HMAS Vendetta was one of three 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...

 destroyers built for and operated by 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). The destroyer was built by Williamstown Naval Dockyard and entered service in 1958. During her early career, Vendetta was deployed 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...

 on multiple occasions. In 1965 and 1966, the destroyer undertook deterrence patrols during 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 several runs escorting the troop transport to Vietnam, from late 1969 to early 1970, Vendetta became the only Australian-built warship to serve in a shore bombardment role during 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...

.

The ship underwent a two-year modernisation from 1971 to 1973, and in December 1974 was one of thirteen RAN warships involved in 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...

 after 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...

 devastated Darwin. Several more deployments were made to the Far East, up until 1978. In October 1979, the destroyer was decommissioned, and served as a parts hulk for sister ship . Vendetta was sold for ship breaking

Ship breaking

Ship breaking or ship demolition is a type of ship disposal involving the breaking up of ships for scrap recycling. Most ships have a lifespan of a few decades before there is so much wear that refitting and repair becomes uneconomical. Ship breaking allows materials from the ship, especially...

 in January 1987.

Design and construction

The Royal Australian Navy initially ordered four Daring class destroyers

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...

, which were to be named after the ships of the "Scrap Iron Flotilla

Scrap Iron Flotilla

The Scrap Iron Flotilla was an Australian destroyer group that operated in the Mediterranean and Pacific during World War II. The name scrap iron flotilla was bestowed upon the group by Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels....

" of World War II. The ships were modified during construction: most changes were made to improve habitability, including the installation of air-conditioning. Vendetta and her sister ships were the first all-welded ships to be constructed in Australia.

The Darings had a standard displacement

Displacement (ship)

A ship's displacement is its weight at any given time, generally expressed in metric tons or long tons. The term is often used to mean the ship's weight when it is loaded to its maximum capacity. A number of synonymous terms exist for this maximum weight, such as loaded displacement, full load...

 of 2,800 tons, which increased to 3,600 tons at full load. Vendetta and her sisters were 390 feet (118.9 m) long, with a beam

Beam (nautical)

The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point. Generally speaking, the wider the beam of a ship , the more initial stability it has, at expense of reserve stability in the event of a capsize, where more energy is required to right the vessel from its inverted position...

 of 43 feet (13.1 m), and a draught of 12 in 9 in (3.89 m) at mean, and 14 in 6 in (4.42 m) at full or deep load. Her propulsion system consisted of two Foster Wheeler boilers, feeding two English Electric geared turbines, which provided 54000 hp to two propeller shafts. Vendetta could sail at over 30 knots (16.3 m/s), and had a range of 3700 nautical miles (6,852.4 km) at 20 knots (10.9 m/s). Her standard ship's company consisted of 20 officers and 300 sailors.

Vendettas main armament consisted of six 4.5-inch guns mounted in three twin turrets, two forward and one aft. Her anti-aircraft outfit consisted of six 40 mm Bofors; two single mountings on the forward superstructure, and two twin mountings on the aft superstructure. Five 21-inch torpedo tubes were fitted to a single pentad mount on the deck between the forward and aft superstructures. For anti-submarine warfare, a Limbo

Limbo (weapon)

Limbo, or Anti Submarine Mortar Mark 10 , was the final British development of a forward-throwing anti-submarine weapon originally designed during the Second World War. Limbo, a three-barreled mortar similar to the earlier Squid that it superseded, was developed by the Admiralty Underwater Weapons...

 anti-submarine mortar was carried on the aft deck, offset to port.

Vendetta was laid down at Williamstown Naval Dockyard at Melbourne, Victoria on 4 July 1949. By 1950, it was already apparent that the Australian Darings would not be completed on time, as the Australian dockyards were experiencing difficulty in keeping up with the construction schedule. The destroyer was launched on 3 May 1954 by the widow of Hector Waller

Hector Waller

Hector Macdonald Laws Waller, DSO & Bar was the captain of the light cruiser HMAS Perth in World War II. In a naval career spanning almost 30 years, he served his country in two world wars...

, who commanded the Scrap Iron Flotilla

Scrap Iron Flotilla

The Scrap Iron Flotilla was an Australian destroyer group that operated in the Mediterranean and Pacific during World War II. The name scrap iron flotilla was bestowed upon the group by Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels....

 (including the original ) during World War II. On 18 July 1958, on the first occasion Vendetta engaged her engines during builder's trials, the destroyer accidentally rammed the Alfred Dock caisson. The collision was caused when the sailor manning the engine telegraph

Engine order telegraph

An engine order telegraph or E.O.T., often also chadburn, is a communications device used on a ship for the pilot on the bridge to order engineers in the engine room to power the vessel at a certain desired speed...

 incorrectly relayed an order of "half astern" as "half ahead", then repeated the mistake when the order was repeated to compensate for the first error. Vendettas bow breached the caisson, and threatened to flood the dock with inside. A controlled flooding kept the caisson from failing and prevented damage to Quickmatch or further damage to Vendetta, but the repairs to the destroyer's bow set completion back by three months.

Vendetta was commissioned on 26 November 1958. By the time she was commissioned, the ship's cost increased from A£

Australian pound

The pound was the currency of Australia from 1910 until 13 February 1966, when it was replaced by the Australian dollar. It was subdivided into 20 shillings, each of 12 pence.- Earlier Australian currencies :...

2.6 million to A£7 million. Only three ships, , Vendetta, and , were completed; the fourth was cancelled to save money. Like the preceding destroyer, Vendetta took her name from the concept of vendetta, with the ship's badge depicting a stiletto

Stiletto

A stiletto is a knife or dagger with a long slender blade and needle-like point, intended primarily as a stabbing weapon. The stiletto blade's narrow cross-section and acuminated tip reduces friction upon entry, allowing the blade to penetrate deeply...

 dagger clenched in a fist, and the ship carrying the motto "Vindico", Latin for "I Avenge".

1959–1969

In April 1959, Vendetta operated in New Zealand waters, before visiting New Guinea in June. After a refit, Vendetta and the frigate sailed to Singapore in October for a deployment 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...

 (FESR), which lasted until July 1960. Vendetta and the sloop visited Tasmania in February 1961 for the Royal Hobart Regatta

Royal Hobart Regatta

The Royal Hobart Regatta began in 1838, is a series of aquatic competitions and displays held annually in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia and is Tasmania's oldest sporting event. The regatta runs for three days, ending on the second Monday in February, and dominates the whole river for the duration of...

. On 19 February, Vendetta rescued passengers from the Shaw Savill vessel Runic, which had run aground on Middleton Reef

Middleton Reef

Middleton Reef is a coral reef in the Tasman Sea. It is separated by a deep oceanic pass some 45 km wide from nearby Elizabeth Reef, forming part of the Lord Howe Rise underwater plateau. Middleton Reef is around 220 km from Lord Howe Island and 555 km from the coast of New South...

. The destroyer sailed for her second FESR deployment in April. During the six-month deployment, Vendetta operated on South East Asia Treaty Organisation exercises, visited ports in Borneo, Japan and Malaysia, and represented Australia at the Philippines

Philippines

The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

 independence celebrations. On her return, the destroyer underwent a refit at Williamstown.

Vendetta was deployed to the Far East in March 1962, and returned to Sydney in late June. The destroyer visited Noumea

Nouméa

Nouméa is the capital city of the French territory of New Caledonia. It is situated on a peninsula in the south of New Caledonia's main island, Grande Terre, and is home to the majority of the island's European, Polynesian , Indonesian, and Vietnamese populations, as well as many Melanesians,...

 in August, then participated in Exercise Tuckerbox off North Queensland. In November, Vendetta visited Fremantle for the 1962 Commonwealth Games

1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games

The 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games were held in Perth, Western Australia, Australia from 22 November-1 December 1962. Athletic events were held at Perry Lakes Stadium in the suburb of Floreat and swimming events at Beatty Park in North Perth....

. After another refit, the destroyer's fourth FESR deployment commenced on 9 July 1963, when she left Sydney with . While in the Far East, the two ships participated in SEATO Exercise Sea Dovetail, visited Japan, and assisted a disable United States-flagged freighter. Vendetta and Quiberon returned home on 20 February, after which Vendetta proceeded to Williamstown for refit.

Vendetta returned to the FESR in mid-1964, this time escorting the aircraft carrier , and remained in Southeast Asian waters until December. She remained in dock for the first half of 1965 undergoing refits, and on 11 August, sailed for her sixth Far East assignment, in company with . On 20 September, Vendetta and Duchess met the troop transport off Manus Island

Manus Island

Manus Island is part of Manus Province in northern Papua New Guinea and is the largest island of the Admiralty Islands. It is the fifth largest island in Papua New Guinea with an area of 2,100 km², measuring around 100 km × 30 km. According to the 2000 census, Manus Island had a...

; Sydney was on her second troop transport voyage to Vietnam. The two destroyers accompanied Sydney to Vũng Tàu

Vung Tàu

Vũng Tàu is a city in southern Vietnam. Its population in 2005 was 240,000. The city area is including 13 urban wards and one village. It is the capital of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, and is the crude oil extraction center of Vietnam. It is also known as one of the most beautiful cities of tourism...

, where they arrived on 28 September, then escorted the troopship clear of the Market Time area before breaking off for Hong Kong. In October, Vendetta operated as plane guard

Plane guard

A plane guard is a warship or helicopter tasked to recover the aircrew of planes or helicopters which ditch or crash in the water during aircraft carrier flight operations.-Ships:...

 destroyer for . During late 1965 and early 1966, the destroyer was assigned to deterrence patrols off Malaysian Borneo and the Singapore Straits as part of the Commonwealth 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...

.

Vendetta and Duchess returned to Australia in March. On 20 May, the destroyer sailed to Jervis Bay following the sinking of the dredger W. D. Atlas, and spent the next two days searching for survivors and bodies. Vendetta was again involved as a Sydney escort in May and June 1966, during the troopship's fourth voyage. This run ended on 11 June, when Vendetta and Sydney reached Hong Kong. On 3 November, the ship came to the aid 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) submarine , which had run aground on Frederick Reef. After the submarine was refloated, Vendetta escorted her to Brisbane for repairs. On 5 March 1968, Vendetta and sailed for six months in the Far East; Vendettas seventh FESR deployment. The destroyer returned to Australia in October. The destroyer visited Newcastle, New South Wales

Newcastle, New South Wales

The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...

 for Australia Day

Australia Day

Australia Day is the official national day of Australia...

 (26 January) 1969, and operated in New Zealand waters during May.

Vietnam deployment

In 1968, it was realised that the combination of maintenance requirements and other operational deployments meant that none of the RAN's three US-built 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...

 destroyers would be available to serve 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...

 once completed her deployment in late 1969. They started investigating the possibility of deploying a Daring class destroyer, with the main concern being the supply of 4.5 inches (114.3 mm) shells, as the USN destroyers were standardised to 5 inches (127 mm) shells. After receiving reassurance from the USN that any logisitcal issues regarding Australian supplies, including ammunition, were "merely a problem to be overcome", Vendetta was marked for the deployment in November 1968, as she was the only available Daring or River

River class destroyer escort

The River class was a class of six destroyer escorts operated by the Royal Australian Navy . Plans to acquire four vessels, based on the British Type 12M frigate, began in the 1950s. The first two vessels had some slight modifications to the design, while the next two underwent further changes...

 class vessel available. The decision to send Vendetta meant that the consistent deployment of an Australian warship with 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...

 since March 1967 would continue, and steps towards breaking a 'two-tier' culture within the RAN favouring the Perth class ships would be made, with associated benefits to morale.

On 15 September 1967, Vendetta left Australia for South Vietnam, and relieved Brisbane at Subic on 26 September. While deployed to Vietnam, the destroyer was placed under the administrative control of Commander Australian Forces Vietnam in addition to that of the Flag Officer Commanding Australian Fleet, while operationally, she was under the command of the Seventh Fleet. A USN lieutenant was assigned to Vendetta to serve as a liaison. Australia was the only allied nation to provide naval support to the United States Navy during the Vietnam War. The destroyer's main activities were the provision of 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...

 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. In this role, Vendetta was assigned the callsign "Premier".

Vendetta sailed for a gunline assignment at Danang on 30 September. While en route, the destroyer was replenished by a USN oiler, but there were problems because of the incompatibility between American fuel lines and British intakes, along with the standard pumping pressure being too high for Vendettas system to handle; the first of numerous difficulties experienced by the British-designed ship operating with an American force. Poor weather meant the ship did not arrive in Danang Harbour until 2 October, and she commenced naval gunfire support missions a day later. After time at Danang, the ship sailed to the II Corps operating area, and continued gunline duties until 24 October. She sailed to Singapore for maintenance, then resumed gunline duties on 9 November, assigned to the III Corps area. Vendetta moved north to the I Coprs area two days later, then down to II Corps on 16 November. At the end of November, the destroyer sailed to Taiwan for rebarrelling and other maintenance. She returned to the gunline on 21 December, and on 1 January 1970, was called on to assist Market Time operations by firing on two small craft suspected to be on a supply run to Viet Cong positions.

On 17 January, Vendetta was forced to sail to Hong Kong for boiler repairs. Returning on 17 February, the destroyer was assigned to III Corps, and operated off Vung Tau

Vung Tàu

Vũng Tàu is a city in southern Vietnam. Its population in 2005 was 240,000. The city area is including 13 urban wards and one village. It is the capital of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, and is the crude oil extraction center of Vietnam. It is also known as one of the most beautiful cities of tourism...

 in support of Australian and South Vietnamese units, along with a mercenary group. Four days later, she was reassigned to II Corps. On 6 March, the ship left the gunline to have two of her turrets rebarrelled at Subic, then returned to duty on 13 March. The destroyer sailed to Subic on 23 March, and was relieved by on 30 March, after having fired 13,295 4.5-inch shells at 751 targets over five deployments.

The destroyer was the only Australian-built warship to serve as a combatant in Vietnam, and the only Daring class destroyer to be operationally deployed in the shore bombardment role. Vendettas deployment to Vietnam under the new Australian White Ensign, and patrols during the Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation under the old ensign (identical to the British White Ensign

White Ensign

The White Ensign or St George's Ensign is an ensign flown on British Royal Navy ships and shore establishments. It consists of a red St George's Cross on a white field with the Union Flag in the upper canton....

), made the destroyer one of only two RAN vessels to deploy operationally under both ensigns. Personnel awards for the deployment included one appointment as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, two Mentions in Despatches, and 16 Naval Board commendations.

1970-1979

Vendetta sailed for a FESR deployment in September 1970. She escorted the troopship Sydney for the third and final time during the former carrier's seventeenth voyage: Vendetta met the transport off Manila in late October, with the two ships in Vietnam during 31 October and 1 November. During November, the destroyer visited ports in India, before returning to Hong Kong for Christmas. She returned to Sydney in April 1971, and after participating in training exercises and a cruise in northern Australian waters, arrived in Williamstown on 29 September for her half-life modernisation refit. The modernisation cost US$20 million. The fire-control system was replaced, a long-range air radar was installed, and the superstructure was modified, including a roof for the bridge. Vendetta re-entered service on 2 May 1973.

From March until July 1974, Vendetta was again deployed to the Far East. In October, the destroyer represented the RAN at celebrations of the centenary of Fiji's cession to Britain

Colonial Fiji

The United Kingdom declined its first opportunity to annex Fiji in 1852. Ratu Seru Epenisa Cakobau had offered to cede the islands, subject to being allowed to retain his Tui Viti title, a condition unacceptable to both the British and to many of his fellow chiefs, who regarded him only as first...

. Following the destruction of Darwin 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...

 in December 1974, Vendetta was one of thirteen RAN ships deployed as part of the humanitarian aid mission 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 destroyer sailed on 27 December from Sydney, and arrived on 3 January, with shore parties primarily assigned to the Nightcliff

Nightcliff, Northern Territory

Nightcliff is a northern suburb of the city of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.-History:Although the origin of the name Nightcliff has always been surrounded by conjecture and controversy, the naming can be tracked back to 8 September 1839...

 area. The destroyer remained in the area until late January. During mid-1975, Vendetta operated in the Far East. In August 1975, following tensions between Indonesia and the former Portuguese colony of East Timor (which cumulated in the Indonesian invasion in December), Vendetta, Vampire, and the supply ship were prepositioned in Darwin in case they were needed for evacuations of Australian citizens or Timorese refugees. Action by the ships was not required.

Most of 1976 was spent undergoing maintenance at Williamstown. In 1977, Vendetta was deployed to the Far East. Another deployment was made in 1978, starting in July. While en-route, the destroyer visited Honiara to participate in celebrations of Solomon Islands

Solomon Islands

Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...

 independence from Australia.

Decommissioning and fate

Vendetta paid off on 9 October 1979. After spending time moored at Athol Bight, during which she was used as a parts hulk

Hulk (ship)

A hulk is a ship that is afloat, but incapable of going to sea. Although sometimes used to describe a ship that has been launched but not completed, the term most often refers to an old ship that has had its rigging or internal equipment removed, retaining only its flotational qualities...

 for sister ship Vampire, the destroyer was sold for ship breaking

Ship breaking

Ship breaking or ship demolition is a type of ship disposal involving the breaking up of ships for scrap recycling. Most ships have a lifespan of a few decades before there is so much wear that refitting and repair becomes uneconomical. Ship breaking allows materials from the ship, especially...

. Vendetta was towed to her fate in January 1987.

Following an overhaul of the RAN 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....

s system, completed in March 2010, Vendettas service was recognised with the honours "Malaysia 1964–66" and "Vietnam 1969–70".