The guided missile frigate HMAS MELBOURNE, (CMDR. R. V. S. Dutschke, RAN), responded to a distress call from the iron ore carrier LOWLANDS GRACE, which was anchored off Port Hedland ...
Australian Naval History on 23 September 2004
The mine-hunter HMAS DIAMANTINA, (LCDR Peter Bartlett, RAN), returned to Sydney after six weeks service in the Solomon Islands, as part of Operation Anode. During her deployment her ships company ...
Australian Naval History on 22 September 2004
ADML A. L. Beaumont, AC, RAN, (Retired), died after a lengthy illness. He had joined the Navy as a 13 year old Cadet Midshipman in 1948, and had risen through ...
Australian Naval History on 13 September 2004
Exercise Bersama Lima 2004 commenced in Singaporean and Malaysian waters. This majorFive-Power Defence Arrangement (FPDA) Exercise involved over 30 ships, 80 aircraft, and some 3,000 personnel. The RAN was represented ...
Australian Naval History on 27 August 2004
The frigate HMAS ANZAC, (CAPT Richard Menhinick, CSC, RAN), rescued 15 Indonesians from a sinking vessel south of Batam Island. The crew of the vessel lit a fire to attract ...
Australian Naval History on 16 August 2004
15 sailors from HMNZS ENDEAVOUR, (tanker), were injured during a life boat drill that went awry, while the ship was berthed at Fleet Base East, Sydney. During a regular test ...
Australian Naval History on 13 August 2004
The mine-hunter HMAS GASCOYNE, (LCDR Dean Schopen, RAN), returned to Sydney after seven weeks service in the Solomon Islands, as part of Operation Anode. During the deployment, her crew helped ...
Australian Naval History on 11 August 2004
Exercise Singaroo, (joint exercise involving the RAN and the Singapore Navy), commenced in the waters off Darwin, NT. RS Ships VICTORY and VIGILENCE, (Victory class corvettes), were involved, along with ...
Australian Naval History on 30 July 2004
The guided missile frigate HMAS ADELAIDE, (CMDR B. R.Victor, RAN), departed from Fleet Base West to deploy to the Persian Gulf as part of the ADF contribution to Operation Catalyst. ...
Australian Naval History on 13 July 2004
HMAS BRISBANE, (former guided missile destroyer), was handed over to the Queensland Government in a ceremony at Fleet Base East, Garden Island, Sydney. The ship left Sydney Harbour, under tow, ...
Australian Naval History on 30 June 2004
The banner of the Scrap Iron Flotilla Association, was laid up at HMAS WATERHEN, (mine-countermeasures shore-base, Sydney), for safe keeping. The date of the loss of HMAS WATERHEN, (destroyer), during ...
Australian Naval History on 29 June 2004
Exercise RIMPAC 04, (the 19th in the series which commenced in the early 1970’s), began in Hawaii. RAN units involved included HMA Ships NEWCASTLE, (guided missile frigate), SUCCESS, (fleet oiler ...
Australian Naval History on 28 June 2004
RADM R. C. Moffitt, AM, RAN, was appointed as Maritime Commander Australia. He had previously served as the Deputy Chief of Navy from 2002-04. ...
Australian Naval History on 26 June 2004
The ANZAC class guided missile frigate, HMAS BALLARAT, (CMDR D. J. Hunter, CSC, RAN), was commissioned. BALLARAT was laid down in Tenix Williamstown Dockyard, VIC, and launched on 22 May ...
Australian Naval History on 18 June 2004
The frigate HMAS NEWCASTLE, (CAPT T. N. Jones, CSC, RAN), was en-route to Hawaii for Exercise Rimpac 04, when she was diverted to rescue three Danish sailors from the yacht ...
Australian Naval History on 16 June 2004
The tanker MT DELOS, was purchased by the RAN as a replacement for HMAS WESTRALIA. MT DELOS is a 37,000 double-hulled tanker built in South Korea. The tanker was to ...
Australian Naval History on 12 June 2004
The Iraqi Coastal Defence Force was officially formed at the Umm Qasr Naval Base, Iraq. Personnel from the RAN, RN, USN, and Polish Navy, had been instrumental in the training ...
Australian Naval History on 6 June 2004
60 years after the D-Day landings, a significant commemorative service was held at Arromanches, France. Four Australian ex-servicemen, including CDRE Dacre Smyth, (RAN, Retired), were presented with the French Legion ...
Australian Naval History on 3 June 2004
The Minister of Defence, Mr Robert Hill, announced the purchase of a new tanker to replace the aging HMAS WESTRALIA. The tanker DELOS, which had been built in South Korea ...
Australian Naval History on 2 June 2004
During a two week ‘blitz’ on illegal fishing vessels in Northern Australian waters, more then 15 Indonesian fishing vessels were detained. HMA Ships BUNBURY, WARRNAMBOOL, and WHYALLA, (patrol boats), assisted ...
Australian Naval History on 1 June 2004
The damaged yacht ELIZABETH II was towed into Darwin, after being rescued by the patrol boat HMAS GAWLER, (LCDR R. Donnelly, RAN), near Bathurst Island. ...
Australian Naval History on 28 May 2004
The Minister of Defence, Mr Robert Hill, announced that an RAN Heritage Centre would be built at the northern end of Garden Island, Sydney, to display RAN artifacts. The idea ...
Australian Naval History on 20 May 2004
The ADF ceased to formally provide security forces in Timor Leste, (formerly East Timor), when security for the nation was handed over to the country’s own Defence Force and Police. ...
Australian Naval History on 5 May 2004
A ceremonial plate-cutting, of the first aluminum for the RAN’s new Armidale class patrol boats, was conducted at the Austal Shipyard near Fremantle, WA. Under the $550 million contract, Austal/Defence ...
Australian Naval History on 25 April 2004
Prime Minister, John Howard, accompanied by the CDF, (General Peter Cosgrove), make a surprise ANZAC Day visit to Australian personnel serving in Baghdad. A planned visit to HMAS STUART, then ...