Royal Australian Navy

[Tiger-pie]

Hi All;

Over the coming weeks I will do a report on the RAN, showing off some of our newer hardware, and some of the older units. To kick it off I will show some photos of our newer generation of warships, the Anzac Class. These first few photos are of HMAS Parramatta. The first ship I served on was Parramatta, an old Destroyer Escort, short on crew comforts I can tell you. The Anzacs are far better in that respect.

[Tiger-pie]

Cruising up Sydney Harbour.

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HMAS Parramatta leaving through Sydney Heads

[Tiger-pie]

Here is a rundown of the Anzac Class.

Statistics

Displacement 3600 tonnes

Length 118 metres

Beam 14.8 metres

Ships Company 164

Propulsion One General Electric LM 2500 Gas Turbine

two MTU diesels driving two controllable pitch propellers.

Speed 27 knots

Weapon Systems One 5 inch Mk 45 Mod 2 automatic rapid fire gun.

Sea Sparrow anti-air missile system.

Two Mk 32 triple-mounted anti-submarine torpedo tubes.

Six 50 calibre machine guns.

They were to be fitted with a Super Seasprite helo, but due to configuration problems this project has now been scrapped until an alternative can be found. It was a real balls-up, basically the weapons system couldn't talk to the fire-control system. Of course when the story hit the press it was the Navy that looked bad, not the civilian contractors that stuff it up.

Below are some pictures of Parras past, a torpedoe boat (55), a WW2 sloop and a DE (46). We called the "Fighting 46", but in reality she hadn't seen action since Vietnam. The only fighting I saw was ashore!!

Below are some pictures of Parras past. The ships crest includes the motto "STRIKE DEEP?. The motto ?Strike Deep? was suggested by one of the stand-by crew of PARRAMATTA III in 1960. The motto was thought to be appropriate in linking the badge design and PARRAMATTA?s naval role, which was primarily ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare). It was officially adopted 13 June 1961.

Edited May 13, 2007 by Tiger-pie

[Tiger-pie]

Thanks to the Moderator that fix up the title. Can't belive I left out the "o".

HMAS Parramatta has also recently been honoured with the Meritorious Unit Citation for her work in the Gulf during 2005-06. During her deployment, Parramatta conducted 186 boardings and security patrols, 1,111 boat evolutions, 330 flying hours in its embarked Navy Seahawk helicopter and 653 investigative queries of merchant vessels. Parramatta was the first non-US Navy ship to be appointed Persian Gulf Air Defence Commander.

Parramatta also initiated a successful mentoring program for the Iraq Navy which saw Iraqi naval officers spend time onboard Parramatta to observe frigate operations first hand.

Seen below is the former HMAS Parramatta Executive Officer Commander Justin Jones, with the Meritorious Unit Citation.

[Tiger-pie]

HMAS Sirius is one of the newer additions to the RAN, being purchased mid-2004 and recently commissioned September 2006. Sirius is the first RAN ship to carry this name, however HMS Sirius (I) was commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1780 as the flagship of the 'First Fleet'. The name was selected because of its historical connections with the First Fleet and the import role the ship played in providing logistic support to the struggling economy. Her motto is "to serve and provide".

The ship can carry over 34806 cz of fuel including 5486 cz of aviation fuel for use by RAN helicopters. Sirius can replenish ships at sea by day and night, and is capable of replenishing two ships at a time. She has transfer points for fuel, water and stores.

Statistics

Named 8 October 2004

Commissioned 16 September 2006

Type auxiliary Oiler

Displacement 25016.53 tonnes

Length 191.3 metres

Beam 32 metres

Draught 11 metres

Builder Hyundai Mipo Dockyard

Machinery 1 x 6 cylinder Hyundai MAN B&W marine diesel,

1 x direct drive shaft

Speed 16 knots

Armament small arms

Complement 60

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Sirius alongside at Fleet Base West, HMAS Stirling. This base is located in the southern suburbs of Perth. The RAN has a "two ocean navy" policy for MFU's (Major Fleet Units), one half of the fleet is run out of the west, the other from the east.

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This shot gives some idea of the size.

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With HMAS Collins in the foreground. She is wide in the beam.

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Underway in the Sound as she heads off to Norfolk Island for a Freedom of Entry ceremony.

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Adelaide Class Guided Missile Frigate (FFG)

The RAN has six of these multi-purpose warships divided between its two main bases; Fleet Base East in Sydney and Fleet Base West in Perth. Currently there is only one in the West and five in the East. The FFG is based on the US Navy Oliver Hazard Perry class design. Originally they were the same configuration as the US Navy, but have since been heavily modified for Australian use.

Not the prettiest of ships, those of us who served on other classes had plenty of disparaging remarks to make. To make matters worse, in our view, they were the first warships to have messing provided for female sailors. Thus the name"Fag-boat" has stuck and is commonly used terminology when referance is made to the FFG. Also described as a looking like a "shoebox sitting in a canoe".

I have used HMAS Sydney to represent this class, because it is our most premier Naval Base's location, the history attatched to the name and as much as it raises the ire of Canberra resisdents, it is considered our unofficial capital city.

This is the fourth ship to carry this name and she is the proud inheritor of eighth "battle honours", more than any other RAN unit. Notable actions of former ships include the sinking of the German light cruiser SMS Emden by Sydney I in World War I. In World War II, Sydney II sank the Italian light cruiser Bartolomeo Colleoni and two Italian destroyers. On 19 November 1941, Sydney II was lost with all hands in battle against the German Raider Kormoran, which was also sunk. This loss of 645 sailors represented over a third of the RAN's casualties during WWII. Sydney III, a light carrier, operated with distinction in the Korean and Vietnam conflicts.

Statistics

Displacement 4100 tonnes

Length 138 metres

Beam 13.7 metres

Ships Company 186 (210 with helicopter crews)

Propulsion Two General Electric LM2500 gas turbines driving a single controllable pitch propeller

Speed 30+ knots

Weapon Systems 76mm rapid fire gun.

Harpoon anti-ship missiles.

Standard surface to air missiles.

Vulcan Phalanx close in weapons system.

Two triple anti-submarine torpedo tubes for Mk 32 torpedoes.

Aircraft Up to two Sea Hawk helicopters

[Tiger-pie]

The three previous ships to carry Sydney's name. The first (with four stacks) was a Chatham Class Light Cruiser. The second (with the Gucci paint job), was a modified Leander Class Light Cruiser. And last, Sydney 3 was a Majestic Class Aircraft Carrier / Fast Troop Transport.

Edited May 15, 2007 by Tiger-pie

[Tiger-pie]

The current version prior to refit. They have added VLS missles modules to the weapons suite, which you can see in front of the MK13 GLMS Launcher. The refit they have just come out of was an upgrade to extend the life of the platform.

Edited May 15, 2007 by Tiger-pie

[Tiger-pie]

"Warrie" turn.

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Screeching round a corner.

[Tiger-pie]

#4

[Bob Lyons]

I am enjoying your photos Johnsy, I worked on FFG's 05 and 06 (Melbourne and Newcastle) at the dockyard, I will have

a dig around amongst my photos and see what I can dig out to add to your shots.

Bob

[Bob Lyons]

Here is a nice PR shot of Warramunga in some 'roughers', I did the initial contractors sea trials on

this one.... (Anzac Class frigate).

Bob

[Tiger-pie]

HMAS SUCCESS is an Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment (AOR) vessel of 17933 tonnes fully loaded and 157.2 metres in length. She is affectionately known to the crew as the "Battle Tanker".

Based on the French 'DURANCE' Class Success was built in Australia by Cockatoo Dockyard Pty Ltd at Sydney. She was launched from their slipway on 3 March 1984 by her Launching Lady, Her Excellency Lady Stephen, wife of the Governor General and commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy on 23 April 1986. She is the largest ship built in Australia for the RAN and also the largest ever built in the port of Sydney.

The ship is capable of day and night replenishment to ships at sea and concurrently by her embarked helicopter to other ships in company. Four main Replenishment at Sea (RAS) stations are fitted, two of which have dual functions and can be used to transfer either fuel or solids. The RAS system is designed to cope with the extreme demands caused by ship motion in rough weather and works extremely well.

Her embarked Sea King helicopter provides a Vertrep capability and anti-submarine weapon carrying platform. SUCCESS is a truly dynamic vessel designed to support a Naval Force for extended periods in an operational environment at sea.

Success saw active service in the Gulf War as part of the Multi-National Naval Force conducting operations in support of Kuwait . It also provided valuable logistic support to INTERFET operations in East Timor .

Success is the second RAN ship to carry the name. The first Success was an "S" class destroyer in service during the 1920s and '30s.

HMAS Success celebrated her 21st birthday on April 23 2007 at sea. During her faithful and loyal 21 years service to the RAN, Success has accomplished around 3000 RAS evolutions to RAN units and various types of ships from different nations. She has steamed in excess of 715,000 nautical miles.

Statistics

Laid Down:

Launched: 3 March 1984 by her Her Excellency Lady Stephen, wife of the Governor General

Commissioned: 23 April 1986

Displacement: 17 933 tonnes (full load)

Length: 157.2 metres

Beam: 21.2 metres

Armament: Two Phalanx Mk 15 close-in weapon systems,

Four 12.7mm heavy machine guns

Main Machinery: Two Pielstick 16 PC2-5 V 400 diesel engines; two shafts

Speed: 19 Knots

Ship's Company: Approximately 220

Edited May 20, 2007 by Tiger-pie

[Tiger-pie]

View from the gantry behind the bridge looking down onto Success's *RAS Deck and the RAS control hut, commonly know to the crew as the "Pizza Hut".

*Replenishment at Sea

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Success underway.

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Success returns from an "up-top" trip.

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Conducting a *Vertrep from the Flight Deck on Success.

*Vertical Replenishment

[Bob Lyons]

A photo of the last of the Anzac series to be built, here is HMAS Perth alongside at Williamstown, Victoria,

in the late afternoon sun.

Bob

[Tiger-pie]

I knew I had a decent shot of the battle tanker somewhere. She ain't pretty but I enjoyed serving on her for the most part, and it was challanging work. It was also the first time I had served with sailors of the opposite sex, though the way some of them swear and drink it is a bit hard to tell us apart except they look better in a high-heels. I had some great trips and experiances on her. Went to East Timor as part of the initial task group, RIMPAC 2000, South East Asia and a trip up to North East Asia. Loved China and seeing the Great Wall, though they could do with the Great Escalater of China...

We did a heap of smaller trips off the coast of Oz, we seemed to be away from our home-port for long periods. After serving on patrol boats this thing was heaven, no more geting thrown around in your rack, sleep deprivation or struggling to move around because it was so rough. They used to put all the "sickies" on there because they couldn't handle roughers which was great when it was rough because the SCRAN line was short or non-existant. I used to wake some mornings and wonder if we were actually underway!!

SCRAN=S##t Cooked by the RAN.

Edited May 30, 2007 by Tiger-pie