HMAS Hobart (D 39)

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For other ships of this name, see HMAS Hobart.

HMAS Hobart in California, 1992
Career (Royal Australian Navy) RAN ensign
Namesake: City of Hobart
Builder: Defoe Shipbuilding Company, Michigan, USA
Laid down: 26 October 1962
Launched: 9 January 1964
Commissioned: 18 December 1965
Decommissioned: 12 May 2000
Motto: "Sic Fortis Hobartia Crevit"
Honours and
awards:		 Navy Unit Commendation
Fate: Sunk as dive wreck
General characteristics
Displacement: 4,600 tons
Length: 134 metres
Beam: 14 metres
Draught: 6 metres
Propulsion: 2 × General Electric steam turbines providing 70,000 hp (52 mW)
Speed: 30+ knots
Range: 6,000 nautical miles (11,000 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h)
Complement: 310
Sensors and
processing systems:		 Type 975 Navigation Radar; AN/SPS-10 Surface Search Radar later replaced by AN/SPS-67 (V)1; AN/SPS-40C Long Range Air Warning Radar; AN/SPS-52C 3-D Air Warning Radar; AN/SQS-23 Hull Mounted Sonar
Armament: Mk 13 Mod 6 launcher for SM-1MR; 2 x 127 mm/54 (5 in/54) Mk 42; 2 x 20 mm Mk 15 Vulcan Phalanx; 2 x triple 324 mm Mk 32 torpedo tubes

HMAS Hobart (D 39) was a Perth class guided missile armed destroyer of the Royal Australian Navy. Built in the United States of America, she was commissioned into the RAN in 1965. Hobart served on three deployments to Vietnam, was attacked in 1968 by a United States Air Force aircraft, was decommissioned in 2000, and sunk as an artificial reef off South Australia.

Contents

[edit] Construction

Hobart was laid down by Defoe Shipbuilding Company at Bay City, Michigan, USA, on 26 October 1962, launched on 9 January 1964 by Mrs. David Hay, wife of the Australian Ambassador to the United Nations, and commissioned at Boston in Massachusetts on 18 December 1965.

[edit] Refits

In 1968, Hobart was fitted with the Ikara Anti Submarine Missile system. She completed a major modernisation at Garden Island Dockyard in April 1978, including updating the Tartar Guided Missile Fire Control System and radars. The Ikara was removed in 1991 and the ship was fitted for the 20 mm Mk 15 Vulcan Phalanx Close-In Weapons System (CIWS).

[edit] Operational History

Hobart arrived in Tasmania on 1 September, 1966.

On 22 December 1966, Prime Minister Harold Holt announced that Hobart would deploy to Vietnam. Hobart served as escort and plane guard for carriers on Yankee Station in the Tonkin Gulf, participated in Sea Dragon and Market Time operations, patrolled on search and rescue duties and carried out gunfire support missions during the conflict. Hobart was deployed to Vietnam for three tours of duty, and was awarded the United States Navy Unit Commendation for the first tour.

[edit] Second Vietnam deployment

Hobart was deployed to Vietnam for the second time in 1968.[1] On 13 April, the destroyer arrived on the 'gunline', relieving USS Henry B. Wilson (DDG-7).[1] Five days later, she began Sea Dragon operations, during which she was fired on by shore batteries on two occasions.[1] Following maintenance in Hong Kong and Taiwan from 1 May to 20 May, Hobart returned to the gunline.[1] Hobart was reassigned to Sea Dragon on 11 June.[1]

In the early hours of 17 June, while preventing North Vietnamese resupply of Tiger Island, Hobart was fired upon by a United States Air Force aircraft.[2] The aircraft approached Hobart with its IFF transponder switched off, and fired three missiles during two passes.[2] The second missile failed to explode, but the first and third damaged the superstructure, radar room, exhaust funnels, Ikara missile magazine, and superstructure, killed two RAN personnel, and injured seven others.[2] The aircraft came around for a third attack run, but was scared off when Hobart fired five rounds from its main gun.[3] Despite being damaged, Hobart sailed to the nearby cruiser USS Boston, which had been hit by a missile from another USAF aircraft, and formed an anti-aircraft screen with the cruiser and her escort, USS Blandy.[3] After being relieved, Hobart sailed for Subic Bay, where the damaged was inspected by RAN and USN personnel, including three admirals.[3]

An Inquiry was held by the USN, which was attended by three RAN personnel as technical advisors.[4] It was revealed that a few hours earlier, USN Swift Boats PCF-12 and PCF-19 were attacked and the latter sunk by hovering enemy aircraft (commonly identified as helicopters, although one press release claimed that they were UFOs).[5][6] F-4 Phantoms of the USAF Seventh Air Force, responding several hours after the attack on the Swift Boats, instead opened fire on Boston and Hobart.[4] Several other ships in the area reported attacks from aircraft, although none were hit and identifications of friendly or enemy aircraft making these attacks vary.[3]

Hobart underwent repairs in Subic Bay, and returned to duty on the gunline on 25 July.[7]

[edit] Fate

Hobart paid off on 12 May 2000 and was sunk at 35°28′51.6″S 138°09′26.0″E / -35.481, 138.157222Coordinates: 35°28′51.6″S 138°09′26.0″E / -35.481, 138.157222 as a dive wreck four nautical miles (7 km) west-north-west of Marina Vincent, Yankalilla Bay, South Australia on 5 November 2002.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e Tom Frame (1992). Pacific Partners, pg 121
  2. ^ a b c Tom Frame (1992). Pacific Partners, pg 122
  3. ^ a b c d Tom Frame (1992). Pacific Partners, pg 123
  4. ^ a b Tom Frame (1992). Pacific Partners, pg 124
  5. ^ Tom Frame (1992). Pacific Partners, pp 123-125
  6. ^ Swift Boat Down, The Real Story of the Sinking of PCF-19, James Steffes, ENC Retired, (2006). ISBN 1-59926-612-1
  7. ^ Tom Frame (1992). Pacific Partners, pg 125

[edit] External links

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Perth class destroyer (modified Charles F. Adams class destroyer)

Perth | Hobart | Brisbane
List of major warship classes of the Royal Australian Navy
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