On This Day

2000-present-day

November 5, 2002

The former destroyer HMAS HOBART was scuttled off Lady Bay, (South Australia), as a dive wreck. Sunk in 29 metres of water, the destroyer had been specially prepared to be a dive wreck with all door, hatches and ladders removed to allow easy access to civilian recreational divers.

September 17, 2002

HMAS ADELAIDE, (frigate), arrives in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, for a good will visit.

August 17, 2002

The Anzac class guided missile frigate HMAS STUART, was commissioned. STUART was laid down in Tenix Williamstown Dockyard, VIC, and launched on 17 April 1999.

August 2, 2002

HMAS Canberra (II) returned to Australia after a deployment to the Middle East region for Operation SLIPPER

July 20, 2002

RADM Raydon Gates, CSM, RAN, was appointed Maritime Commander Australia.

July 15, 2002

HMAS Newcastle, arrived back in her home port of Sydney following a six-month patrol in the Middle East region in support of Operation SLIPPER.

July 13, 2002

HMAS Manoora II arrived in the Port Phillip Bay after return from Persian Gulf

July 8, 2002

HMA Ships ARUNTA, and DARWIN, (frigates), undertake a concurrent replenishment with the Spanish warship SPS MARQES DE LA ENSENADA, in the Gulf of Oman. ARUNTA was about to commence duties in the Persian Gulf, and DARWIN was on her way home to Australia.

July 7, 2002

HMS NOTTINGHAM, (Type 42 destroyer), ran aground on Wolf Rock at Lord Howe Island, and suffered significant damage to her hull and electrical systems. The ship was only saved from foundering by the excellent damage control skills of her crew. RAN and RNZN clearance divers later flew to Lord Howe Island, to assist in stabilizing the vessel, before she was towed to Sydney for repairs. Eventually, the vessel was placed onboard a heavy lift ship, in Sydney, and returned to the United Kingdom for extensive repairs. Four of NOTTINGHAM’s officers, including the Commanding Officer, were court-martialled in 2003, and found guilty of various offences leading to the grounding. After extensive repairs NOTTINGHAM returned to service in July 2004.

July 2, 2002

VADM Chris Ritchie AO, RAN, was appointed Chief on Navy. During 1991 he commanded HMAS BRISBANE, (guided missile destroyer), in the first Gulf War.

June 25, 2002

HMAS ARUNTA departs from HMAS STIRLING, for service in the Persian Gulf, as part of the Maritime Interdiction Force, (Operation SLIPPER), enforcing sanctions on Iraq.

May 30, 2002

HMAS MELBOURNE, (CAPT S. R. W. McDowell, CSM, RAN), departs Sydney for a five month deployment to the Persian Gulf, to enforce maritime sanctions against Iraq, (Operation Slipper). She departed the Middle East area of operations on 8 November, after 136 days in theatre, and having conduct 315 boardings. She eventually arrived back in Sydney on 20 December.

May 4, 2002

The Huon class mine hunter coastal HMAS DIAMANTINA, (LCDR M.J. Rothwell, RAN), was commissioned. DIAMANTINA was laid down in ADI Yard, Newcastle, NSW, and launched on 2 December 2000. Mrs M. Bryden, (Daughter of LCDR Rose, RANVR), performed the launching ceremony.

Acting LS Cameron Troy Gurr was lost overboard from HMAS DARWIN, (frigate), in the vicinity of Christmas Island. DARWIN was conducting patrols as part of border protection operations, (Operation RELEX II). Despite an extensive search no trace of LS Gurr was ever found.

April 3, 2002

HMAS Kanimbla II returned to Sydney after service in the Middle East as part of the maritime force assigned to Operation SLIPPER.

March 16, 2002

HMAS HOBART (D39) was scuttled in Yankalilla Bay, South Australia. She took 2 minutes and 17 seconds to sink.

February 28, 2002

HMAS Manoora II arrived in the Persian Gulf as part of Operation SLIPPER, Australia’s contribution to the war in Afghanistan

February 27, 2002

RADM R.W. Gates, CSM, RAN, was appointed as Maritime Commander Australia.

February 19, 2002

HMAS CANBERRA, (frigate), escorts the two illegal fishing vessels MV LENA and MV VOLGA into Gage Roads in Western Australia to be handed over to civilian authorities. The two vessels had been apprehended near Heard Island in early February and escorted back to mainland Australia with RAN steaming parties onboard each vessel.

February 6, 2002

HMAS CANBERRA, (frigate), apprehended the MV LENA near Heard Island and a boarding party fast roped on to the illegal fishing vessel. The next day CANBERRA apprehended the MV VOLGA, which was also fishing illegally in Australian waters. During this time CANBERRA was supported by HMAS WESTRALIA, (tanker),who refueled the frigate regularly to allow her to extend her time in the area.

December 28, 2001

VADM D. J. Shackleton, AO, RAN, departed from HMAS SYDNEY, via Seahawk Helicopter, to return to Bahrain after a four day period spent embarked in HMA Ships KANIMBLA, ADELAIDE, and SYDNEY, which were then employed on Maritime Interception Operations in the Northern Arabian Gulf as part of Operation Slipper.

November 24, 2001

HMAS PERTH, (former guided missile destroyer), was sunk as a dive wreck at Seal Rock, Albany, WA. The scuttling charges were fired by a former member of the crew of the earlier HMAS PERTH, (cruiser), which had been sunk in 1942 at the Battle of Sunda Strait.

November 18, 2001

A memorial to HMAS SYDNEY, (cruiser),which was sunk in the action with the German raider KORMORAN, was dedicated at Mount Scott in Geraldton, WA. The memorial consists of a dome formed by 645 interlocking metal seabirds, one for each of SYDNEY’s complement. The memorial dominates the Geraldton skyline, and has sweeping views of the Indian Ocean where the wreck of SYNDEY still lies.

November 8, 2001

The Indonesian fishing boat SUMBER LESTARI, (later termed SIEV 10), with 164 suspected illegal immigrants onboard, caught fire and sank near Ashmore Reef. The patrol boat HMAS WOLLONGONG, (LCDR S. Thompson, RAN), then in the area on Operation Relex border protection patrols, rendered assistance. WOLLONGONG rescued all 164 passengers, but two were unconscious and later died. CPOMT D. R. Zanker was later awarded the CSC for actions in providing medical support to the passengers.

The LPA, HMAS KANIMBLA, (CMDR D. G. McCourt, RAN), and guided missile frigate HMAS ADELAIDE, (CMDR N. S. Banks, RAN), departed Western Australia for service in the Arabian Gulf, as part of Operation Slipper, (International Campaign Against Terrorism). In early December they linked up with HMAS SYDNEY, (guided missile frigate), to conduct patrols of the Northern Arabian Gulf, searching for vessels attempting to smuggle oil out of Iraq.

October 23, 2001

HMAS Kanimbla II departed for the Middle East as part of the maritime force assigned to Operation SLIPPER.

October 19, 2001

A suspected illegal entry vessel, (SIEV), departs the Indonesian port of Lampung, Sumatra, bound for the Australian territory of Christmas Island, with 420 men, women and children onboard. Many of these were from the troubled Middle East countries of Iraq, Iran, Palestine, and Algeria, and were fleeing tyranny in those countries. The 19 metre vessel, given the identifier SIEV-X, was un-seaworthy and sank later that day in International waters, but still inside the Indonesian zone for search and rescue. Indonesian authorities were slow to react, and by the time Indonesian fishing boats arrived on the scene, some 353 people had drowned; many of them women and children. Despite the fact that the incident happened in the Indonesian search and rescue zone, and the Indonesian Government did not request any support, the Australian Government was criticized in some circles for failing to divert an RAN vessel, then on Operation Relex immigration patrols, near Christmas Island, to the scene.

HMAS Brisbane decommissioned in front of approximately 1700 guests marking the end of the DDG era in the RAN