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HMAS Anzac I

The Three Ships called Anzac

The following tributes to the three ships which have borne the proud name Anzac have been brought together from information held in our archives. It is perhaps the expected problem of the historian that over time more information is held upon the more distant past, and in this instance we find many aged records concerning Anzac (I) and considerable material on Anzac (II), whereas that on Anzac (III) is still being assembled.

The main characteristics of these three ships demonstrate the many changes in surface ships and their capabilities covering much of the history of the RAN. Anzac (I) was an advanced ship of her time with oil burning boilers driving steam turbines, whereas many ships of this vintage were coal burning, driving reciprocating engines.  Anzac (II) had the benefits of lessons learned in WW II, and although her design was somewhat obsolete she was a capable and graceful ship. Anzac (III) was the lead ship of a most successful construction program proving Australia’s capability as a successful builder of contemporary warships to demanding schedules.

While ships become marginally larger with improved weapon systems, some things such as speed have not changed. The importance of escalating costs should not be overlooked; allowing for inflation, the real cost declined during the first two building programs from 1917 to 1948, but more than doubled to 1996. Perhaps the overall surprise is how little the size of ships of European origin as weapons platforms has changed during the intervening eighty years when compared with other types of maritime vessels, which have shown quantum increases in tonnage.

The very name Anzac evokes fine traditions of dedication, endurance, mateship and selflessness shared by Australian and New Zealand forces during a period of bitter and dogged fighting and resistance on the Gallipoli Peninsula in 1915 against a worthy adversary. All three have been fine ships which have lived up to the proud motto ‘United We Stand’.

Note: Keen observers will have noted changes to the ship’s badges, starting with Anzac (I), a design inherited from the Royal Navy; there are also subtle differences to the surrounds of the Anzac (II) badge which was changed in 1964. The 1964 version is similar to that now displayed by Anzac (III).

Anzac (I)

Anzac (II)

Anzac (III)
Builder Denny Bros Williamstown Naval Dockyard Tenix Defence Systems
Where Built Dumbarton, Scotland Williamstown, Victoria Williamstown, Victoria
Laid Down 31 January 1916 23 September 1946 05 November 1993
Launched 11 January 1917 20 August 1948 16 September 1994
Commissioned 24 April 1917 14 March 1951 18 May 1996
Length 99 m (325 ft) 116 m (379 ft) 118 m (387 ft)
Beam 9.4 m (31 ft) 12.5 m (41 ft) 14.8 m (49 ft)
Draught 3.7 m (12 ft) 4.8 m (16 ft) 4.4 m (14 ft)
Displacement full load 1,670 tons 2,436 tons 3,600 tonnes
Armament 4 x 4” guns 2 x 2 pdr pom poms 4 x Lewis guns 4 x 4.5” guns 12 x 40 mm BoforsSquid A/S mortar 1 x 127 mm (5“) gun, 2 x Quad Harpoon Sea Sparrow, 1 x Phalanx ciws, 4 x 50 cal machine guns, 1 x Seahawk helicopter
Torpedos 4 x 21” tubes 2 x 5 x 21” tubes 6 x 324 mm (12.75”) tubes
Machinery Brown Curtis steam turbinesTriple screws 2 x Parsons geared steam turbinesTwin screw CODOG with 1 x GE LM 2500 gas turbine + 2 x MTU dieselsTwin screw
Designed shp 36,000 50,000 33,600
Designed Speed 34 kts 35 kts 27 kts
Range 2,500 n. miles 4,400 n. miles 6,000 n. miles
Complement 122 290 173
Cost £209,337 ($418,674) £250,000 ($500,000) $600 m (approx)

 

HMAS Anzac (I) – Flotilla Leader

In naval terms a flotilla is a small fleet. The role of the flotilla leader was to operate as the spearhead of the group of destroyers, acting as the headquarters ship and providing additional accommodation for the captain and his staff. The leader possessed a more powerful armament, wider radius of service and, normally, a speed equal to or greater than the other units of the flotilla.

The two year old Anzac became the RAN’s first flotilla leader in 1919, when she was presented as a gift from the Royal Navy to Australia, along with five Admiralty ‘S’ class destroyers. Because of her name she was the logical ship of the ‘Marksman’ class to be selected for formal transfer in commemoration of the deeds of the Anzac forces at Gallipoli in 1915.

Built as a unit of the later ‘Marksman’ class, but also known as ‘Lightfoot’ (development of the ‘Nimrod’) class of flotilla leaders, this group differed from the original ‘Marksman’ in that the two forrard funnels were trunked into one large funnel, and a super-firing gun was mounted before the bridge. Anzac was the odd man out in this class, in that her foc’sle was raised one foot during building. It had been hoped to raise the foc’sle with all members of the later ‘Marksmans’ but the others were too far advanced in construction.

During her 14 year career in Australian waters Anzac was allotted the pendant number G90, but like all leaders, the pendant was never painted up on her hull. She was formally commissioned into the RAN on 27 January 1920, introducing into Australian service for the first time the more effective super firing guns (mounted in A and B positions before the bridge) and twin 21 inch torpedo tubes. As well, she was the only three funnelled destroyer to serve with the RAN.

Anzac served mainly along the eastern Australian coast, sailing to New Guinea and New Britain in 1924, 1926 and 1930. During the massive defence cutbacks of the Great Depression, the ship was the only destroyer retained in active service. Following decommissioning in July 1933 Anzac was stripped of all valuable equipment, and then sunk off Sydney as a target on 7 May 1936.

Armament

Four 4 inch Quick Firing MK IV guns were carried in A, B, Q, and Y positions. B was superimposed on the forrard shelter deck, commonly known as B deck. She was the first Australian destroyer to carry the super-firing gun. Q gun was carried on a bandstand between the second and third funnels, Y gun being mounted on the quarter deck. These guns were carried in pedestal P IX mountings and were low angle mountings, being capable of 20° elevation. For the 4 inch guns, 120 rounds per gun were carried. The two 2 pounder pom poms in single mountings were fitted for anti-aircraft defence, one being mounted on a small platform abaft the forrard funnel, the other on the after shelter deck. Ammunition supply was at the rate of 120 rounds for the 4 inch guns and 1000 rounds per gun for the pom-poms.

Anzac was fitted with two twin revolving deck mounts of the ‘close fit’ type. These tubes were made of bronze and could be put out of action by a moderate blow to the tube. Black powder was used as the firing charge and cleaning the tubes after firing was not a greatly sought after job. Later ships adopted the loose fit steel tubes, in which an effective gas check ensured the torpedo being able to receive the full force of the burning cordite propellant, but at the same time a very hefty blow to the casing would have been needed to jam the ‘fish’ in the tube.

Machinery

Anzac was the last Australian destroyer to have three screws and direct drive turbines.

HMAS Anzac (I)
HMAS Anzac (I)

Image courtesy of RAN

With the triple screw installation, the arrangement of the steam flow through the turbines was quite odd. The late Commander (E) W.H.S. Rands, RAN, who was at one time her engineer officer, had this to say about her:

‘She was somewhat of a freak and had the most extraordinary machinery arrangement. For cruising, the steam went first to the HP cruising turbine on the starboard shaft, then to the MP cruising turbine on the port shaft. Then to the HP main on the centre shaft, then to two LP turbines on the port and starboard shafts. The astern turbines were incorporated in the LP turbines on the port and starboard shafts. There was no astern turbine on the centre shaft. To go astern, you unclutched the HP and MP cruising turbines and then poured steam into the astern portion of the LP turbines on the wing shafts. For a while therefore, when going astern, you had a rather disconcerting situation of the two wing shafts grinding away astern, and the centre shaft drifting happily around ahead. The engine room had other amusing and amazing features. The air pump for the port engine was on the starboard side of the engine room, the starboard engines air pump was fitted on the port side.’’

The boilers were housed in one double and two single rooms. Three funnels were fitted, the larger forward ‘stack’ serving two boilers. The other two funnels served one boiler each and were quite small. To save deck space, the after funnels were ‘set-in’ sideways with the fore and aft dimension being only about one third of the width. A side-on view of this funnel arrangement left a lot to be desired.

Captain Harry L. Howden OBE, CBE, RAN

Material in this article is from a paper “Portrait of my Father” by Dr Patrick ffyske Howden and is used with Dr Howden’s kind permission.

Captain H L Howden
Captain H L Howden

Captain Harry L. Howden was a great character – “warts and all”. An unusual man of many parts. Such characters were not rare in the navy in the earlier decades of this century, but one has the impression that they no longer flourish in this age of political correctness. A great pity, as they so often showed outstanding leadership and ability, particularly in war.

Such a one was Harry Howden, affectionately nicknamed “Captain Harry” (sometimes “Den”) by his ship’s company in HMAS Hobart I, and still fondly remembered – almost venerated – by those remaining members now in the Hobart Association.

He joined that ship in late August 1939, and the day before the outbreak of hostilities – WW II – sailed from Sydney on what was to be a three-year absence. These were to be his “finest hours” and he and his ship built up an enviable reputation as a most efficient – and lucky – fighting unit.

Captain Harry was born in Wellington, NZ in 1896 and “had a strict though carefree upbringing, with six doting sisters”, holidaying in Furneaux Lodge on Queen Charlotte Sound. He grew to love the sea and was influenced in choosing the navy as a career by a Scottish uncle who was an Admiral in the Royal Navy, and whose sword is now a family heirloom. In WW I he served as a midshipman RNVR in the battleship Benbow and transferred to the young Australian Navy in 1917. His first Australian ship was HMAS Sydney 1 which, at that time, was experimenting with gun-turret launched Sopwith aircraft. This exciting innovation in naval warfare greatly influenced his future views on the use of ship borne aircraft at sea.

“Naval lifestyle bred in young Harry an uncompromising discipline, un-nerving curiosity and enthusiasm, inventiveness, a precision for detail, encyclopaedic knowledge, unorthodoxy, legendary skills, a total duty to King and country, plus total intolerance for incompetence, which often scared me as a kid.”

“He had a short temper, foul mouthed at times, but despite this, he was a thoughtful and kindly person, an interesting host with many friends and a flair for exotic food and liquor. He was a great fun lover and sportsman, always attracting affection, popularity and devotion.

However, to this high-living, religious Presbyterian, ostentatious even foppish philanthropist, the safety, welfare, performance and pleasure of all those under him was top priority. Beer would appear miraculously and morale-boosting relaxation would be granted during a break in some Red Sea operation, or after covering an exhausting amphibious landing. He was not averse to deliberately disobeying orders when he thought it necessary. ”

Harry served in many RAN ships:- Protector, Platypus, Brisbane I, Parramatta 1, Huon, Anzac 1, Tasmania, Australia, Albatross, Canberra I, Yarra II and Adelaide I. He commanded Cerberus (FND) on two occasions.

On one period of loan service with the RN, he was given command of HMS Mantis, a gunboat of the Insect Class, on the Yangtze Kiang in China. In her he led an exciting life and was awarded the OBE when he disguised an armed boat as a sampan and rescued two missionaries and a Roman Catholic Bishop from bandits. He was married to an English girl during this time. Some years later (1937-38) he served in the Naval Intelligence Division in the Admiralty and while in that, appointment became convinced of the inevitability of WWII.

He returned to Australia to command HMAS Yarra for a short period before commissioning HMAS Adelaide in March 1939 after her major refit in which she was converted from coal to oil fuel.

He joined Hobart at the conclusion of Adelaide’s short working up commission and his first war-time tasks were escorting troop convoys to the Middle East.

In April 1940, in anticipation of war with Italy, a Red Sea Force was formed, based on Aden, with Hobart as its first large component.

The ship distinguished itself in assisting the allied troops in Somaliland and, later, Hobart commanded the operation of the withdrawal of those troops from Berbera – 38,000 men!

Letters: Ashes of Captain Ian McDonald

This is a letter from Mrs. I.H. McDonald (Widow of the late Captain I.H. McDonald RAN – N.H.S. “Review” March 1997) to the Maritime Commander Australia.

Rear Admiral C. A. Ritchie AM, RAN, Maritime Headquarters, Wylde Street, Potts Point, Sydney NSW 2014

April 15, 1997.

Dear Admiral Ritchie,

This letter is to offer my personal thanks to the R.A.N. for the caring and professional manner of the service in the Committal to Sea of the ashes of my late husband Captain Ian McDonald.

During his illustrious career my husband commanded HMA Ships Shoalhaven, Tobruk and Anzac, served in six battleships, eight destroyers and four cruisers. His last sea duty was in command of HMAS Tobruk in Korea in 1952.

The unique event involving HMAS Tobruk took place on April 4th off Sunshine Beach, Queensland. With a few friends I actually saw the proceedings from the balcony of our home and for all of us it will always be a proud and poignant memory.

HMAS Tobruk came in from the north and the Commanding Officer made telephone contact regarding the exact location. To help identify our position I displayed the Australian flag, the White Ensign (upside down), the crests from my husband’s ships, his sword and medals as well as the port and starboard lights from HMAS Australia. We watched the ship slowly moving until, with great precision, it drew exactly opposite. Sailing boats and fishing craft were around as well as a shark net but the ship safely negotiated these and on “dead slow” came within the nearest safest distance from shore.

Commander Glenn Robinson then advised us that the service would commence. We were able to follow it and participate through copies obtained from Commander Coles Personal Services organization in Sydney.

As the ceremony ended we saw a small cloud of ashes sweep behind the ship and knew that a fitting tribute had been paid to my late husband as he was reunited with the sea by his beloved navy.

The Commanding Officer, Captain Robinson, then contacted me to express his pride in being part of the service, particularly so as his father had served with Ian in HMAS Tobruk in Korea. I congratulated him on a perfectly executed manoeuvre and on his exemplary conduct in communications. We then watched as the ship gathered speed and disappeared over the horizon.

Our small gathering agreed that it was a most impressive operation and one that would remain in our memories for the rest of our lives. All present congratulated the Navy and felt proud of our RAN.

Our Minister and cameraman were unable to be present at such short notice so we do not have a clear record of the sight of an RAN ship, close inshore, giving such an unexpectedly wonderful performance. Perhaps this service was unique in the annals of the Australian Navy?

I wish to thank you for granting us the opportunity to pay our last respects to Ian in a manner that honoured him and the execution of which would have given him great pleasure and satisfaction. Would you please extend my sincere appreciation to Commander Robinson and his crew and to those in Personal Services Division? Thank you again,

Yours very sincerely,

Nan McDonald

Biography of Lieutenant Commander R.W. Rankin RAN, and the loss of HMAS Yarra

“In the early morning of the 4th March, 1942 the following ships of the No. 2 Fleet were cruising in the area Latitude South 12° 15′ Longitude East 1100 10′; “A” Class Cruisers ATAGO, TAKAO and MAYA, No. 4 Destroyer Squadron, ARISHI and NOWAKI. They sighted two enemy transport vessels under the escort of two light naval vessels which were; attacked by gunfire and sunk. None of the Japanese ships suffered any damage” ((HERMAN GILL, G. – Royal Australian Navy, 1939-42; Australian War Memorial, 1957.)). So concluded the brief Japanese report on the sinking of HMAS YARRA. YARRA, and the small convoy she was escorting, was commanded by Lieutenant Commander Robert William Rankin, RAN, and on that fateful day in March 1942 his actions and that of the Ship’s Company of YARRA brought about what is regarded by many as the finest action in Australian Naval history.

Robert William Rankin was born in the central New South Wales town of Cobar on 3 June, 1907. He was the second of three children born to Jack and Florence Rankin. Jack Rankin was a clerk whose father had emigrated to Australia in the early 1850’s and settled in the Central West of N.S.W. ((DUFFY, C.J. – “Rankin of YARRA”. Biographical address delivered by Monsignor Duffy to meeting of Naval Historical Society, February 1972.))

When Robert was seven, his father enlisted in the AIF and served overseas for the duration of the war. Most of Rankin’s education was at the state school in Merrylands, a suburb of Sydney, until he was awarded a bursary to Parramatta High School in 1920. However in 1920 Rankin sat for and passed the RAN College entrance exam.

Some weeks later Rankin was advised that he was one of the eleven successful candidates to enter the College at Jervis Bay in 1921. This small intake was characteristic of the post World War I Navy. The Royal Australian Naval College had been created in 1913 and intakes had normally been of 25 to 30 boys. However by the early 1920s the demand for post war disarmament and reduction in funding for the Navy combined to limit the 1921 entry to only eleven boys.

One of the 1921 entry recalled in 1980 his arrival at RANC:

“In February 1921, we eleven chosen new cadets (at 13 years of age) assembled at Sydney Central Railway Station and took a train to Nowra, a journey of about 90 miles. We carried with us only the essentials we had needed in the journeys from our respective states to reach Sydney and to catch that train. A cadet whose home was in Sydney (such as Rankin) had only the clothes he was wearing. At Nowra we were met by the College charabanc (car). It was about 10 p.m. when we arrived at the College at the end of the 23 mile drive from Nowra, assembled and were “welcomed” by our Term Officer who told us that he would be father and mother to us; we filed past the doctor: “No Complaints” and were herded to our dormitory. Next day we were issued with all our clothing; we arranged our gear into our sea chests in the approved manner, and were ready to begin our Naval Service.” ((GATACRE, G.G.O. – Report of Proceedings. Nautical Press and Publications, 1982.)) The parents of boys entering the College were required to complete an Indenture Form for their sons, stating that the boy would make the Navy his career, and serve until at least the age of 30. If a boy wished to leave the Navy during his training his parents would be charged 75 pounds for each year of training that the boy had completed.

Shortly after arriving at the College it was alleged Rankin was in trouble because of his religion. His father, Jack, was a Presbyterian, but whilst he had been overseas in the AIF his children had been baptized and confirmed into the Catholic faith. Rankin was questioned as to why he had misled the Navy by stating he was a Presbyterian on his entrance papers but now professed to being a Catholic. Eventually the problem was resolved when it was realised that his father had filled in the entrance papers and had incorrectly put down his own religion instead of that of his son.

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