On This Day

1960-1975 > Vietnam era

July 4, 1961

The River class destroyer escort HMAS PARRAMATTA, (CMDR G. R. Griffiths, DSC, RAN), was commissioned. PARRAMATTA was laid down in Cockatoo Island Dockyard, Sydney, 3 January 1957, and launched on 31 January 1959. Lady Dowling, (Wife of ADML Sir Roy Dowling, RAN, Chief of the Naval Staff), performed the launching ceremony.

June 16, 1961

HMAS MELBOURNE used the RAN-devised Bailey Bridge loading ramp for aircraft carriers at Garden Island, Sydney. The ramp greatly reduced the time required for loading.

June 16, 1961

Fleet entry into Sydney Harbour to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the RAN. Included were HMAS Melbourne, Voyager, Quickmatch, Parramatta, Swan, Warrego, Barcoo, Kimbla and HMS Tapir and Trump. At the same time FAA Sea Venoms, Sea Furys, Fireflys and Gannets flew over the harbour.

June 2, 1961

The Chilean Navy’s ESMERALDA, (barquentine), visited Sydney. The training ship was the first large sailing vessel to call at the port for ten years.

May 31, 1961

725 Squadron decommissioned and its aircraft were transferred to 724 Squadron.

May 8, 1961

The nuclear-powered submarine USS SARGO, visited Sydney for Coral Sea Week celebrations.

April 17, 1961

HMAS DERWENT, (destroyer escort), was launched at Williamstown, VIC.

April 8, 1961

HMAS STUART, (destroyer escort), was launched at Cockatoo Island, Sydney.

April 7, 1961

The British First Sea Lord, Lord Carrington, announced British plans for the creation of powerful naval and commando forces in the Far East in conjunction with the RAN.

March 17, 1961

RAN clearance divers cleared underground ducts in tunnels of the Snowy Mountains Authority’s project at Lake Eucumbene, NSW. The team worked in depths of 80 metres in freezing conditions to clear a 23 km tunnel system leading to the Tumut River.

March 13, 1961

HMA Ships BUNDABERG and BUNBURY, (minesweepers), were sold out of service for breaking up in Japan.

March 4, 1961

The Navy Memorial Chapel at HMAS WATSON, (shore base, Sydney), was dedicated.

Sycamore XD654 ditched alongside HMS Hermes while operating from HMAS Sydney near the Cocos Islands and written off.

March 1, 1961

HMAS Anzac (II) became the Fleet Training Ship (seaman training only), with an extra deckhouse aft and the director removed

February 19, 1961

HMAS VENDETTA, (destroyer), took off 12 passengers from the Shaw Savill freighter RUNIC, aground on Middleton Reef, QLD.

January 6, 1961

HMA Ships, ARARAT, COWRA, FREMANTLE, GYMPIE, ROCKHAMPTON, and STRAHAN, (minesweepers), were sold out of service for breaking up. GYMPIE was broken up at Sydney and the other ships in Japan.

December 13, 1960

The hulk of HMAS PENGUIN, (composite screw corvette), was burnt at Kerosene Bay, Sydney.

November 15, 1960

The Explorer class general purpose vessel HMAS BASS, (LEUT G. Kennedy, RAN), was commissioned. BASS was laid down in Walker’s Yard, Maryborough, QLD, in 1959, and launched on 28 March 1960.

November 10, 1960

HMAS QUICKMATCH, (frigate), rescued 43 Indonesian seamen from a sinking vessel 45 miles east of Singapore.

November 9, 1960

HMAS DIAMANTINA, (oceanographic survey ship), was present at the unveiling of a memorial to the HMAS SYDNEY- German raider EMDEN action at Cocos Island.

October 29, 1960

HMAS TOBRUK was paid off for disposal in Sydney. Tobruk was sold for scrap on 15 February 1972 to the Fujita Salvage Company Limited of Osaka, Japan. On 10 April 1972 the Japanese ocean going tug Sumi Maru 38 sailed from Sydney for Moji, Japan, with Tobruk and another former Australian ship, HMAS Quiberon, under tow.

October 28, 1960

HMAS Wagga paid off. She was the last of the Bathurst Class in seagoing commission in the Royal Australian Navy. Wagga was declared for disposal on 31 May 1961 and sold out of service in March 1962, when she was purchased by the South Australian Carrying Co

October 11, 1960

HMAS WOOMERA, (ammunition ship), was lost when dumping obsolete ammunition at sea, off Sydney Heads. A violent explosion, followed by a fierce fire, caused WOOMERA to sink in a few minutes. Two of the crew were killed in the explosion, but the other 25 were picked up by HMAS QUICKMATCH, (frigate). While in the sea the survivors were attacked by albatrosses.

September 14, 1960

On 14 September 1960, Tobruk was performing gunnery exercises with sister ship HMAS Anzac off Jervis Bay. A malfunction in Anzac’s gun direction equipment negated the deliberate 6° mis-aiming of her guns, with the resulting shell hitting Tobruk and doing enough damage to the destroyer to require lengthy repairs. Temporary repairs were made to Tobruk in Jervis Bay before the ship limped back to Sydney, where she was placed into reserve on 29 October 1960. Two of Anzac’s crew were charged over the incident. Repairing the destroyer was considered uneconomical, and she remained moored until the ship was marked for disposal on 14 May 1971. Tobruk was sold for scrap to Fujita Salvage Company Limited of Osaka, Japan on 15 February 1972, and departed Sydney under tow on 10 April 1972.

September 9, 1960

HMA Ships QUIBERON and VAMPIRE represented Australia at the celebrations for the fiftieth anniversary of the liberation of North Borneo

July 30, 1960

The state of emergency in Malaya is formally lifted after 12 years in force.