On This Day
2000-present-day
On This Day - 2000-2019
- August 13, 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 to destroy several pieces of WWII ordnance, including a Japanese 250 pound bomb, and several US 5 inch shells. Many of these items were close to local villages.
- August 11, 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 HMA Ships ANZAC, CANBERRA, MELBOURNE, (guided missile frigates), KANIMBLA, (landing platform amphibious), WESTRALIA, (auxiliary oiler replenishment), DECHAINEUX, (Collins class submarine), BENDIGO, and WOLLONGONG, (patrol boats).
- July 30, 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.
- July 13, 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, for the last time three days later. The Queensland Government plan was to sink the ship off the Sunshine Coast, (near Mudjimba Island), where she would become a dive wreck.
- June 30, 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 WWII, was chosen as the day to conduct the ceremony.
- June 29, 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 and replenishment ship), and PARRAMATTA, (ANZAC class frigate). The RAAF provided two P3C maritime patrol aircraft, and the Army a 120 man rifle company. Ships and personnel from Australia, Canada, Chile, Peru, Japan, South Korea, and the United States took part in the one month long exercise. The units from Japan however only conducted activities with US units.
- June 28, 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.
- June 26, 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 2002. Dr S. Herd, (Daughter of the President of the HMAS BALLARAT Association), performed the launching ceremony.
- June 18, 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 TICO TICO. The yacht had been badly damaged when it capsized near a Fijian atoll, and the three crew were forced into a life raft. A RNZAF Orion aircraft on patrol, picked up a signal from the yacht’s distress beacon, and guided NEWCASTLE to the raft. The crew had been in the life raft for over 48 hours when NEWCASTLE’s helicopter arrived on the scene and winched them to safety.
The largest single class of trainee officers graduated from the RAN College. 115 officers graduated on this day.
- June 16, 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 be converted to an auxiliary oiler, and join the fleet in 2006.