On This Day

1960-1975 > Vietnam era

January 6, 1970

RADM H. D. Stevenson was appointed Flag Officer Commanding Her Majesty’s Australian Fleet.

January 1, 1970

HMAS VENDETTA, (destroyer), observed a three hour ceasefire for the New Year off Phan Thiet, Vietnam.

December 27, 1969

HMAS VENDETTA, (destroyer), was Navy gunfire ship for US II Corps’ operations in Vietnam.

December 25, 1969

RAN Chaplains Reverend L. Breslan, and the Reverend A. Batt celebrated mass and holy communion in HMAS VENDETTA, (Daring class destroyer), some six miles off the Vietnam coast.

December 24, 1969

HMAS VENDETTA, (Daring class destroyer), observed the Christmas ceasefire which came into force at 1800. VENDETTA withdrew some six miles off the fire line on the Vietnam coast.

December 22, 1969

The Oberon class submarine HMAS ONSLOW, (LCDR C. Nixon-Eckersall, RN), was commissioned at Greenock, Scotland. ONSLOW was laid down in Scotts Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd, Greenock, Scotland, on 26 May 1967, and launched on 3 December 1968. Princess Alexandra performed the launching ceremony. ONSLOW was transferred to the Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney, as a permanent exhibit after decommissioning in March 1999.

December 21, 1969

HMAS JEPARIT, the former Australian National line 6,341 ton general purpose bulk carrier, reported fully loaded and ready for sea. The ship was the subject of union disputes from August, 1966, until commissioned on 11 December 1969.

December 11, 1969

The supply ship HMAS JEPARIT, (CMDR R. E. Bourke, RAN), was commissioned. JEPARIT was laid down in Evans Deakin Yard, Brisbane, as a bulk-carrier, and launched on 5 October 1963. She was completed for the Australian National Line in February 1964

December 10, 1969

The first Australian chart published in metric measurement was issued by the RAN Hydrographic Office.

November 29, 1969

The Daring class destroyer HMAS VENDETTA, (CMDR E. E. Johnston, RAN), withdrew from the fire-line off Tuy Hoa in Vietnam, in the face of increasing gales, fog and rain. She sailed to Taiwan for maintenance and restoring.

November 19, 1969

HMAS VENDETTA, (Daring class destroyer), supported South Vietnamese battalions in a night action to the west of Tuy Hoa, Vietnam. VENDETTA was the only British-design ship employed in operations in Vietnam, and ammunition supply for her 4.5-inch guns created a supply problem.

November 13, 1969

HMAS VENDETTA, (Daring class destroyer), operated as Navy gunfire ship for US Infantry Corps’ operations in Vietnam.

Wessex N7-211 was lost in dramatic circumstances east of Jervis Bay. While conducted a stores transfer to the destroyer HMAS Vampire the helicopter winch cable snagged on a projection on the destroyer’s upper deck. Moments later the ship rolled, and the cable snapped and rebounded into the helicopter’s rotor head, causing the Wessex to ditch. The aircrew were all rescued

November 7, 1969

HMAS Gull was paid off into operational reserve having steamed 199,042.7 nautical miles in almost seven years of active service. In a fitting postscript, Gull was awarded the Kelly Shield for small ship efficiency in 1969, however, as Gull had already paid-off, the shield was presented to Ibis in which most of Gull’s crew were now serving. Gull remained in the Reserve Fleet until 20 January 1976 when she was finally sold. By this time she had been comprehensively stripped to provide spare parts for Curlew, Ibis and Snipe.

October 17, 1969

The following gallantry awards were made to personnel of the RAN’s Helicopter Flight for service in Vietnam:

• DSC LCDR G. R. Rohrsheim, RAN;
• DSC LEUT I. M. Speedy, RAN;
• DSC LEUT T. F. Supple, RAN;
• DSC SBLT W. E. Symons, RAN;
• DFC LCDR R. A. Waddell, RAN;
• MID LEUT M. A. Perrott, RAN;
• MID SBLT C. R. R. Rox, RAN;
• MID SBLT R. J. Kyle, RAN;
• MID LEUT. A. Hill, RAN;
• MID LEUTM. J. Ward, RAN;
• MID SBLT G. E. Vidal, RAN;
• MID POAM R. C. Cole, RAN.

The Fourth Submarine Squadron, RAN was renamed the First Australian Submarine Squadron.

October 3, 1969

The Daring class destroyer HMAS VENDETTA, (CMDR E. E. Johnson, RAN), fired her first rounds in the Vietnam War against enemy rocket sites, and troop staging areas.

September 27, 1969

VADM Sir Victor Smith, KBE, CB, DSC, flew his flag as Chief of Naval Staff in HMAS BRISBANE, (guided missile destroyer), off Vietnam.

September 26, 1969

HMAS Vendetta received a detailed handover from HMAS Brisbane in Subic Bay when she arrived for service during the Vietnam War. This was the occasion for Captain Willis, Brisbane (II)’s commanding officer to pass ‘the Weight’ to Vendetta’s commanding officer, Commander Johnston, symbolizing the official handover of gunline duties. ‘The Weight’ was fashioned from a pair of highly polished shell bases separated by a burnished metal rod. Around its base was inscribed the names of the RAN destroyers in the order of their deployment. Vendetta was the first and only RAN Daring Class destroyer to go to war. During the ensuing seven months, Vendetta performed credibly in a role for which she had been specifically designed – naval gunfire support. She proved herself to be a more than adequate replacement for a DDG on the ‘gunline.’ During her five tours totaling 93 days, Vendetta fired 13,295 4.5-inch shells, plus over 400 rounds of 40mm, steaming 21,000 nautical miles in the process.

September 23, 1969

The RAN Clearance Diving Team 3 was awarded the USN Meritorious Unit Commendation for conspicuous service in Vietnam.

September 16, 1969

CMDR Albert S. McLemore, USN, was found guilty of dereliction in the performance of duty, and negligently hazarding a vessel, at his court martial, convened as a result of the collision between HMAS MELBOURNE, (aircraft carrier), and USS FRANK E EVANS, (destroyer). CMDR McLemore had pleaded not guilty. He was sentenced to receive a letter of reprimand.

September 15, 1969

HMAS VENDETTA, (Daring class destroyer), relieved HMAS BRISBANE, (guided missile destroyer), in the US Seventh Fleet off Vietnam.

VADM Sir Victor Smith presented a cheque for $32,500 to VADM William F. Bringle, US Seventh Fleet. The money was the proceeds of an Australian appeal to assist relatives of US sailors lost in the USS FRANK E EVANS, (destroyer), as a result of her colliding with HMAS MELBOURNE, (aircraft carrier).

September 14, 1969

The guided missile destroyer HMAS BRISBANE, (CAPT A. A. Willis, RAN), completed 143 gunfire missions, in which 389 enemy defences were either destroyed or damaged, 313 bunkers hit, 14 supply sampans sunk, and 900 metres of tunnels and trenches were destroyed. BRISBANE also took 11 prisoners during her tour of duty in Vietnam, which extended over the period 31 March to 14 October, 1969.

September 11, 1969

LEUT Ronald C. Ramsey, USN, deck officer of USS FRANK E EVANS, (destroyer), entered a plea of guilty of negligence before a court martial investigating the collision with HMAS MELBOURNE, (aircraft carrier). LEUT Ramsey was sentenced to lose 1000 promotional numbers

September 4, 1969

LEUT James A. Hopson, USN, was reprimanded for dereliction of duty and negligence, in connection with the collision of HMAS MELBOURNE, (aircraft carrier), and USS FRANK E EVANS, (destroyer)

September 2, 1969

HMAS SAMARAI, (patrol boat), rescued the crew of 21 from the Japanese fishing vessel YUTAKA MARU No. 12, wrecked on Russell Island off New Guinea.

August 26, 1969

HMA Ships HOBART, VENDETTA, ANZAC, DERWENT, YARRA, CURLEW, HAWK, and GULL, searched for survivors from MV NOONGAH, which foundered in heavy seas off Smoky Cape. Five of the ship’s crew of 26 were picked up.
On August 25th 1969 MV Noongah had left Newcastle with a cargo of steel for Townsville. She struck bad weather off Smokey Cape near Kempsey on the northern New South Wales coast. The vessel developed a list and sank with the loss of 21 members of the crew. At that time the wind was blowing at 70 knots (110 kph) with the seas at 30 feet. Two survivors escaped by life raft, and three others were found clinging to a plank. The search for survivors was one of the greatest in Australia’s history involving five destroyers, three minesweepers, seven aircraft, two helicopters and a number of other vessels.