On This Day
1960-1975 > Vietnam era
On This Day - 1960-1975
- December 7, 1973
HMPNGS BUNA, (landing craft heavy), was commissioned into the PNGDF. She was a sister ship to the RAN LCH vessels, and was a gift from Australia to Papua New Guinea.
- November 29, 1973
The Department of the Navy ceased to exist. It was merged with the Departments of Army and Air to form the Department of Defence.
- November 23, 1973
VADM Sir Hugh David Stevenson, AC, KBE, was appointed Chief of Naval Staff.
- November 16, 1973
HMAS BANDOLIER, (patrol boat), was transferred to the Indonesian Navy and renamed SIBARAU.
- November 12, 1973
HMAS Sydney decommissioned, by which time she had steamed 395,591 miles as a fast troop transport. Since first commissioning in 1948 she had steamed 711,549 miles. Stripped of all useful fittings, Sydney returned to Athol Bight where she languished until sold for scrap to the Dongkuk Steel Mill Company, Limited of Seoul, South Korea, on 28 October 1975. The former aircraft carrier and fast troop transport left Sydney under tow on 23 December 1975.
- November 8, 1973
Skyhawk A4G (889) crashed due to catapult failure while launching from MELBOURNE during multinational exercise near Singapore. SBLT Barry Evans remained in the aircraft while the ship passed overhead and freed himself underwater and was picked up by helicopter.
- October 19, 1973
The landing craft heavy HMAS SALAMAUA, was commissioned. SALAMAUA was laid down in Walker’s Yard, Maryborough, Queensland.
- October 18, 1973
UPI and AP issued a press release quoting: General Brown, US Air Force Chief-of-Staff; ‘Early in the summer of 1968 near the Demilitarised Zone, [Vietnam], there was a series of [UFO] sightings which set off quite a battle, with an Australian destroyer taking a hit’. The destroyer was HMAS HOBART, hit by US aircraft missiles.
- August 10, 1973
The landing craft heavy HMAS WEWAK, was commissioned. WEWAK was laid down in Walker’s Yard, Maryborough, QLD, in March 1972, and launched on 18 May 1972.
- August 8, 1973
HMAS BETANO, (landing ship heavy), was commissioned.