HMAS Hobart (D39) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

HMAS Hobart (D 39) was a Perth class

Perth class destroyer

The Perth class destroyers were three modified Charles F. Adams class guided missile destroyers operated by the Royal Australian Navy . Ordered from Defoe Shipbuilding Company during 1962 and 1963, HMA Ships , , and were the first guided missiled-armed warships, and the first naval ships of United...

guided missile destroyer of the Royal Australian Navy

Royal Australian Navy

The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...

(RAN). Built in the United States of America to a slight variant of the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

(USN) Charles F. Adams class

Charles F. Adams class destroyer

The Charles F. Adams class is a ship class of 29 guided missile destroyers built between 1958 and 1967. Twenty three ships were built for the United States Navy, 3 for the Royal Australian Navy, and 3 for the West German Bundesmarine. The ships were based on the existing Forrest Sherman class, but...

, she was commissioned into the RAN in 1965. In March 1967, Hobart became the first RAN combat ship deployed to fight in the Vietnam War

Vietnam War

The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...

. This marked the start of consistent six-month deployments to the warzone, which continued until late 1971; Hobart was redeployed in 1969 and 1970. During the 1969 tour, the destroyer was attacked by a United States Air Force

United States Air Force

The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

aircraft.

After the Vietnam War, Hobart saw service during Operation Navy Help Darwin

Operation Navy Help Darwin

Operation Navy Help Darwin was a disaster relief operation initiated by the Royal Australian Navy following the destruction of Darwin, Northern Territory by Cyclone Tracy during the night of 24-25 December 1974. 13 ships, 11 aircraft, and 3,000 personnel were sent to Darwin in the largest disaster...

; the RAN disaster relief effort following Cyclone Tracy

Cyclone Tracy

Cyclone Tracy was a tropical cyclone that devastated the city of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, from Christmas Eve to Christmas Day, 1974...

, was the first RAN ship to dock at in Western Australia, and completed a round-the-world voyage in 1975. The ship was modernised during the late 1970s. Hobart was decommissioned in 2000, and sunk as a dive wreck off South Australia.

Design and construction

Hobart was one of three Perth class

Perth class destroyer

guided missile destroyers built for the RAN. Based on the United States Navy

United States Navy

's Charles F. Adams class

Charles F. Adams class destroyer

, Hobart had a displacement of 3,370 tons at standard load, and 4,618 tons at full load, a length of 440 in 3 in (134.19 m) overall and 420 feet (128 m) between perpendiculars, a beam of 47 in 1 in (14.35 m), and a maximum draught of 15 in 3 in (4.65 m). Propulsion was provided by two General Electric turbines, which provided 70000 shp to the destroyer's two propeller shafts. Hobart could achieve speeds of 35 knots (19.1 m/s). The ship's company consisted of 20 officers and 312 sailors.

As a guided missile destroyer, Hobarts main armament consisted of a Mark 13 missile launcher firing Tartar

RIM-24 Tartar

The General Dynamics RIM-24 Tartar was a medium-range naval surface-to-air missile , and was among the earliest surface-to-air missiles to equip United States Navy ships...

missiles and two Ikara

Ikara (missile)

The Ikara missile was an Australian ship-launched anti-submarine missile, named after an Australian Aboriginal word for "throwing stick". It launched an acoustic torpedo to a range of , allowing fast-reaction attacks against submarines at ranges that would otherwise require the launching ship to...

anti-submarine missile launchers. This was supplemented by two 5"/54 caliber Mark 42 guns and two Mark 32 triple torpedo tube sets

Mark 32 Surface Vessel Torpedo Tubes

The Mark 32 Surface Vessel Torpedo Tubes system is a torpedo launching system designed for the United States Navy. The Mark 32 has been the standard anti-submarine torpedo launching system aboard United States Navy surface vessels since its introduction in 1960, and in use aboard the warships of...

. Over the course of the ship's career, the Mark 13 launcher was modified to fire Standard

RIM-66 Standard

The RIM-66 Standard MR is a medium range surface-to-air missile originally developed for the United States Navy . The SM-1 was developed as a replacement for the RIM-2 Terrier and RIM-24 Tartar that were deployed in the 1950s on a variety of USN ships...

missiles, the Ikara launchers were stripped out in 1989, and two Phalanx CIWS

Phalanx CIWS

The Phalanx CIWS is an anti-ship missile defense system. It is a close-in weapon system and was designed and manufactured by the General Dynamics Corporation, Pomona Division...

units were installed in 1991.

Hobart was laid down by the Defoe Shipbuilding Company

Defoe Shipbuilding Company

The Defoe Shipbuilding Company was a small ship builder established in 1905 in Bay City, Michigan, USA. It ceased to operate in 1976 after failing to renew its contracts with the United States Navy. The site of the former company is now a scrapyard on the bank of the Saginaw River.-Founding:Harry J...

at Bay City, Michigan

Bay City, Michigan

Bay City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 34,932, and is the principal city of the Bay City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Saginaw-Bay City-Saginaw Township North...

on 26 October 1962. The ship was launched on 9 January 1964 by the wife of David Hay

David Hay

David Hay is a former Scottish footballer. After completing secondary education at St Mirin's Academy in Paisley he signed for Celtic in 1966 and became one of the so called 'Quality Street Kids', the great Celtic reserve team that also included players such as Kenny Dalglish, Lou Macari, Danny...

, the Australian ambassador to the United Nations. Hobart was commissioned into the RAN on 18 December 1965. The cost of the destroyer was approximately A$45 million, including the initial load of supplies and ammunition. After commissioning, Hobart remained in American waters for eight months on trials and training exercises. She left the US on 3 August 1966, and sailed via Hawaii and Fiji before reaching her namesake city on 1 September. The ship spent very little time in Australian waters before she was deployed to fight in the Vietnam War

Vietnam War

in March 1967

Vietnam deployments

During the mid-1960s, the Unitedt States government pressured Australia to increase the resources it was committing to the Vietnam War

Vietnam War

; one of the requests was for a combat vessel to help the USN meet the demand for naval gunfire support

Naval gunfire support

Naval gunfire support is the use of naval artillery to provide fire support for amphibious assault and other troops operating within their range. NGFS is one of a number of disciplines encompassed by the term Naval Fires...

operations. The idea of deploying a RAN combat ship to the Vietnam War

Vietnam War

was initially hampered by the number of ships available, particularly with commitments to the Far East Strategic Reserve

Far East Strategic Reserve

The British Commonwealth Far East Strategic Reserve was a joint military force of the British, Australian, and New Zealand armed forces...

and involvement in the Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation

Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation

Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation during 1962–1966 was Indonesia’s political and armed opposition to the creation of Malaysia. It is also known by its Indonesian/Malay name Konfrontasi...

, along with the difficulty of operating and maintaining British-designed ships with USN resources. On 14 December 1966, the Australian Cabinet approved the deployment of Hobart as part of increases to Australian military commitment to the conflict

Military history of Australia during the Vietnam War

Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War began as a small commitment of 30 men in 1962, and increased over the following decade to a peak of 7,672 Australians deployed in South Vietnam or in support of Australian forces there. The Vietnam War was the longest and most controversial war Australia...

. Destroyers deployed to the Vietnam theatre generally operated in one of four roles:

Patrols along the coast of North Vietnam
North Vietnam
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...

as part of Operation Sea Dragon to interdict coastal shipping, with secondary attacks on inland supply lines and military targets, along with coastal defence sites that had fired on American and Australian ships. Ships assigned to Sea Dragon were normally split into a northern and southern unit (although during 1967 up to four units were operating at any time), with each unit made up of two to three ships. However, the Australian government forbade RAN vessels from operating in the northern area.
Naval gunfire support operations to assist ground forces, particularly the United States Marine Corps units operating closest to the North Vietnam border. Seven ships were usually stationed on the 'gunline', and attacks fell into two categories: 'unspotted' shelling of areas where North Vietnamese or Viet Cong forces and facilities were known or believed to be, and 'spotted' fire missions in direct support of ground troops. During these operations, Hobart operated under the callsign "Royal Purple".
Anti-infiltration operations under Operation Market Time
Operation Market Time
Operation Market Time was the United States Navy’s effort to stop troops and supplies from flowing by sea from North Vietnam to South Vietnam during the Vietnam War...

, which aimed to stop the logistic supply and reinforcement of Viet Cong units operating in South Vietnam by tracking, intercepting, and searching coastal shipping. RAN destroyers were never formally assigned to Market Time, but the overlap of the gunline and Market Time operational areas meant the ships were often called on to assist by tracking suspicious ships or participating in raids.
Escort of USN aircraft carriers involved in Operation Rolling Thunder
Operation Rolling Thunder
Operation Rolling Thunder was the title of a gradual and sustained US 2nd Air Division , US Navy, and Republic of Vietnam Air Force aerial bombardment campaign conducted against the Democratic Republic of Vietnam from 2 March 1965 until 1 November 1968, during the Vietnam War.The four objectives...

airstrikes.

Although RAN ships on deployment were expected to fulfill all duties of an equivalent American destroyer, they were forbidden by the Australian government from operating outside the Vietnam theatre on unrelated Seventh Fleet duties (such as the Taiwan Patrol Force, guard ship duties at Hong Kong, or the Space Recovery Program). After the invasion of Cambodia in 1970, RAN ships were also prohibited from entering Cambodian waters.

While deployed to Vietnam, the destroyer's were placed under the administrative control of Commander Australian Forces Vietnam in addition to that of the Flag Officer Commanding Australian Fleet. Operationally, the RAN vessels were under the command of the United States Seventh Fleet

United States Seventh Fleet

The Seventh Fleet is the United States Navy's permanent forward projection force based in Yokosuka, Japan, with units positioned near Japan and South Korea. It is a component fleet force under the United States Pacific Fleet. At present, it is the largest of the forward-deployed U.S. fleets, with...

. Arrangements were made to provide logistic support through the United States Pacific Fleet

United States Pacific Fleet

The United States Pacific Fleet is a Pacific Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources under the operational control of the United States Pacific Command. Its home port is at Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hawaii. It is commanded by Admiral Patrick M...

. A USN lieutenant was assigned to each ship during deployments to act as a liaison with the Seventh Fleet. The deployment of Hobart in March 1967 began a pattern of six-month deployments for RAN destroyers, with a constant RAN presence with the Seventh Fleet. Australia was the only allied nation to provide naval support to the United States Navy during the Vietnam War.

First deployment

On 15 March 1967, Hobart arrived at Subic to join the Seventh Fleet. After a comprehensive familiarisation period, Hobart replaced on 31 March, taking over the US destroyer's gunfire support duties. By 04:45 the next morning, the Australian ship had already fired 100 rounds. On 3 April, the forward 5-inch gun mount became unservicable, a state which remained for four-and-a-half-days. Hobart remained on the gunline until 15 April, during which she fired 1,651 shells. She was then rotated to Sea Dragon operations. The destroyer was fired on by shore batteries

Coastal artillery

Coastal artillery is the branch of armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications....

several times, and on one occasion took minor shrapnel damage. Several explosions in 5-inch/54 gun mounts during the later weeks of April saw all equipped destroyers (including Hobart) reassigned to other duties while investigations into the cause (believed to be a bad batch of ammunition) were explored. Hobart was attached to the carrier escort group for on 23 April. On 29 April, the destroyer sailed to Subic, underwent self-maintenance, then returned to Sea Dragon operations. Over the next week, Hobart and cooperated on the interdiction of coastal shipping during a period of heavy activity; previous successes saw the North Vietnamese begin to increase retaliation with coastal artillery in an attempt to dissuade American operations. Apart from a brief stint on the gunline, Hobart remained assigned to Sea Dragon until 26 May, when sailed to Subic for maintenance, with both 5-inch gun barrels replaced.

After delays caused by monsoon

Monsoon

Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...

al conditions, the Australian warship returned to the gunline on 18 June. During this period, the destroyer was also called on to escort the amphibious warfare ships involved in the Beacon Torch landings. After mid-June, the number of fire missions undertaken by Hobart dropped because of a need to conserve 5-inch/54 ammunition across the Seventh Fleet, and the fact that Marines in the area had successfully established their own artillery units in the area and were less reliant on naval gunfire. On 23 June, Hobart rotated to Sea Dragon. A reduction in the number of seaborne infiltration attempts and the increasing availability of spotter aircraft meant that most gunfire missions were against inland targets like truck convoys. On 10 July, the destroyer left the operational area and sailed to Subic via Hong Kong, and underwent self-maintenance. This was completed on 24 July, and Hobart sailed for the operational area. The ship was double tasked to the escort group and Sea Dragon operations; three destroyers were required to escort the carrier at any time, with any additional ships operating on Sea Dragon duties. On 29 July, a fire aboard the carrier

1967 USS Forrestal fire

The 1967 USS Forrestal fire was a devastating fire and series of chain-reaction explosions on 29 July 1967 that killed 134 sailors and injured 161 on the aircraft carrier , after an unusual electrical anomaly discharged a Zuni rocket on the flight deck...

necessitated her removal from the operational area; Hobart was one of the ships assigned to escort and assist with casualties. The Australian ship returned to Sea Dragon operations on 31 July. This continued until 16 August, and after maintenance at Subic, Hobart was attached to the gunline on 6 September. On 14 September, Hobart arrived in Subic, handed over responsibility to , and sailed for home.

During this deployment, Hobart fired over 10,000 rounds at 1,050 targets during 160 days at sea, and was fired on ten times, with no casualties. Hobart was awarded the United States Navy Unit Commendation

Navy Unit Commendation

The Navy Unit Commendation of the United States Navy is an award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944...

for this tour of duty. Personnel awards included a Distinguished Service Order

Distinguished Service Order

The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...

, a British Empire Medal

British Empire Medal

The Medal of the Order of the British Empire for Meritorious Service, usually known as the British Empire Medal , is a British medal awarded for meritorious civil or military service worthy of recognition by the Crown...

, a Mention in Despatches, and 25 Naval Board commendations.

Second deployment

Hobart was deployed to Vietnam for the second time in 1968, relieving Perth on 31 March. On 13 April, the destroyer arrived on the gunline to relieve . Five days later, she began Sea Dragon operations with . The ships were unsuccessfully shelled by coastal artillery on 22 and 23 April, then spent the next three days attempting to attract attention from shore batteries so they could be bombed by aircraft. Hobarts participation in Sea Dragon ended in late April, and after maintenance in Hong Kong and Taiwan from 1 May to 20 May, she resumed gunline duties. This continued until 2 June, when the destroyer's guns required new barrels. On 11 June, the destroyer returned to the Sea Dragon area of operations, joining . During this deployment, boat traffic between the mainland and Tiger Island was seen as a priority, with gunline ships also granted approval to operate against targets in this area. Early in the month, problems with the 5-inch/54 guns aboard Hobart and several US destroyers appeared; Hobarts captain decided to only fire the guns in emergencies until the problem was clearly identified. The destroyer joined Hobart and Chandler to make up for the lack of firepower.

During the evening of 16-17 June, the three destroyers were ordered to undertake surveillance missions around Tiger Island, because of reports of North Vietnamese helicopter activity in the area. At 03:09, Hobarts radar picked up an aircraft approaching with no IFF

Identification friend or foe

In telecommunications, identification, friend or foe is an identification system designed for command and control. It is a system that enables military and national interrogation systems to identify aircraft, vehicles, or forces as friendly and to determine their bearing and range from the...

transponder active. At 03:14, the aircraft fired a single missile at the ship, which killed one sailor, wounded two others, and damaged the chief petty officer's mess, air search radar and missile control compartments, and the ship's funnels. Two minutes later, the aircraft made a second pass and fired two missiles. The missiles hit simultaneously: one penetrated the superstructure and damaged the gunners' store, engineers workshop, and aft seamans' mess, while the other hit close to the original missile, causing further damage to the mess and missile control room, while also damaging the Tartar checkout room, killing another sailor, and wounded six others. These was also major damage around the destroyer's Ikara magazine, but as Hobart was not carrying any Ikara missiles at the time, the potential magazine fire did not occur. The aircraft came around for a third attack run, but was scared off when Hobarts forward gun turret, under independent control, fired five rounds at the aircraft. At 03:30, Edson reported coming under fire, and Hobart captain ordered the three destroyers to take up anti-aircraft formation. At 05:15, the three destroyers linked up with the cruiser (which had been hit by a missile from another aircraft) and the escorting destroyer , and continued anti-aircraft manoeuvering. After being relieved, Hobart sailed for Subic Bay, where the damage was inspected by RAN and USN personnel, including three admirals. Debris collected from Hobart and the other ships indicated that the missiles were of United States Air Force

United States Air Force

(USAF) origin.
The attacks on Hobart and the other ships were the capstone of a series of firing incidents between 15 and 17 June, and an inquiry was held by the USN into the incidents, with three RAN personnel attending as technical advisors. The inquiry found that a few hours before the attack on Hobart, Swift Boats PCF-12 and PCF-19, along with , were attacked by what they identified at the time as hovering enemy aircraft, but were believed to be friendly planes; PCF-19 was sunk in the attack. F-4 Phantoms of the USAF Seventh Air Force

Seventh Air Force

The Seventh Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea....

, responding several hours after the attack on the Swift Boats, were unable to distinguish between the radar signature of surface ships and airborne helicopters, and instead opened fire on Hobart, Boston, and Edson. Hobart underwent repairs in Subic Bay, and returned to duty on the gunline on 25 July.

During the evening of 27 July, Hobart was involved in another friendly fire

Friendly fire

Friendly fire is inadvertent firing towards one's own or otherwise friendly forces while attempting to engage enemy forces, particularly where this results in injury or death. A death resulting from a negligent discharge is not considered friendly fire...

incident; this time, shells from the ship fell close to a marine unit's command post and injured three marines. The fault was found to be with the marine unit's spotter, who was inexperienced, failed to signal the close proximity of friendy units to the target, and failed to fully identify the target before calling for five rounds of shellfire. Although Hobart was asked to rotate Sea Dragon duties on 2 August to relieve a destroyer experiencing gunnery faults, nine days early, the destroyer's captain refused, as he wanted more time to prepare the ship after the repairs, particularly as the air warning radars were yet to become operational, and the gun mounts were experiencing minor problems. The Sea Dragon deployment did not eventuate, and after operating near the Demilitarized Zone, Hobart was reassigned to gunfire support duties around southern Vietnam on 12 August. On 22 August, the destroyer fired to support the 1st Australian Task Force

1st Australian Task Force

The 1st Australian Task Force commanded the Australian and New Zealand Army units deployed to South Vietnam between 1966 and 1972. 1 ATF was based at Nui Dat in Phuoc Tuy Province...

in Phuc Toy: the first time a RAN destroyer provided naval gunfire support for Australian soldiers in the war. On 29 September, Perth relieved Hobart at Subic, and Hobart sailed for home. One sailor was awarded a Distinguished Service Medal for his actions during the 17 June attack (the government received advice that as it was a friendly fire incident, a non-combat medal like the British Empire Medal

British Empire Medal

should be awarded instead, but this was ignored), while two Mentions in Despatches and 23 Naval Board commendations were also issued.

Third deployment

Hobart returned to Vietnam for her third tour on 28 March 1970, taking over from the Daring class

Daring class destroyer (1949)

The Daring class was a class of eleven destroyers built for the Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy . Constructed after World War II, and entering service during the 1950s, eight ships were constructed for the RN, and three ships for the RAN. Two of the RN destroyers were subsequently sold to and...

destroyer . After working up, the destroyer relieved from gunline duties on 6 April. On 21 April, the ship moved north to near the Demilitarized Zone. Three days later, the destroyer rammed and sank a South Vietnamese fishing craft, but rescued the five crew and transported them to shore. At the end of April, the ship sailed to Subic for maintenance. After this was completed, Hobart returned to gunline duties on 11 May, and remained on station until 24 May, when the destroyer sailed to Singapore for maintenance. Hobart resumed gunline operations on 6 June; these continued until 28 June, when she sailed to Subic for rebarrelling. She returned to the gunline on 9 July, and operated until 29 August, when she sailed to Singapore for maintenance, then Bangkok for naval exercises. Returning on 13 September, Hobart was called to relieve on the gunline after an explosion in one of the American destroyer's gun mounts. On 22 September, Hobart sailed to Subic. The destroyer was relieved by Perth on 26 September. Two personnel were mentioned in despatches, and 23 Naval Board commendations were issued for the deplpyment.

During 1971, the Australian government decided to withdraw all forces from Vietnam by the end of the year. Hobart made no further deployments to Vietnam, and after completed her assigned operations in September 1971, no further RAN ships were deployed to the warzone for combat operations. Hobart received the battle honour

Battle honour

A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags , uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible....

"Vietnam 1967–70" for her wartime service, adding to the eight honours inherited from the previous ship of the name.

1970s–1980s

In 1972, Hobart underwent modernisation in the US. In June 1974, the destroyer was involved in the exercise Kangaroo One. On 15 October, Hobart departed from Sydney with for a five week tour of Australian and New Zealand ports. While in her namesake city, Hobart was visited by Charles, Prince of Wales

Charles, Prince of Wales

Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...

; the first time the royal had boarded an Australian warship.

At the start of 1975, Hobart was one of thirteen RAN ships involved in Operation Navy Help Darwin

Operation Navy Help Darwin

; the RAN disaster relief effort following the destruction of Darwin

Darwin, Northern Territory

Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...

by Cyclone Tracy

Cyclone Tracy

Cyclone Tracy was a tropical cyclone that devastated the city of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, from Christmas Eve to Christmas Day, 1974...

on 24–25 December 1974. Later in the year, the destroyer participated in the multinational exercise RIMPAC

RIMPAC

RIMPAC, the Rim of the Pacific Exercise, is the world's largest international maritime exercise. Conducted biennially , it is hosted and administered by the United States Navy, with the United States Marine Corps, United States Coast Guard, and Hawaii National Guard forces under the leadership of...

75, then embarked on a three-month deployment in the Indian Ocean, during which Hobart became the first RAN ship to visit Malé

Malé

Malé , is the capital and most populous city in the Republic of Maldives. It is located at the southern edge of North Malé Atoll . It is also one of the Administrative divisions of the Maldives. Traditionally it was the King's Island, from where the ancient Maldive Royal dynasties ruled and where...

in the Maldives, and the first warship to dock at , the new naval base in Western Australia. In 1975, Hobart sailed on a round-the-world voyage; the 109-day deployment was named Exercise Phineas Fogg after the main character from Around the World in Eighty Days
Around the World in Eighty Days
Around the World in Eighty Days is a classic adventure novel by the French writer Jules Verne, first published in 1873. In the story, Phileas Fogg of London and his newly employed French valet Passepartout attempt to circumnavigate the world in 80 days on a £20,000 wager set by his friends at the...

. During this voyage, the ship visited nineteen ports in twelve countries, and represented Australia at the fleet review off New York commemorating the United States Bicentennial

United States Bicentennial

The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to the historical events leading up to the creation of the United States as an independent republic...

.

During 1977 and 1978, Hobart underwent a half-life modernisation, during which the propulsion system was converted from furnace oil to diesel fuel, and a Naval Combat Data System was installed. In July 1979, Hobart and the Antarctic Support Vessel Thala Dan were sent to Macquarie Island

Macquarie Island

Macquarie Island lies in the southwest corner of the Pacific Ocean, about half-way between New Zealand and Antarctica, at 54°30S, 158°57E. Politically, it has formed part of the Australian state of Tasmania since 1900 and became a Tasmanian State Reserve in 1978. In 1997 it became a world heritage...

to retrieve a badly injured researcher and return him to Australia. In order to transfer the researcher to the ship, Hobarts personnel constructed a makeshift helipad, which was used by Thala Dans helicopter to deliver the injured man to the destroyer.

Hobart remained in Australian waters during the early 1980s, with the exception of deployments to Hawaii for RIMPAC and participation in Kangaroo exercises. The destroyer underwent refit in 1984. In 1985, Hobart sailed to Canada to represent Australia at a naval review recognising the 75th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Navy

Royal Canadian Navy

The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...

's founding. During 1986, the ship was deployed to South-east Asia, which was repeated in 1987. During early 1988, the destroyer participated in activities celebrating Australia's Bicentenary

Australian Bicentenary

The bicentenary of Australia was celebrated in 1970 on the 200th anniversary of Captain James Cook landing and claiming the land, and again in 1988 to celebrate 200 years of permanent European settlement.-1970:...

, then later in the year sailed to join the RIMPAC exercise. In 1989, the destroyer's Ikara launchers were removed during a refit.

1990s–2000

Hobart visited New Zealand in 1991 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Royal New Zealand Navy

Royal New Zealand Navy

The Royal New Zealand Navy is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force...

. During 1992, the destroyer participated in RIMPAC. In 1993, Hobart visited South-east Asia, then participated in the first Exercise Kakadu. The ship returned to Hawaii for RIMPAC 94, and was assigned command of one of the exercise task groups. In 1995, the ship was again deployed to South-east Asia, participated in celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the Pacific War

Pacific War

The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...

's end, and visited New Zealand. Hobart won the Gloucester Cup

Gloucester Cup

The Gloucester Cup is the common name for three awards of the Australian Defence Force. Formally referred to as the Duke of Gloucester Cup, the three awards are presented to the most efficient infantry battalion of the Australian Army, ship of the Royal Australian Navy , and squadron of the Royal...

for 1995, a trophy awarded to the most efficient ship of the RAN during a calendar year; this was the eighth time the Cup was won by the destroyer. The ship was docked for refit for most of 1996, with post-refit trials extending into 1997.

During early 1998, Hobart was deployed to exercises in New Zealand, then sailed to Queensland in May. From August until December, the ship, accompanied by HMA Ships , , and , visited ports in Indonesia and South-east Asia. Hobart spent most of 1999 either alongside in Sydney, or on exercises in Jervis Bay.

Decommissioning and fate

Hobart paid off on 12 May 2000. The ship was sunk at 35°28′51.6"S 138°09′26.0"E as a dive wreck 4 nautical miles (7.4 km) west-north-west of Marina Vincent, Yankalilla Bay

Yankalilla, South Australia

Yankalilla is an agriculturally-based town situated on the southern Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia, located 72 km south of the state's capital of Adelaide...

, South Australia on 5 November 2002.

External links

The Gun Plot: HMAS HOBART – attacked by US Airforce June 1968 Vietnam – A detailed account of the friendly fire attack on Hobart – Information about the dive site

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