On This Day
1960-1975 > Vietnam era
On This Day - 1960-1975
- December 25, 1970
HMAS PERTH, (guided missile destroyer), withdrew from the fire line off Vietnam and celebrated Christmas Day at Hong Kong. During the day the ship was visited by the Minister for the Navy, Mr. D. J. Killen, MHR.
- December 24, 1970
Gunships of the RAN Helicopter Flight in Vietnam operated as a security force over a South Vietnamese military camp in the Ca Mau Peninsula, during a Christmas visit by President Nguyen Van Thieu.
- December 21, 1970
HMAS PERTH, (guided missile destroyer), engaged in a counter-battery duel with Viet Cong guns in the Long Hai hills, Vietnam.
- December 17, 1970
HMA Ships AITAPE and LADAVA, (patrol boats), navigated a record 497 miles on the Fly River, New Guinea.
- December 15, 1970
The following gallantry awards were announced for RAN personnel who served in the Helicopter Flight in Vietnam.
- DSC LCDR D. A. Farthing
- DFC LEUT P. L. Clark
- DFC LEUT R. K. Marum
- MID LEUT D. B. Gibson
- MID LEUT R. J. Cooper
- MID SBLT G. Mayo
- MID SBLT E. K. Wile
- MID SBLT A. C. Perry.
- December 11, 1970
HMAS PERTH, (guided missile destroyer), shelled Viet Cong in the field, and destroyed a mobile wireless van.
- December 4, 1970
There was an extraordinary act of flying skill by Lieutenant Buchanan, RAN, and his crew for which the Australian pilot was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. While engaged in the medical evacuation of a wounded crew member from a South Vietnamese patrol boat, the group came under heavy enemy fire. Another patrol boat, some 50 metres away, exploded following a direct hit from an enemy rocket. Realising that the boat with which he was operating was disabled and drifting toward the enemy held shore, Buchanan, in his own words: “Tilted the rotor, as though I was going to do a skidding take off and the friction of my skids on the deck of the patrol boat was sufficient to drag the boat in the direction I wanted to go. This was in the opposite direction from the trees at the edge of the river and the nasty-minded individuals who were hiding under them and trying to impede my progress with various weapons.”
- December 3, 1970
The Australian supply ship JEPARIT arrived at Vung Tau, Vietnam, on her 33rd voyage.
HMAS PERTH, (guided missile destroyer), provided supporting gunfire to the US 135th Assault Helicopter Company, when it landed troops near the Cambodian border.
- November 24, 1970
HMAS Adroit on SAR duties in company with HMAS Aware assisted in an attempt to salvage a ditched helicopter from HMAS Albatross after a Westland Wessex HAS.31A N7-201 881 crashed on 23/11/1970. While being towed into Jervis Bay the aircraft sank
- November 23, 1970
ADML Sir Victor Smith, OA, KBE, CB, DSC, RAN, was appointed Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee. ADML Smith was the first graduate of the Royal Australian Naval College to reach the rank.
VADM Sir Richard Peek, KBE, CB, DSC, RAN, was appointed as Chief of Naval Staff.
- November 15, 1970
HMAS PERTH, (guided missile destroyer), engaged North Vietnamese guns in the hills around Da Nang, Vietnam.
- October 23, 1970
HMAS PERTH, (guided missile destroyer), landed a US Commando unit in the southern area of the Demilitarised Zone in Vietnam, to ambush Viet Cong small craft ferrying mines to South Vietnam.
- October 8, 1970
The guided missile destroyer HMAS PERTH, (CAPT I. M. Burnside, RAN), sank two Viet Cong ammunition sampans moving into the demilitarised zone in Vietnam. Later in the day PERTH’S guns knocked out an enemy 175mm rocket emplacement.
- October 4, 1970
HMAS PERTH, (guided missile destroyer), fired on Viet Cong infiltration trails, bunkers, and supply dumps around Da Nang.
- September 30, 1970
The Manly ferry SOUTH STEYNE collided with HMAS MELBOURNE, (aircraft carrier), in Sydney Harbour. Damage to both vessels was minor.
- September 28, 1970
The last recorded Sea Vampire Trainer flight took place and the aircraft were replaced by the CAC Aermacchi MB-326H (Macchi) from October 1970. The remaining six Vampires were sold during 1970-72 with most going to aviation museums.
- September 22, 1970
HMAS HOBART, (guided missile destroyer), ended her third deployment in Vietnam, by providing gunfire support to the Australian Task Force in the Long Hai hills. HOBART fired 16,901 rounds in the deployment
- September 3, 1970
The following awards to personnel of HMAS VENDETTA, (Daring class destroyer), for service in Vietnam, were announced:- OBE CMDR E. E. Johnston, RAN; MID LCDR V. W. Jones, RAN; MID CPO Coxswain T. Collins.
- August 28, 1970
HMAS PERTH, (guided missile destroyer), was awarded her second USN citation for service in Vietnam.
- August 1, 1970
The Admiralty abolished the daily rum issue and grog allowance in the RN.
- July 25, 1970
HMAS HOBART, (guided missile destroyer), was Naval Gunfire Ship for operations by the US II Corps in Vietnam.
- July 24, 1970
The USN Meritorious Unit Commendation was awarded to No. 817 Squadron, RAN, for outstanding service in the rescue of survivors, following the collision of HMAS MELBOURNE, (aircraft carrier), and USS FRANK E EVANS, (destroyer), in the South China Sea.
- July 20, 1970
HMAS HOBART, (guided missile destroyer), carried out a night bombardment of a concentration of 400 Viet Cong troops on the border of U Minh, Vietnam.
- July 13, 1970
LEUT R. K. Marum, RAN, directed an attack by helicopter gunships on a Viet Cong unit near Tra Vinh, Vietnam. The gunships were led by SBLT J. R. J. Cooper, RAN, who was forced to make an emergency landing under fire during the attack. Cooper and his crew were picked up by another gunship.
- July 4, 1970
HMAS ONSLOW, (submarine), arrived at Sydney to join the Australian Submarine Squadron, wearing the flag of the Chief of Naval Staff, VADM V. A. T. Smith.