On This Day
1960-1975 > Vietnam era
On This Day - 1960-1975
- July 17, 1975
Skyhawk A4G (872) was part of a 5-ship flight conducting bombing practice at the Beecroft Head Firing Range, NSW. 872 pulled up off the range and collided with the underside of 870. SBLT Malcolm McCoy (the pilot of 872) was killed, and the aircraft destroyed.
- July 4, 1975
HMAS HOBART, (guided missile destroyer), represented Australia at the United States Bicentenary Celebrations at New York. Fifty ships of 30 nations participated in the ceremonial entry into the port.
- June 30, 1975
The uniformed strength of the RAN was 16,115 officers and ratings.
- June 10, 1975
The Australian Naval Institute was founded in Canberra, under the leadership of CDRE V. A. Parker, RAN. The Institute exists to advance knowledge and understanding of naval and maritime affairs among serving and retired members of the RAN, and produces a quarterly journal.
- May 12, 1975
HMAS QUEENBOROUGH, the last of the five ‘Q’ class destroyers presented to the RAN as a gift by Great Britain, was towed out of Sydney, bound for Hong Kong and breaking up.
- April 20, 1975
The patrol boat HMAS AWARE, (LEUT G. Sproule, RAN), apprehended four Taiwanese vessels, and one Indonesian vessel, that were fishing in Australian territorial waters near Dampier, WA.
- March 24, 1975
The destroyer escort HMAS PARRAMATTA, (CMDR J. D. Foster, RAN), became the first RAN warship to visit the scene of the killing of CAPT James Cook, RN, at Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii.
- March 13, 1975
The patrol boat HMAS ASSAIL, (LEUT C. Cleveland, RAN) intercepted three Indonesian fishing boats poaching in Australian territorial waters in Admiralty Gulf, WA. The subsequent court case was the precedent for prosecutions under the Australian Fisheries Act, 1975. In the pursuit of the Indonesian vessels, ASSAIL discovered an uncharted passage between North Eclipse and Jones Islands.
- March 2, 1975
First Sea King delivered to RAN FAA
- February 10, 1975
Grumman S2E Tracker 853 ditched after night flying when doing a Bolter (missed wire and going around again) from HMAS Melbourne. The 4 crew were all rescued unhurt. This was the only RAN Tracker lost during flying operations