecruiser HMAS Australia, 3 light cruisers the HMAS Sydney, HMAS Melbourne and HMAS Brisbane (Under Construction), 3 Destroyers HMAS Parramatta, HMAS Yarra and HMAS Warrego and the Submarines AE1 and AE2. With 3 more destroyers under construction. The RAN also maintained a small fleet of auxilary ships. The Royal Australian Navy at the start of the war was a formidable force.[3]
During the Imperial Conference of 1911 it was decided that in the event of war the ships of the Royal Australia Navy would be transferred to Admiralty control and under the Naval Defence Act of 1912 this power to make the transfer was conferred in the Governor General. The RAN would become the Australia Squadron of the Royal Navy with all ships and men under the direct control of the Admiralty, while the RAN remained responsible for the upkeep of the ships and training of men. On 3 August 1914 the Australian Government sent the following message to the Admiralty.[4]
In the event of war Government prepared place vessels of Australian Navy under control British Admiralty when desired.
On the 8th August the British Government telegrammed the Australian Government saying that the Admiralty would be grateful if the transfer be made immediately if not all ready done. On the 10th the Governor General officially transferred control of the RAN to the Admiralty. The Admiralty returned control of the RAN to the Australian Government on 31 August 1921[5]
Australian Navy ships first saw action Asian and Pacific theatre assisting in the attack on German New Guinea by the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (AN&MEF). In 1884 Germany colonised the northeastern part of New Guinea and several nearby island groups. The Germans used the colony as a wireless radio base, Britain required the wireless installations to be destroyed because they were used by the German East Asia Squadron which threatened merchant shipping in the region. The objectives of the force were the German stations at Yap in the Caroline Islands, Nauru and at Rabaul, New Britain. On 30 August 1914 the AN&MEF left Sydney under the protection of the HMAS Australia and HMAS Melbourne for Port Moresby where it met the Queensland contingent aboard the transport HMAHS Kanowna. The force then sailed for German New Guinea on September 7 but the Kanowna was left behind when her stokers refused to work. HMAS Sydney and some destroyers met the AN&MEF off the eastern tip of New Guinea. HMAS Melbourne was detached to destroy the wireless station on Nauru, while on September 14, HMAS Encounter bombarded a ridge near the town, while half a battalion advanced towards the town. The major loss of the campaign was the the disappearance of the Australian submarine AE1 during a patrol off Rabaul on 14 September.[6][7]
On 9 November 1914 the SMS Emden a German light cruiser attacked the critical radio and telegraph station at Direction Island in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. The inhabitants of the island managed to get a distress call out and the HMAS Sydney only 50 miles away began to steam towards the island. The Sydney reached the area in around two hours and was engaged by Emden. Sydney was larger, faster and better armed and eventually overpowered the Emden, Emden's captain Karl von Müller ran the Emden aground on North Keeling Island to avoid sinking, at 11.15am. Emden refused to strike its colours, Sydney fired on the stationary Emden until it struck its colours. The Battle of Cocos was the first ship-against-ship engagement for the Royal Australian Navy.[8]
During the Naval operations in the Dardanelles Campaign the Australian submarine AE2 became the first Allied warship to breach the Turkish defences of the Dardanelles. After five days of being attacked and unable to find any large troop transports to attack, she was damaged 29 April 1915 in an attack by the Turkish torpedo boat Sultan Hisar in Artaki Bay and was scuttled by its crew.[9]
Ships of the Royal Australian Navy also assisted the Royal Navy in the blockade of the German High Seas Fleet. The Australia which was the flagship of the 2nd Battle Cruiser Squadron was to take part in the Battle of Jutland due to a collision with HMS New Zealand on 22 April 1916 and did not return to service until 9 June. Three vessels of the Royal Australian Navy were present during the surrender of the German High Seas Fleet; the HMAS Australia,Sydney and Melbourne. The RAN's only two losses during the war were the submarines AE1 and AE2.[10][11]
Between the wars
Following the end of World War I the Australian Government believed that an immediate evaluation of the RAN was necessary. Australia had based its naval policy on the Henderson Recommendations of 1911 developed by Sir Reginald Henderson. The government sent an invitation to Admiral John Jellicoe, he arrived in Australia in May 1919. Jellicoe remained in Australia for 3 months and then returned to England via New Zealand and Canada. Jellicoe submitted his findings in August 1919, titled the Report on the Naval Mission to the Commonwealth. The report outlined several policies designed to strengthen British naval strength in the Pacific. The report heavily stressed a close relationship between the RAN and the Royal Navy. This would be achieved by strict adherence to the procedure and method of Administration of the Royal Navy. The report also suggested constant officer exchange between the two forces. Jellicoe also called for the creation of a large Far East Imperial Fleet which would include capital ships and aircraft carriers, this force would be mainly based in Singapore. The cost for the creation of such a fleet would be divided between Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand each contributing 75, 20 and 5% respectively. The suggested make up of the RAN would include; 1 aircraft carrier, 2 battlecruisers, 8 light cruisers, 1 flotilla leader, 12 destroyers, a destroyer depot ship, 8 submarines, 1 submarine parent ship and a small number of additional auxiliary ships. The annual cost and depreciation of the fleet was estimated to be £4,024,600. None of Jellicoe's major recommendations were carried out except for the establishment of closer ties with Britain. Although some of the minor recommendations were implemented.[12]
With the end of World War I the Australian Government began to worry about the threat Japan posed to Australia. Japan had extended its empire 3000km to the south bringing it right to Australia's doorstep. Japan had continued to build up its naval force and had reached a stage where it outgunned to Royal Navy in the Pacific. The RAN and the government believed that the possibility of a Japanese invasion was highly likely. Admiral Jellicoe in his report believed that the threat of a Japanese invasion of Australia would remain as long as the White Australia Policy remained in place. Due to the perceived threat and bilateral support in Australia for the White Australia Policy the Australian Government became a vocal supporter of the continuance of the 1902 Anglo-Japanese Alliance. Australia was joined in its support for the alliance by New Zealand but was heavily opposed by Canada, Canada believed the alliance hindered the Empires relationship with China and the United States. No decision on the alliance as agreed on. The discussion was shelved pending the outcome of the Washington Naval Treaty. The results of the treaty which allowed the British to retain naval supremacy in the Pacific created a sense of security in Australia. Many Australian saw the Four Powers Pact as replacing the Anglo-Japanese Alliance. This sense of security became known as the Ten Year Rule. This lead to defence retrenchments in Australia following the international trend and a £500,000 reduction in expenditure. The Governor General Henry Forster when opening parliament on 22 June 1922 was quoted as saying.[13]
In view of the result of attained at the Washington Treaty which, my advisors believe, guarantee peace in the Pacific for some time to come, it is proposed to reduce the establishment of the navy and army, and postpone the expansion of the air force.
Between World War I and World War II the Royal Australian Navy suffered a severe reduction in men and ships. As a result of the Washington Naval Treaty the flagship HMAS Australia was scraped with her main armaments and sunk outside Sydney Heads in 1924. In the same year the RAN began a five year program of obtaining new ships from Britain - the heavy cruisers HMAS Australia and HMAS Canberra and the seaplane carrier HMAS Albatross. This purchase was partly paid for by scrapping the HMAS Brisbane, HMAS Melbourne and HMAS Sydney along with most of the destroyers. The Great Depression of 1929 hit the RAN hard and lead to another reduction of manpower, the RAN although reduced in size had no problem filling its ranks, many men were unemployed and the pay was quite high for the period. Strength of the RAN fell to 3117 personnel plus 131 members of the Naval Auxiliary Services. In 1932 the strength of the Reserves stood at 5446. In the early 1930s, lack of funds forced the transfer of the Royal Australian Naval College from Jervis Bay to Flinders Naval Depot in Victoria. In 1933 the Australian Government ordered 3 light cruisers the HMAS Perth, HMAS Hobart and HMAS Sydney and sold the seaplane carrier to fund the Hobart. During this time the RAN also purchased destroyers of the V and W class the ships that would come to be know as the Scrap Iron Flotilla. With the ever increasing threat of Germany and Japan in the late 1930s the RAN was not in the position it was at the outbreak of World War I.[14]
World War II
Australia declared war on Nazi Germany one hour after the United Kingdom's declaration of war on 3 September 1939. At the onset of war, the Royal Australian Navy numbered two heavy cruisers, four light cruisers, five destroyers, three sloops and a variety of support and ancillary craft. Men and vessels of the RAN served in every theatre of operations, from the tropical Pacific to the frigid Russian convoys. By the end of the war the RAN's combat strength numbered 150 ships with an additional 200 auxilary craft. The RAN reached its peak in June 1945 when it ranks swelled to 39,650. During the war the RAN lost 19 ships and 2,176 men and women died while serving in the RAN, 1,740 of them on ships of the RAN. [15]
War in the Mediterranean
From mid-1940, the RAN took part in the Battle of the Mediterranean against Fascist Italy, with the Leander class light cruiser HMAS Sydney sinking the Italian cruiser, Bartolomeo Colleoni and helping to sink Espero. September the County class heavy cruiser HMAS Australia sank a Vichy French destroyer while taking part in Operation Menace, off West Africa.[16]
The Battle of Calabria occurred 30 miles to the east of Punta Stilo, on 9 July 1940. Four vessels of the RAN took part in the battle the; HMAS Sydney, Stuart, Vampire and the Yoyager. The battle ended in a stalemate with both fleets returning to base. On 19 July 1940 HMAS Sydney and 5 Royal Navy destroyers engaged 2 Italian light cruisers in the Battle of Cape Spada. Italian cruiser Bartolomeo Colleoni was hit by fire from the Sydney and eventually received a shell hit in the engine room which immobilised her and left her an easy target for the destroyers' torpedoes. Sydney was credited with sinking the Bartolomeo Colleoni and two destroyers.[17] [18]
The Battle of Dakar on 23 September 1940 and saw the HMAS Australia sink a Vichy French destroyer. The Battle of Cape Matapan was fought off the Peloponnesian coast of Greece from March 27 to 29 March 1941. Three vessels of the RAN took part in the battle; the HMAS Perth, HMAS Stuart and the HMAS Vampire. The victory at Cape Matapan allowed the evacuation of thousands of Allied troops from Crete. On 17 December 1941 the HMAS Nizam took part in the First Battle of Sirte.[19]
The Scrap Iron Flotilla was an Australian destroyer group that operated in the Mediterranean and Pacific during World War II. The name Scrap Iron Flotilla was bestowed upon the group by Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels. The flotilla consisted of 5 Royal Australian Navy Destroyers; HMAS Stuart, Voyager, Vampire, Vendetta and Waterhen, the five ships of the flotilla were slow, old and built to fight in the First World War. Of the five destroyers only one was sunk, HMAS Waterhen. The flotilla came to fame in the mission to resupply the besieged city of Tobruk.[20]
War in the Pacific
After the Japanese attacks on the Allies in December 1941, the RAN redeployed its larger ships to home waters to protect the Australian mainland from Japanese attack, while several small ships remained in the Mediterranean. From 1940 onwards there was considerable Axis naval activity in Australian waters first from German commerce raiders and submarines and later by the Imperial Japanese navy.
On November 19, 1941, the Australian light cruiser HMAS Sydney and the German auxiliary cruiser HSK Kormoran engaged each other in the Indian Ocean, off Western Australia. The two ships sank each other and the Sydney was lost with all 645 hands. The majority of the Kormoran's crew were rescued and became prisoners of war. Neither wreck has been found and the battle and sinking remain the subject of much controversy. [21]
In March 1942 a joint ABDA naval force meet a Japanese invasion force in the Java Sea, the engagement became known as the Battle of Java Sea. The Leander class cruiser, HMAS Perth and the American heavy cruiser USS Houston survived the opening battle. Perth and the Houston both attempted to move through the Sunda Strait to Tjilatjap. The Perth was torpedoed by Japanese destroyers during the Battle of Sunda Strait on 1 March 1942, and sank with the loss of 350 of her crew and three civilians. While 324 of the Perth's crew survived the sinking and were taken prisoner by the Japanese, 106 died in captivity before the end of the war. The loss of Perth was the second major loss suffered by the RAN at the hands of the Japanese, its loss had a major psychological effect on the Australian people.[22]
On 2 May 1942 two ships of the RAN joined a large American force in the Battle of the Coral Sea; the HMAS Australia and the HMAS Hobart, both ships survived the battle. The Battle of the Coral Sea averted a Japanese attack on Port Moresby and possibly the Australian mainland. [23] In late May and early June, 1942, a group of five Imperial Japanese Navy submarines made a series of attacks on Sydney and the nearby port of Newcastle. These attacks are one of the best known examples of Axis naval activity in Australian waters during World War II. On the night of May 31-June 1, the submarines launched three Ko-hyoteki class midget submarines against Allied shipping in Sydney Harbour. A torpedo exploded under the depot ship HMAS Kuttabul, killing 21. On June 8, two of the submarines shelled Sydney and Newcastle, with little effect.[24]
On 1 December 1942 HMAS Armidale while attempting to land commandos off Betano was attacked by thirteen enemy Japanese aircraft and sank with the loss of 40 of her crew and 60 men of the Netherlands East Indies Army who were embarked. During the engagement Ordinary Seaman Teddy Sheean manned an Oerlikon Anti-aircraft gun and was wounded by strafing Japanese planes, he went down with the ship, still strapped into the gun and still shooting at the attacking aircraft.[25]
The RAN's biggest single ship loss of the war was that of the sister ship to Australia, HMAS Canberra at the Battle of Savo Island, in August 1942. In the early hours of the morning of 9 August 1942 the RAN heavy cruiser HMAS Canberra was severely damaged off Guadalcanal in a surprise attack by a powerful Japanese naval force. Canberra was hit 24 times in less than two minutes and 84 of her crew were killed including Captain Frank Getting. Following an order to abandon ship the Canberra was sunk the next day by a torpedo from a US destroyer. Following the loss of the Canberra, the British Government approved the transfer of HMS Shropshire to Australia as a replacement and the ship commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy as HMAS Shropshire on 20 April 1943. American President Franklin Delano Roosevelt wished to commemorate the loss of HMAS Canberra and made a special request that an under construction American heavy cruiser be renamed as a tribute. A Baltimore class cruiser previously designated as Pittsburgh was renamed, and the USS Canberra was launched on 19 April 1943. [26]
In October 1944 three RAN warships the; HMAS Australia, HMAS Shropshire and the Ariadne took part in the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Leyte Gulf also saw the first use of kamikaze aircraft by the Japanese. The Australian heavy cruiser HMAS Australia was hit on October 21 becoming the first Allied ship hit by a kamikaze aircraft.[27]
Ten vessels of the Royal Australian Navy were present at the Instrument of Surrender of Japan in Tokyo Bay on 2 September 1945; these were the HMAS Ballarat, HMAS Cessnock, HMAS Gascoyne, HMAS Hobart, HMAS Ipswich, HMAS Napier, HMAS Nizam, HMAS Pirie, HMAS Shropshire and the HMAS Warramunga. [28]
Cold War
Following World War II, the RAN reduced its surface fleet but continued to expand in other ways, acquiring two Royal Navy Majestic class aircraft carriers then under construction (HMS Majestic and HMS Terrible) to build up a Fleet Air Arm. In the 1960s the RAN began to move away from commissioning British designs; the last major British design used was the Type 12 frigate, which formed the basis of the "River" class frigates. When it was decided that the RAN should commission a destroyer armed with guided missiles, the obvious British design was the "County" class; however, the RAN had reservations regarding the gas turbine propulsion, the Seaslug missile system, and being able to adapt the design to Australian needs. So, the Australian government chose the steam turbine powered Charles F. Adams class destroyer, armed with the Tartar missile as the basis for its Perth class, the first major US warship design chosen for the RAN.[29]
By the mid-late 1960s, the RAN was at the zenith of its operational capabilities; it was capable of dispatching a full carrier battle group in support of major operations by having in service an aircraft carrier, three large area defence destroyers of the Perth class, six modern "River" class frigates and four Oberon class submarines.
Roles in post-war conflicts
With the retreat of British forces west of the Suez Canal in the 1960s, the RAN began to take a more defensive role, and in co-operation with the United States, allied though the ANZUS treaty. The RAN saw service in many of the world's post war conflicts including Korea, Vietnam, and the Indonesian Confrontation.
Korea
On 27 June1950 the United Nations Security Council called on member nations to aid South Korea. On 29 June Prime Minister Robert Menzies announced that the frigate HMAS Shoalhaven, stationed in Japan, and the destroyer HMAS Bataan, in Hong Kong would be placed under UN command in Korea. On 1 July only one day after President Truman committed American ground forces to Korea the first Australian operation in Korea took place, the HMAS Shoalhaven moved from Japan to Pusan escorting an American ammunition ship. On 27 July 1950 the destroyer HMAS Warramunga was also deployed.
During the Landing at Wonsan in October 1950 the HMAS Warramunga provided gunfire support during the landing of U.S. X Corps. During the mass evacuation of troops and refugees in the city of Hungnam in December 1950 the HMAS Bataan and Warramunga assisted in the evacuation. In October 1951 the HMAS Sydney arrived in Korean Waters to replace the HMS Glory for a three month tour. Sydney carried two squadron of Sea Furies - 805 Squadron RAN and 808 Squadron RAN, and 817 Squadron RAN equipped with Fireflies. The Sydney returned to Japan having lost only 9 aircraft with 3 pilots killed and having launched over 2700 missions from her flight deck. Later in the war 9 ship of the RAN participated in the naval blockade of North Korea.[30]
Malaya
The Malayan Emergency was declared on 18 June 1948 brought about by a rise in Communist guerrillas in Malaysia. Australia as a member of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization first deployed troops in 1950. The first ships of the RAN to arrive in the area were the Tribal class destroyers HMAS Warramunga and Arunta in June 1955. Other ships that served in Malayan waters during the Emergency included the ships HMAS Anzac, Melbourne, Quadrant, Queenborough, Quiberon, Quickmatch, HMAS Sydney, Tobruk, Vampire, Vendetta and Voyager.[31] During the period ships of the RAN also served with the Far East Strategic Reserve, between 1955 and 1960 a total of 13 RAN ships served with the Strategic Reserve. Serving as part of a larger naval organisation provided valuable experience for the ships of the RAN. Seven members of the RAN died while serving during the Emergency and with the Strategic Reserve.
The decision to deploy the RAN to the area was due to the strong anti-communist feeling in Australia and the western world in the 1950s and 60s. The primary role of the RAN was to provide a deterrent to further Communist aggression in South East Asia. The secondary role was to assist in the maintenance of the security of the Federation of Malaya by participating in operations against the Communist Terrorists.
Indonesia
In response to the Indonesian invasion of Borneo and Malaya in 1963 Australia increased its presence in the region. At the outbreak of hostilities the RAN had two frigates, HMAS Yarra and HMAS Parramatta on duty in the area. As tension mounted, Australia increased its presence by sending HMAS Sydney, Vampire, Vendetta, Duchess and the Derwent to the area. On May 19 1964 the 16th Minesweeping Squadron comprising six Ton class minesweeper was also deployed.[32]
On 13 December 1964 HMAS Teal whilst operating as part of the Singapore Strait patrol, was fired upon with automatic weapons by an unlit vessel. The vessel was overpowered and arrested by Teal following a further small arms engagement that resulted in the deaths of three Indonesian crew members. On 23 February 1965 Teal was again involved in another engagement, she detected an unlit vessel off Cape Rachado. The suspicious vessel was closed on and illuminated, and revealed nine armed men in uniform who surrendered immediately upon challenge. HMAS Hawk became the second vessel of the 16th Minesweeping Squadron to see action when on 13 March 1966 while patrolling off Raffles Light came under fire from an Indonesian shore battery. Eleven high explosive rounds were fired at the ship some landing within 200 yards of the vessel, Hawk withdrew from the area at speed. The following morning Hawk intercepted a sampan with five Indonesians on board who were promptly arrested.
When Indonesian forces crossed the border into Sebatik Island, Sabah on 28 June 1965, HMAS Yarra was called on to carry out bombardments disrupting the withdrawal of the Indonesians. Yarra carried out two more bombardments of the border area on 5 and 10 July. During three runs Yarra fired a total of 70 rounds on the enemy. On 13 August 1966 an agreement concluded between Indonesia and Malaysia brought an end to the conflict.
HMAS Voyager
Tragedy struck the RAN on 10 February 1964 when the destroyer HMAS Voyager cut across the bow of the aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne during a night exercise off Jervis Bay. Voyager was cut in two by the impact and sank with the loss of 81 of her crew and one civilian dockyard employee. The Captain R. J. Robertson of the Melbourne was cleared of any responsibility during a courts martial but was transferred to a shore posting. Later inquiries found that the skipper of the Voyager was drunk while on duty, but this is a controversial finding and is disputed by many. After the loss of Voyager HMAS Duchess was loaned to the RAN from the Royal Navy. The collision between the Melbourne and the Voyager remains the greatest loss of life suffered by the RAN during peace time.[33][34]
Vietnam War
Ships of the Royal Australian Navy were stationed on continuous operational service in Vietnam between 1965 and 1972, in total 18 ships served in Vietnam waters during the war. During this period the Navy performed a wide variety of operational tasks at sea, ashore and in the air. The RAN's primary contribution consisted of destroyers, Fleet Air Arm personnel attached to a United States Army helicopter company and No. 9 Squadron RAAF, a Clearance Diving Team, and a logistic support force consisting of transport and escort ships. Other RAN personnel served ashore in medical teams or performed staff duties at the Australian Embassy in Saigon or the 1st Australian Task Force Headquarters in Nui Dat.
The RAN did not deploy operationally until 1965, but in 1962 HMAS Vampire and HMAS Quickmatck made goodwill visits to Saigon. They were followed a year later by similar visits by HMAS Quiberon and HMAS Queensborough. In 1967 HMAS Hobart became the first RAN destroyer to be operationally deployed to Vietnam. Hobart served three tours in Vietnam from March to September in 1967, 1968 and 1970. During her operation she fired 10,000 rounds at 1000 shore targets and came under fire around 10 times. Hobart was awarded a US Navy Unit Commendation in recognition of her service in Vietnam while her sister ship Perth received both the US Navy Unit Commendation and the US Meritorious Unit Commendation. In their five years service in Vietnam, the four gunline destroyers; HMAS Perth, Brisbane, Hobart and Vendetta steamed over 397,000 miles and fired 102,546 rounds.[35]
The aircraft carrier HMAS Sydney was converted for troopship duties in the early 1960s and began her first voyage to Vietnam in May 1965, transporting the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, from Sydney to Vung Tau in southern Vietnam. Sydney became known as the Vung tau Ferry and made 25 voyages to Vietnam carrying 16,094 troops, 5,753 deadweight tons of cargo and 2,375 vehicles.[36]
In 1969 HMAS Melbourne while performing exercises with the United States Navy in the South China Sea again rammed and sunk another destroyer. The USS Frank E. Evans was cut in half by the Melbourne. Her bow sank instantly, taking 74 of her crew down with it. Evans was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 July 1969. Again the Melbourne's captain was cleared of any responsibility for the disaster, but he met the same fate as the Melbourne's previous captain and was transferred to a shore posting. HMAS Melbourne is credited as being the only warship to ram and sink two friendly destroyers in peace time.[37]
In April 1971 Prime Minister John Gorton announced that Australian forces in Vietnam would be reduced. This led to the withdrawal of the clearance divers in May and the Fleet Air Arm in June. The final RAN destroyer on the gunline, Brisbane, returned to Sydney on 15 October 1971. The Whitlam government withdrew all Australian forces from and stopped military aid to South Vietnam. HMAS Jeparit returned to Sydney on 11 March 1972 and was followed the next day by HMAS Sydney.[38]
During the 10 years that the RAN was involved in the war, eight officers and sailors were killed and another 46 were either wounded or suffered other injuries. The dedication and professionalism shown by members of the RAN earned the Service the respect of Australia's Allies and continued the traditions established by Australian sailors in other wars.[39]
The main role of the Royal Australian Navy in the two decades following the end of Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War was supporting Australian diplomatic initiatives. In line with this goal the RAN exercised with the navies of Australia's allies and provided support to civil authorities in Australia and the South Pacific.[40] The RAN's main military concern from the 1970s was the activities of the Soviet Navy in the Indian Ocean. These concerns lead to increased cooperation with the United States Navy and the development of the RAN's main base in Western Australia, HMAS Stirling.[41]
During the late 1970s the RAN replaced many of its aging ships with modern equivalents. While it was planned to purchase the British aircraft HMS Invincible to replace the HMAS Melbourne Britain's offer of the carrier was withdrawn after the Falklands War and the Melbourne was decommissioned without replacement in 1982 and the Fleet Air Arm retired almost all of its fixed wing aircraft on 30 June 1983.[42]
In 1987 the Hawke Government's Defence White Paper called for the RAN to become a more self reliant two-ocean navy with major fleet bases in New South Wales and Western Australia. The plan called for the expansion of HMAS Stirling on Garden Island and Jervis Bay to accommodate an expanded RAN combat surface and submarine fleets. The plan originally called for the major combat units and submarines to be split between the two fleet bases, providing similar capabilities on both sided of the continent. The proposed Jervis Bay naval base never became a reality; Fleet Base East was built up around HMAS Kuttabul in Sydney while HMAS Stirling is home to half the surface fleet and the entire submarine fleet. The rationale behind the policy included. The possibility of savings in fuel and maintenance that would result from Indian Ocean deployments beginning their journey from Western Australia rather than New South Wales. The report also classed the Indian Ocean as an area where contingencies might arise. The new facilities would increase Australia's worth to the United States, particularly to do with maintenance of submarines. Expansion at Jervis Bay would allow intensified east coast visits by the US Pacific Fleet, and its nuclear warship visits would not run into as much opposition as they do in Sydney and Melbourne.[43]
The 1987 White Paper was seen by many as an attempt to strengthen Australia's relationship with the United States which was damaged by New Zealands stance against nuclear weapons in its ports. In line with this policy the RAN was structured to become more self-reliant and its activities during the late 1980s were focused on operating within Australia's local region.[44]
The Two Ocean Policy remains in place today and is supported by the current government and the opposition. The success of the policy is especially evident at HMAS Stirling. The base is thriving and its location both in a global and local context gives it an advantage over Fleet Base East. It has been suggested that all 8 units of the Anzac class be relocated to Stirling, this would create an easier training environment for sailors and would lead to significant cost savings.[45]
Post Cold War
The Gulf Wars
Australia's contribution to the 1991 Gulf War centered around a Naval Task Group which formed part of the multi-national fleet in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. In addition, medical teams were deployed aboard a US hospital ship and a naval clearance diving team took part in de-mining Kuwait’s port facilities at the end of the war. Over the period from September 6 1990 to September 4 1991 the RAN deployed a total of 6 ships to the area they were the; HMAS Adelaide, HMAS Brisbane, HMAS Darwin, HMAS Success, HMAS Sydney, HMAS Westralia. Clearance Diving Team 3 operated in the theatre from 27 January 1991 to 10 May 1991. It was involved in mine clearing operations in Kuwait from 5 March to 19 April 1991.[46][47]
After the end of the first Gulf War the Royal Australian Navy periodically deployed a ship in the Gulf to assist in maintaining sanctions against Iraq. This deployment is still ongoing today.
Prior to the outbreak of Second Gulf War the Australian naval force in the Persian Gulf continued to enforce the sanctions against Iraq. These operations were conducted by boarding parties from the RAN warships and the AP-3 Orion patrol aircraft.[48]
Upon the outbreak of war the RAN's focus shifted to supporting the coalition land forces and clearing the approaches to Iraqi ports. HMAS Anzac provided gunfire support to Royal Marines during fighting on the Al-Faw Peninsula and the Clearance Diving Team took part in clearing the approaches to Umm Qasr. Boarding operations continued during the war, and on 20 March boarding parties from the HMAS Kanimbla seized an Iraqi ship carrying 86 naval mines.[49]
East Timor
During the Australian lead United Nations peacekeeping mission to East Timor in 1999 known as INTERFET, The RAN deployed a total of 14 ships to the mission. The HMAS Adelaide, Anzac, Balikpapan, Brunei, Darwin, Farncomb, Jervis Bay, Labuan, Success, Sydney, Tarakan, Tobruk , Waller and Westralia.[50] The RAN played a vital role in transporting troops and providing protection to transports and were vital to the success of INTERFET.
The RAN returned to East Timor in 2006 under Operation Astute the United Nations-authorised, Australian-led military deployment to East Timor to quell unrest and return stability during the 2006 East Timor crisis. The Royal Australian Navy deployed the Amphibious Ready Group including the ships; HMAS Kanimbla, HMAS Manoora, HMAS Tobruk (until approximately 8 June), HMAS Balikpapan, HMAS Tarakan, HMAS Success (until 28 May). The navy also deployed the Adelaide class frigate HMAS Adelaide (until 28 May). The Fleet Air Arm contributed One S-70B-2 Seahawk helicopter from 816 Squadron RAN (until 28 May) and Two Sea King helicopters from 817 Squadron RAN. The Royal Australian Navy force committed to Operation Astute is apparently the largest amphibious task force in the Navy's history. [51]
The Royal Australian Navy today is a medium sized modern navy in world terms but is one of the strongest navies in the Asia Pacific Region. Today the combat fleet of the RAN is made up of 8 Anzac class frigates, 5 Adelaide class frigates, 13 patrol boats of the Armidale and Fremantle classes and 6 Collins class submarines. The RAN also comprises a large amphibious and supply force in order to transport the Australian Army and to resupply the combat arm of the navy.[52]
The modern RAN began to form during the late 1970s when the Fraser Government announced the purchase of 4 Oliver Hazard Perry class frigates all to be built in America, in 1980 they announced an additional 2 vessels both to be built in Australia. The 15 vessels of the Fremantle class have been Australia's lead patrol boat since 1979 replacing the Attack Class, all Attack class vessels were decommissioned by 1985. The Fremantle class is itself being replaced with the Armidale class, today only 8 of the 15 Fremantle class ships remain in service.
The Collins class submarines are the newest class of Australian submarines, built in Australia for the Royal Australian Navy. They were built by the Australian Submarine Corporation in Adelaide, South Australia. They replace much older Oberon class submarines in the Australian fleet. The first vessel HMAS Collins was laid down in 1990 and commissioned in 1996, today all six vessels of the class are operational and based HMAS Stirling in Western Australia.
The Anzac class frigate is today the main fleet unit of the Royal Australian Navy, with the last of the 8 ships, HMAS Perth commissioned on the 26th August 2006 and two ships also constructed for the Royal New Zealand Navy. These ships were built in both New Zealand and Australia with there final fitout in Williamstown, Victoria.
The amphibious and supply arm of the RAN is made up of; 2 Kanimbla class landing platform, one heavy landing ship HMAS Tobruk, 6 Balikpapan class landing craft, 2 Leeuwin class survey ships, 4 Paluma class survey vessels, one fleet oiler the HMAS Westralia and the Dual Stores Replenishment Vessel HMAS Success. The RAN also has 6 Huon class minehunters.
The Royal Australian Navy maintains several bases around Australia. Under the RAN's Two Ocean Policy two of these HMAS Stirling (Fleet Base West) and HMAS Kuttabul (Fleet Base East) are the base for all major fleet unit of the RAN. The majority of the patrol boat and amphibious fleets are located at HMAS Cairns and HMAS Coonawarra while all Fleet Air Arm squadrons are located at HMAS Albatross in New South Wales.
The future of the RAN
In 2000 a major white paper was produced by the Australian government which set out a program of defence spending that will see significant improvements to the RAN's fleet and capabilities.
The most significant current project is the Air Warfare Destroyer. This will eventually see three new air defence destroyers enter service. These ships will be fitted with the AEGIS combat system, and will be based on the US Navy's Arleigh Burke class. The class has a planned in service date of 2013. The RAN is currently in the process of replacing its patrol boat fleet. The 15 Fremantle class patrol boats will be replaced with 14 Armidale class patrol boats. Two Multi-Purpose vessel vessels will be purchased; these will displace over 20,000 tonnes and have the capability to carry over 1,000 troops and will potentially be able to operate fixed wing aircraft.[53]
See also
- Royal Australian Navy
- Aircraft Carriers of the Royal Australian Navy
- Military History of Australia
- History of the Royal Navy
Notes
- ^ Colonial Navies of Australia Accessed August 21, 2006
- ^ Macdougall Pg. 23
- ^ Official History of Australia in the War of 1914-1918 Volume IX
- ^ Official History of Australia in the War of 1914–1918 Volume XI Chapter 1
- ^ Official History of Australia in the War of 1914–1918 Volume XI Chapter 1 Appendix 27
- ^ Official History of Australia in the War of 1914-1918 Vol. X: The Australians at Rabaul, S.S. Mackenzie, 1927
- ^ Burnell
- ^ www.ezania.net Accessed August 20, 2006
- ^ The sub that shaped Gallipoli Accessed August 20, 2006
- ^ Sea Power Centre Australia HMAS Australia (I) Ship's History Accessed August 20, 2006
- ^ Official History of Australia in the War of 1914-1918 Vol. IX The Royal Australian Navy, 1914–1918
- ^ Official Histories – WWII Volume I – Royal Australian Navy, 1939–1942 (1st edition, 1957) Chapter 1 Accessed 2 September 2006
- ^ Official Histories – WWII Volume I – Royal Australian Navy, 1939–1942 (1st edition, 1957) Chapter 1 Accessed 3 September 2006
- ^ Macdougall Pg. 158
- ^ RAN in the Second World War Accessed August 21, 2006
- ^ "Royal Australian Navy 1939-1942" and "Australia at War 1939-1945"
- ^ HMAS Sydney Memorial Accessed August 21, 2006
- ^ AWM HMAS Sydney Accessed August 21, 2006
- ^ Dakar: Operation Menace Accessed August 21, 2006
- ^ The Gun Plot Accessed August 21, 2006
- ^ Who Sank the Sydney?, Michael Montgomery, ISBN 0436284472
- ^ van Oosten, F. C. (1976). The Battle of the Java Sea (Sea battles in close-up; 15). Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0870219111.
- ^ AWM Battle of the Coral Sea
- ^ AWM Japanese Midget Submarine Attack on Sydney Harbour 30-31st May 1942 Accessed August 21, 2006
- ^ Royal Australian Navy Website Page on HMAS Sheean Accessed August 21, 2006
- ^ AWM HMAS Canberra - Sinking of HMAS Canberra in Battle of Savo Island Accessed August 21, 2006
- ^ H. P. Willmott, The Battle Of Leyte Gulf: The Last Fleet Action
- ^ Allied Ships Present in Tokyo Bay During the Surrender Ceremony Accessed August 19, 2006
- ^ Macdougall Pg. 327
- ^ Macdougall Pg. 321 - 323
- ^ The RAN, the Strategic Reserve and the Malayan Emergency Accessed 28 August 2006
- ^ Indonesian Confrontation RAN Sea Power Centre Accessed 25 August 2006
- ^ Macdougall Pg. 332
- ^ Sea Power Centre Australia HMAS Voyager (II) ship history Accessed August 21, 2006
- ^ RAN Sea Power Centre Accessed August 20, 2006
- ^ Macdougall Pg. 332
- ^ www.history.navy.mil Accessed August 20, 2006
- ^ RAN Sea Power Centre Accessed August 20, 2006
- ^ Macdougall Pg. 338
- ^ Tom Frame (2004), No Pleasure Cruise. The Story of the Royal Australian Navy. Allen & Unwin, Sydney. Pg. 251.
- ^ Frame. Pg. 257.
- ^ Frame. Pg. 262.
- ^ Analysis of the 1987 Defence White Paper Accessed on 27 August 2006
- ^ Frame. Pgs 267-272.
- ^ Speech by Vice Admiral Chris Ritchie on Thursday 24 June 2004 - Accessed27 and 28 August 2006
- ^ Australian War Memorial. Gulf War 1990-1991
- ^ Commander J.P. Hodgman (editor) (1991). Australia’s Navy 1991–92. Australian Department of Defence. Canberra.
- ^ Greg Nash and David Stevens (2006) Australia's Navy in the Gulf. From Countenance to Catalyst, 1941-2006. Topmill, Sydney. Pages 61-63.
- ^ Nash and Stevens (2006). Pages 66-72.
- ^ INTERFET Military Personnel Chart accessed 27 August 2006
- ^ Navy News
- ^ Royal Australian Navy Official Website Accessed August 22, 2006
- ^ Defence Materiel Organisation website Accessed August 18, 2006
References
- Tom Frame (2004). No Pleasure Cruise. The Story of the Royal Australian Navy. Allen & Unwin, Sydney.
- Macdougall, A, 1991. Australians at War A Pictorial History, The Five Mile Press, ISBN 1865038652
- Greg Nash and David Stevens (2006) Australia's Navy in the Gulf. From Countenance to Catalyst, 1941-2006. Topmill, Sydney.
- Australian War Memorial: Official History of Australia in the War of 1914-1918 PDF versions of Volumes I to XI
- Australian War Memorial:Official History of Australia in the War of 1939–1945 PDF versions of Volumes I to IX
- F. Burnell, How Australia took German New Guinea : an illustrated record of the Australian Naval & Military Expeditionary Force
- Royal Australian Navy Sea Power Centre