On this day:
1976-1999 > Post Vietnam
There are 509 entries in this era
- 09 Jan 1996
HMAS CANBERRA, (guided missile frigate), left Sydney to be permanently base-ported at HMAS STIRLING, WA.
- 31 Jan 1996
The use of Morse key for sending messages formally ceased in the RAN after 85 years, to be replaced with modern communication systems. Visual Morse (or flashing light), however, still remains in use
- 13 May 1996
HMAS ANZAC, (lead ship of the new ANZAC Class frigates), was commissioned at Williamstown Dockyard, VIC.
- 18 May 1996
The ANZAC class guided missile frigate, HMAS ANZAC was commissioned. ANZAC was laid down at Tenix Williamstown Dockyard, VIC, and launched on 16 September 1994. Lieutenant Colonel V. Statham, AO, MBE, ARRC, ED, FNM, performed the launching ceremony.
- 27 Jul 1996
The Collins class submarine HMAS COLLINS, (CMDR P. R. Sinclair, RAN), was commissioned. COLLINS was laid down in The Australian Submarine Corporation Yard, Adelaide, SA, and launched on 28 August 1993. Lady Phyllis Collins, (Wife of VADM Sir John Collins, KBE, CB, RAN, (deceased)), performed the launching ceremony.
- 13 Sep 1996
HMAS SWAN, (destroyer escort), was decommissioned at HMAS STIRLING, WA, after a career spanning 26 years. She was later gifted to the West Australian State Government, and sunk as a dive wreck in Geographe Bay
- 05 Jan 1997
Two yachts in the Vendee Globe solo, non-stop circumnavigation race capsized in extreme rough weather in the Great Southern Ocean. The yachts, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, (Thierry Dubois), and EXIDE CHALLENGER, (Tony Bullimore), both activated their EPIRB systems, and thus set in train one of the greatest rescues at sea ever undertaken by the RAN.
- 06 Jan 1997
PC3 Orion aircraft from 92 Wing, (RAAF Edinburgh), located the capsized yachts, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, and EXIDE CHALLENGER, in the Great Southern Ocean, and dropped life rafts. The guided missile frigate, HMAS ADELAIDE, (CAPT R. W. Gates, RAN), was crash-sailed from HMAS STIRLING to rescue the yachtsmen.
- 07 Jan 1997
The tanker, HMAS WESTRALIA, (CMDR Ladomirski, RAN), sailed from HMAS STIRLING to support HMAS ADELAIDE in her rescue of two round-the-world solo yachtsmen, (Frenchman Thierry Dubois, and Briton Tony Bullimore). ADELAIDE had sailed south the day before, but would need to refuel once the rescue was complete in order to return safely to Western Australia.
- 09 Jan 1997
HMAS ADELAIDE’s Sea King helicopter was launched to conduct the rescue of round-the-world yachtsman Theirry Dubois. Dubois was winched onboard the helicopter later that morning and was described as “being in remarkably good condition for a man who had spent four days floating in a life raft in the freezing Southern Ocean. ADELAIDE then turned towards the upturned EXIDE CHALLENGER to rescue yachtsman Tony Bullimore. The frigate deployed her rigid hull inflatable boat, (RHIB), which came alongside the yacht. Bullimore, who had been living inside the upturned hull swam out and was rescued by the crew of the RHIB. Queen Elizabeth II later sent the following message of congratulations:- “I would be grateful if you would pass on both my congratuations to all members of the Australian Defence Force who have made possible the two dramatic rescues in the Southern Ocean over these recent days and , through HMAS ADELAIDE my warm good wishes to Tony Bullimore on his extraordinary feat of survival”.
- 11 Feb 1997
RADM C.A. Ritchie, AM, RAN, was appointed as Maritime Commander, Australia.
- 09 Apr 1997
Ex-HMAS VAMPIRE, (Daring class destroyer), was transferred outright, as a gift from the Australian Government to the Australian National Maritime Museum, in Sydney.
- 01 Jul 1997
VADM D. B. Chalmers, AO, RAN, was appointed at Chief of Naval Staff.
- 14 Dec 1997
The former destroyer escort HMAS SWAN was sunk as a dive wreck in Geographe Bay, WA.
- 31 Jan 1998
The Collins class submarine, HMAS FARNCOMB was commissioned at Adelaide, SA. FARNCOMB was laid down in the Australian Submarine Corporation, and launched on 15 December 1995.
- 05 May 1998
A massive fire breaks out in the engine room of HMAS WESTRALIA, (tanker), then operating off the Western Australian coast, which leads to the deaths of four RAN personnel. Those killed were MIDN Megan Pelly, RAN, PO Shaun Smith, LS Bradley Meek, and AB Phillip Carroll. An enquiry into the accident revealed that the Navy had allowed inappropriate flexible fuel hoses to be fitted to the engines during a recent refit, and that one of these leaked and sprayed vaporized fuel onto the hot engine, which caused a huge fireball to engulf the engine room.
- 11 Sep 1998
HMAS TORRENS, (destroyer escort), was decommissioned at HMAS STIRLING, after a career lasting 27 years. TORRENS was the last of the six River class destroyer escorts, which commenced service in the RAN during the 1960’s, and early 1970’s. TORRENS was sunk as a target in June 1999, by a Mk 48 torpedo, fired from HMAS FARNCOMB, (Collins class submarine)
- 12 Dec 1998
The ANZAC class frigate HMAS ARUNTA, was commissioned. ARUNTA was laid down in Tenix Williamstown Dockyard, VIC, and launched on 28 June 1996.
- 27 Dec 1998
The RAN was requested to provide assistance to rescue yachtsmen involved in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. Exceptionally strong winds and heavy seas had damaged several yachts, including several that were dismasted or capsized. HMAS NEWCASTLE, (guided missile frigate), was order to sail at short notice, and two Sea King Helicopters from NAS Nowra were activated to assist Police and other rescue helicopters
- 28 Dec 1998
At 0320 a RAN Sea King helicopter winched onboard three injured crewmen from the badly damaged yacht SWORD OF ORION, during the 1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.
At the same time a second Sea King was searching for the yacht WINSTON CHURCHILL, using her night vision capability, (the yacht had actually sunk, but at 2130 that evening a liferaft with two of her crew in it was spotted by another Sea King helicopter, and the men were winched to safety).
In both cases the aircrewman of the Sea King helicopters were required to enter the water to affect the rescue.
At 0400 HMAS NEWSCASTLE, (guided missile frigate), sailed from Sydney to also join the search for missing and damaged yachts. Subsequently the aircrewmen of both helicopters, (PO B.J. Lee and PO B.S. Pashley), were awarded the Bravery Medal. Group Citations for Bravery were also awarded to three RAN Sea King Helicopter crews.
- 29 Dec 1998
HMAS NEWCASTLE, (guided missile frigate), located the damaged yacht SOLO GLOBE CHALLENGER. Two injured crewmen were transferred from the yacht to NEWCASTLE, while the yacht waited for a trawler to tow her into the port of Eden, NSW. NEWCASTLE also located the damaged yacht BUSINESS POST NAIAD, with two dead crewmen onboard. The other seven crewmen had been rescued the day before by the Careflight helicopter. NEWCASTLE stood by the yacht until the NSW Police Launch NEMISIS arrived to tow the vessel to Sydney. Of the 115 yachts which started the 1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht race, only 44 completed the race, five yachts sank and six lives were lost. 55 people were airlifted from yachts, and approximately 53 people had been injured when their yachts were damaged or sunk during the storm on 26-28 December.
- 24 Apr 1999
HMAS PERTH, (destroyer), and HMAS ARUNTA, (frigate), arrived in Ho Chi Minh City, (Saigon), Vietnam, for a four day port visit. This was the first visit to Vietnam for Australian ships since the end of the Vietnam War. The following day an ANZAC Day dawn service was held onboard PERTH, which had seen action during the Vietnam War.
- 15 May 1999
The Huon class mine hunter coastal HMAS HUON, was commissioned. HUON was laid down in ADI Yard, Newcastle, NSW, and launched on 12 July 1997.
- 18 May 1999
RADM J. R. Lord, AM, RAN, was appointed as Maritime Commander Australia.
- 10 Jun 1999
HMAS JERVIS BAY, (high speed catamaran), was commissioned in Hobart. The vessel was a civilian high speed catamaran leased from the builders, (INCAT), for a two year period. She was based in Darwin and used extensively to ferry troops and equipment to and from Dili, (East Timor), following the arrival of the International Force, (INTERFET), which had been deployed to restore peace to the troubled region. Known fondly as the ‘Dili-Express’, she was returned to her owners in 2001.
- 03 Jul 1999
VADM D. J. Shackleton, AO, RAN, was appointed Chief of Naval Staff.
- 10 Jul 1999
The Collins class submarine HMAS WALLER, was commissioned. WALLER was laid down at The Australian Submarine Corporation, Adelaide, and launched on 14 March 1997.
- 20 Sep 1999
A RAN task force arrives of Dili, (East Timor), to commence service in support of Operation Warden. INTERFET, (International Force), troops under Australian leadership land in East Timor to commence UN mandated peace enforcement activities
- 15 Oct 1999
The guided missile destroyer HMAS PERTH, (CAPT L. Rago, RAN), was decommissioned at Sydney after a career spanning 34 years. She was the first of the three DDG’s to be paid off, and was eventually sunk as a dive wreck near Seal Rock, Albany, WA.