HMAS Derwent (DE 49)

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Career (Australia)

Builder:	Williamstown Naval Dockyard
Laid down:	17 June 1959
Launched:	8 April 1961
Commissioned:	23 April 1964
Decommissioned:	8 August 1994
Homeport:	Originally homeported in Sydney but with the division of the fleet into the Eastern and Western fleets, was transferred to Fleet Base West, HMAS Stirling, Garden Island, Western Australia.
Motto:	"Swift and Deadly"
Fate:	Sunk as artificial reef
Badge:
General characteristics
Displacement:	2,560 tons
Length:	113m
Beam:	12.49m
Draught:	5.18m
Propulsion:	2 x English Electric steam turbines 2 shaft; 30,000 shp
Speed:	31.9 knots
Complement:	250
Sensors and processing systems:	1979: Mulloka sonar system AN/SPS-55 surface-search/navigation radar LW-02 early warning radar M22 fire control radar
Armament:	2x 4.5in Mk6 gun 2x Limbo Mk10 AS mortar re-fitted 1x quad Seacat SAM launcher 1x Ikara ASW system 2x Mark 32 torpedo tubes - 1979

HMAS Derwent (F 22/DE 49) was a River class destroyer escort, laid down by the Williamstown Naval Dockyard at Melbourne in Victoria on 17 June 1959, launched on 17 April 1961 and commissioned on 23 April 1964. HMAS Derwent paid off on 8 August 1994, and was sunk after being used for trials off Western Australia.

Derwent was named after the Derwent River in Hobart, Tasmania.

[edit] Operational History

HMAS Derwent was the first RAN vessel to launch a guided missile when she fired a Seacat missile on May 25, 1964.

From 1991 to 1992, Derwent's Seacat and Ikara launchers were removed. During this time, Derwent was used as a training vessel.

Prior to Australian ships deploying to the Persian Gulf, Derwent conducted trials in launching the RBS 70 Surface to Air Missile from a naval platform.

Derwent was decommissioned at HMAS Stirling on August 8, 1994 after 30 years' service, HMAS Derwent had steamed 890,927 nautical miles (1,649,997 km) during her naval career.

[edit] Fate

Following scientific tests to study ship survivability, Derwent was sunk in deep waters, 15 nautical miles (28 km) west of Rottnest Island as a "fish attraction device" on December 21, 1994.