HMAS Hobart: Австралиялық эсминецтің теңізге батыруы

Royal Australian Navy scuttled shipwreck

HMAS Hobart (D 39) was a guided missile destroyer of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Built in the United States of America to a slight variant of the United States Navy (USN) , she was commissioned into the RAN in 1965. In March 1967, Hobart became the first RAN combat ship deployed to fight in the Vietnam War. This marked the start of consistent six month deployments to the warzone, which continued until late 1971; Hobart was redeployed in 1969 and 1970. During the 1968 tour, the destroyer was attacked by a United States Air Force aircraft. After the Vietnam War, Hobart saw service during Operation Navy Help Darwin; the RAN disaster relief effort following Cyclone Tracy, was the first RAN ship to dock at in Western Australia, and completed a round the world voyage in 1976. The ship was modernised during the late 1970s. Hobart was decommissioned in 2000, and sunk as a dive wreck off South Australia.

Hobart was one of three guided missile destroyers built for the RAN. Based on the United States Navy's , Hobart had a displacement of 3,370 tons at standard load, and 4,618 tons at full load, a length of 440 feet (134 m) overall and 420 feet (128 m) between perpendiculars, a beam of 47 feet (14 m), and a maximum draught of 15 feet (5 m). Propulsion was provided by two General Electric turbines, which provided to the destroyer's two propeller shafts. Over the course of the ship's career, the Mark 13 launcher was modified to fire Standard missiles, the Ikara launchers were stripped out in 1989 and two Phalanx CIWS units were installed in 1991. After commissioning, Hobart remained in American waters for eight months on trials and training exercises. The idea of deploying a RAN combat ship was initially hampered by the number of ships available, particularly with commitments to the Far East Strategic Reserve and involvement in the Indonesia Malaysia Confrontation, along with the difficulty of operating and maintaining British designed ships with USN resources. On 14 December 1966, the Australian Cabinet approved the deployment of Hobart as part of increases to Australian military commitment to the conflict. Ships assigned to Sea Dragon were normally split into a northern and southern unit (although during 1967 up to four units were operating at any time), with each unit made up of two to three ships. However, the Australian government forbade RAN vessels from operating in the northern area. Naval gunfire support operations to assist ground forces, particularly the United States Marine Corps units operating closest to the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Seven ships were usually stationed on the 'gunline', and attacks fell into two categories: 'unspotted' shelling of areas where People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) or Viet Cong (VC) forces and facilities were known or believed to be, and 'spotted' fire missions in direct support of ground troops. During these operations, Hobart operated under the callsign "Royal Purple". Anti infiltration operations under Operation Market Time, which aimed to stop the logistic supply and reinforcement of VC units operating in South Vietnam by tracking, intercepting, and searching coastal shipping. RAN destroyers were never formally assigned to Market Time, but the overlap of the gunline and Market Time operational areas meant the ships were often called on to assist by tracking suspicious ships or participating in raids. Escort of USN aircraft carriers involved in Operation Rolling Thunder airstrikes. Although RAN ships on deployment were expected to fulfil all duties of an equivalent American destroyer, they were forbidden by the Australian government from operating outside the Vietnam theatre on unrelated United States Seventh Fleet duties (such as the Taiwan Patrol Force, guard ship duties at Hong Kong, or the Space Recovery Program). After the invasion of Cambodia in 1970, RAN ships were also prohibited from entering Cambodian waters. Operationally, the RAN vessels were under the command of the Seventh Fleet. Arrangements were made to provide logistic support through the United States Pacific Fleet. The deployment of Hobart in March 1967 began a pattern of six month deployments for RAN destroyers, with a constant RAN presence with the Seventh Fleet. Australia was the only allied nation to provide naval support to the United States Navy during the Vietnam War.

On 15 March 1967, Hobart arrived at U. S. Naval Base Subic Bay to join the Seventh Fleet. After a comprehensive familiarisation period, Hobart replaced Fechteler on 31 March, taking over the US destroyer's gunfire support duties. On 3 April, the forward 5 inch gun mount became unserviceable, a state which remained for four and a half days. The ship was then rotated to Sea Dragon operations. The destroyer was fired on by shore batteries several times, and on one occasion took minor shrapnel damage. Several explosions in 5 inch/54 gun mounts during the later weeks of April saw all equipped destroyers (including Hobart) reassigned to other duties while investigations into the cause (believed to be a bad batch of ammunition) were explored. Hobart was attached to the carrier escort group for Kitty Hawk on 23 April. Over the next week, Hobart and Allen M. Sumner cooperated on the interdiction of coastal shipping during a period of heavy activity; previous successes saw the North Vietnamese begin to increase retaliation with coastal artillery in an attempt to dissuade American operations. Apart from a brief stint on the gunline, Hobart remained assigned to Sea Dragon until 26 May, when sailed to Subic for maintenance, with both 5 inch gun barrels replaced. After delays caused by monsoonal conditions, the ship returned to the gunline on 18 June. During this period, the destroyer was also called on to escort the amphibious warfare ships involved in the Beacon Torch landings. On 10 July, the destroyer left the operational area and sailed to Subic via Hong Kong, and underwent self maintenance. The ship was double tasked to the Forrestal escort group and Sea Dragon operations; three destroyers were required to escort the carrier at any time, with any additional ships operating on Sea Dragon duties. On 29 July, a fire aboard the carrier necessitated the carrier's removal from the operational area; Hobart was one of the ships assigned to escort and assist with casualties. On 14 September, Hobart arrived in Subic, handed over responsibility to , and sailed for home. On 13 April, the destroyer arrived on the gunline to relieve Henry B. Wilson. Five days later, she began Sea Dragon operations with Collett. The ships were unsuccessfully shelled by coastal artillery on 22 and 23 April, then spent the next three days attempting to attract attention from shore batteries so they could be bombed by aircraft. This continued until 2 June, when the destroyer's guns required new barrels. During this deployment, boat traffic between the mainland and Tiger Island was seen as a priority, with gunline ships also granted approval to operate against targets in this area. The destroyer Edson joined Hobart and Chandler to make up for the lack of firepower. At 03:09, Hobarts radar picked up an aircraft approaching with no IFF transponder active. At 03:14, the aircraft fired a single missile at the ship, which killed one sailor, wounded two others and damaged the chief petty officer's mess, air search radar and missile control compartments and the ship's funnels. Two minutes later, the aircraft made a second pass and fired two missiles. The missiles hit simultaneously: one penetrated the superstructure and damaged the gunners' store, engineers workshop and aft seamans' mess, while the other hit close to the original missile, causing further damage to the mess and missile control room, while also damaging the Tartar checkout room, killing another sailor and wounded six others. There was also major damage around the destroyer's Ikara magazine, but as Hobart was not carrying any Ikara missiles at the time, the potential magazine fire did not occur. The aircraft came around for a third attack run, but was scared off when Hobarts forward gun turret, under independent control, fired five rounds at the aircraft. At 03:30, Edson reported coming under fire, and Hobart captain ordered the three destroyers to take up anti aircraft formation. The attacks on Hobart and the other ships were the capstone of a series of firing incidents between 15 and 17 June, and an inquiry was held by the USN into the incidents, with three RAN personnel attending as technical advisors. The inquiry found that a few hours before the attack on Hobart, Patrol Craft Fasts PCF 12 and PCF 19, along with , were attacked by what they identified at the time as hovering enemy aircraft, but were believed to be friendly planes; PCF 19 was sunk in the attack. F 4 Phantoms of the USAF Seventh Air Force, responding several hours after the attack on the PCFs, were unable to distinguish between the radar signature of surface ships and airborne helicopters and instead opened fire on Hobart, Boston, and Edson. During the evening of 27 July, Hobart was involved in another friendly fire incident; this time, shells from the ship fell close to a Marine unit's command post and injured three Marines. The fault was found to be with the Marine unit's spotter, who was inexperienced, failed to signal the close proximity of friendly units to the target, and failed to fully identify the target before calling for five rounds of shellfire. The Sea Dragon deployment did not eventuate, and after operating near the DMZ, Hobart was reassigned to gunfire support duties around southern Vietnam on 12 August. On 22 August, the destroyer fired to support the 1st Australian Task Force in Phuoc Tuy Province: the first time a RAN destroyer provided naval gunfire support for Australian soldiers in the war. On 29 September, Perth relieved Hobart at Subic, and Hobart sailed for home. One sailor was awarded a Distinguished Service Medal for his actions during the 17 June attack (the government received advice that as it was a friendly fire incident, a non combat medal like the British Empire Medal should be awarded instead, but this was ignored), while two Mentions in Despatches and 23 Naval Board commendations were also issued.

Hobart returned to Vietnam for her third tour on 28 March 1970, taking over from the destroyer After working up, the destroyer relieved Ernest G. Small from gunline duties on 6 April. Three days later, the destroyer rammed and sank a South Vietnamese fishing craft, but rescued the five crew and transported them to shore. After this was completed, Hobart returned to gunline duties on 11 May, and remained on station until 24 May, when the destroyer sailed to Singapore for maintenance. Hobart resumed gunline operations on 6 June; these continued until 28 June, when she sailed to Subic for rebarrelling. The ship returned to the gunline on 9 July, and operated until 29 August, when she sailed to Singapore for maintenance, then Bangkok for naval exercises. Returning on 13 September, Hobart was called to relieve Lloyd Thomas on the gunline after an explosion in one of the American destroyer's gun mounts. On 22 September, Hobart sailed to Subic. Two personnel were mentioned in despatches, and 23 Naval Board commendations were issued for the deployment. Hobart made no further deployments to Vietnam, and after completed her assigned operations in September 1971, no further RAN ships were deployed to the warzone for combat operations.

In 1972, Hobart underwent modernisation in the US. In June 1974, the destroyer was involved in the Exercise Kangaroo One. Later in the year, the destroyer participated in the multinational exercise RIMPAC 75, then embarked on a three month deployment in the Indian Ocean, during which Hobart became the first RAN ship to visit Malé in the Maldives, and the first warship to dock at , the new naval base in Western Australia. In order to transfer the researcher to the ship, Hobarts personnel constructed a makeshift helipad, which was used by Thala Dans helicopter to deliver the injured man to the destroyer. Hobart won the Gloucester Cup for 1995, a trophy awarded to the most efficient ship of the RAN during a calendar year; this was the eighth time the Cup was won by the destroyer. Prior to the scuttling, preparatory work was done to ensure safe diving and minimal environmental impact, based on international best practices and mostly undertaken at Port Adelaide by contracted labour and some volunteers. Oil and other contaminants were removed. The goal was to maintain the vessel's character as a fighting ship, but in the interests of safety, some entrances were sealed, some doors, hatches and sharp and protruding objects were removed, and corridors and openings widened. All furniture and equipment obstructing access or not secured was removed. The ship was sunk as a dive wreck on 5 November 2002 in Yankalilla Bay, South Australia at , west north west of Marina St. Vincent, within the Encounter Marine Park. The wreck site is officially known as the Fleurieu Artificial Reef. The scuttled ship is scheduled as a historic shipwreck as per the South Australian Historic Shipwrecks Act 1981 and has a protected zone of radius which prohibits boating activity unless the operator has a permit. The HMAS Hobart Memorial Lookout is located is north of Wirrina Cove, at Little Gorge, on the road to Normanville.