HMAS Derwent 1964-69
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1964
On 23 April 1964, at Williamstown Naval Dockyard, Melbourne, Derwent was officially accepted by the Minister for the Navy, Mr Chaney. Following inspections and trials, Derwent was commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy on 30 April 1964 in the time-honoured way: a parade of the ship's company, inspection of the Guard of Honour, prayers, the reading of the Commissioning Warrant by the ship's Commanding Officer, CMDR RC Swan, and the marching aboard of the ship's company.
Derwent is the modern spelling of the Celtic word meaning "clear water". She was named after the Derwent River in Tasmania, and was the first RAN ship to be equipped with an operational guided missile system, the Seacat, which would provide a capability out to 5000 yards. The Navy News reporter at the time was obviously impressed by the technology involved. The 29 May 1964 edition carried the following information about Derwent's missile system:
"The Seacat guided missile supplied to the Royal Australian Navy as part of Australia's modernization programme, provides the RAN with one of the most effective close range ant-aircraft systems yet envisaged.
A small and highly manoeuvrable weapon, "Seacat" is designed to be instantly ready to repel attack by hostile aircraft which may evade a naval unit's outer defensive fighters and long range guided weapons.
Power is provided by a solid fuel motor and the large warhead carries both contact and proximity fuses. The missile can be used in a purely visual guidance system or can be integrated with a blind fire director.
The system to be installed in the RAN frigates will consist of a visual director and a launcher, mounted on deck, and a fire director room containing a launcher control console and a guidance transmitter.
The director is manned by a control officer and an aimer. The former receives the target bearing on his pan from the ship's warning radar. He maneouvres the director onto the bearing indicated, and the aimer picks up the target in his binoculars.
Movements of the binoculars are transmitted electrically to the launcher control console. The missile is then fired into the aimer's field of vision and he guides it to the target by joy-stick control, stick movements being processed by the guidance transmitter and passed on to the missile in flight by an aerial mounted on the launcher.
The launcher carries four missiles grouped round the transmitting aerial. It automatically aligns itself to the correct bearing and elevation received from the control console… A launcher can be completely reloaded in less than three minutes."
In May 1964, Derwent sailed from Melbourne to the Sydney exercise areas in May 1964 to conduct missile firings. On 25 May she became the first RAN ship to fire her Seacat guided missile, successfully shooting down a Pilotless Plane Target, the propeller of which was retained by the ship as a trophy.
The ship's program for the remainder of the year included shakedown, work-up and trials in the East Australian Exercise areas (EAXA), plus visits to Brisbane, Sydney and Hobart.
In December 1964, Derwent sailed on a three-month South-East Asian Treaty Organisation (SEATO) deployment. SEATO had been established under the auspices of the 1954 Manila Pact between Australia, New Zealand, Britain, the USA, the Philippines, Thailand, Pakistan, and France. It was intended to be a vehicle for collective defence, in the same way as the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, or NATO. The regular involvement of Australian warships such as Derwent in large multinational exercises provided the RAN with a high operational tempo and valuable experience it would have otherwise lacked.
In the early 1960s the new nation of Malaysia was proclaimed. Indonesia strongly opposed this and embarked on a policy of 'confrontation'. The Australian government made plain its resolve that if Malaysia was subjected to invasion or subversive activity, then Australian military assistance would be added to that of Britain to defend Malaysia. Consequently, Royal Australian Navy (RAN) warships in the Strategic Reserve based in Singapore were made available for naval patrol and escort operations to counter possible Indonesian attacks.
During her first SEATO deployment, Derwent spent Christmas at anchor off Tawau, Sabah, acting as Guardship. The main task of the Guardship was to provide naval gunfire support as required, as a deterrent to Indonesian activities.
1965
After spending a somewhat lonely Christmas at anchor as Tawau Guardship, Derwent continued her deployment with a port visit to Bangkok. A Navy News article of the day reports the ship's company's astonishment at the cost of a beer – eight shillings!
Derwent's first deployment was busy. She spent a considerable amount of time working with Britain's largest aircraft carrier, HMS Eagle, took part in FOTEX, an international exercise with four aircraft carriers and forty other warships. This was followed by Exercise SHOWPIECE 65, which demonstrated the striking power of combined Far East Forces to Malaysia's Prime Minister, who was embarked in Eagle, and to send an unambiguous message to Indonesia on Commonwealth capabilities.
Derwent returned to Sydney on 24 April, and undertook pre-refit trials in the local exercise areas. CMDR JD Stevens assumed command from CMDR Swan on 3 May 1965. On 3 May, Derwent commenced a six month refit at Williamstown Dockyard, which included the fitting of the new Australian-designed and built Ikara anti-submarine missile system. Ikara was a rocket-propelled guided missile which carried a homing torpedo towards its intended submarine target. At an appropriate range, the torpedo was dropped into the water by parachute at which time it acoustically homed in on the target.
1966
Derwent commenced the year with trials and work-ups in the Sydney/Jervis Bay area, followed by a visit to Tasmania in February. In mid-February, in company with the destroyer, Vampire, Derwent embarked on a six month tour of duty as part of the Commonwealth Strategic Reserve, under the Australian Government's military commitment to its policy of 'forward defence' and regional security and stability.
During this deployment, Derwent undertook patrols in the Singapore and Malacca Straits, as part of the naval force deterring incursions by Indonesian warships, and preventing movement by armed parties of Indonesians in local trading boats. Patrolling against potential infiltrators was characterized by long periods of tedious routine, punctuated by moments of high activity and occasional hazard. However, by providing military assistance in this conflict, with its uncertain, provocative and constantly changing threat environment, the RAN in general, and ship's companies of participating ships gained valuable skills and experience.
During March 1966, Derwent was again assigned the duty of Tawau guardship. Her Commanding Officer reported that "because firepower in the Tawau area is limited it is accepted that the guardship could be called upon at short notice to provide Naval Gunfire support to our troops ashore. To this end Derwent during the period in Tawau from 22-31 March has carried out three operational shoots … and formed a good liaison with the Naval Gunfire Support Observer ashore. It is intended to carry out at least one bombardment per week using both ground and air spot during the ship's tour of duty."
In April Derwent carried out a further four shoots against Indonesian targets. Following port visits to Hong Kong and Manila, Derwent assisted other RAN ships escorting the troop transport, HMAS Sydney (III), to Cape St. Jacques, South Vietnam. Once Sydney and her escorts anchored off Cape St. Jacques, it became the scene of non-stop activity for 48 hours as Sydney disembarked her cargo of Australian troops and equipment.
Derwent also undertook an official visit to the Salakan Islands which lie 110 miles north of Tawau, North Borneo. As part of a civil aid project, volunteers from Derwent's ship's company undertook the task of building a jetty; an assignment which was continued by Vampire later on.
The deployment also saw Derwent go to the aid of a Panamanian freighter grounded on a reef off the Sibutu Islands in the Philippines.
Derwent returned to Australia in August 1966, and unDerwent a mid-cycle docking at Williamstown Naval Dockyard. In October the ship was involved in Exercises RUN-UP and SWORDFISH, followed by visits to Adelaide and Fremantle, before returning to Sydney for Christmas.
1967
After completing Christmas leave in Sydney, Derwent, now under the command of CMDR G.J. Woolrych, RAN was mainly involved in exercises in the East Australia Exercise Areas (EAXA). On 4 February, she did, however, find time to act as the flagship for the annual RAN Sailing Association Regatta which was held on Sydney Harbour.
Derwent was next programmed for an official visit to Hobart. Whilst she was enroute to that port, southern Tasmania was hit by catastrophic bushfires. Derwent was ordered to proceed with all dispatch to render assistance.
Within two hours of her arrival in Hobart, Derwent's ship's company was fully involved fighting bushfires and providing other relief. Navy News tells the story:
'During their stay they established communication facilities between Tasmania and the mainland. They also provided continuous assistance in many and varied activities conducted by the Civil Defence authorities, and their talents were not overtaxed by such tasks as burning firebreaks, ditch digging, rebuilding burned out bridges, providing a fresh water pipe line to homeless victims of fire in Snug. When the ship returned to Sydney … she carried messages containing the thanks of the Governor of Tasmania, Sir Charles Gairdner and the Lord Mayor of Hobart. The message from the Governor read: 'On behalf of all in Southern Tasmania I would like to thank the ship's company for all its efficient, willing and unassuming work in assisting during the bushfire crisis…'
In May, Derwent deployed once again to South East Asia, visiting the Philippines, Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong.
Operational port visits to Japan were a feature of this deployment, including Tokyo, Hiroshima, and Sasebo. During these visits, members of Derwent's ship's company acted as ambassadors for Australia by handing out books and pamphlets on Australian wines, tourist spots and general holiday promotional material. Other significant ports of call included Manila and Hong Kong.
Derwent returned to her home port of Sydney in early October 1967 finishing the year in refit at Williamstown Dockyard, from which she emerged in May 1968.
1968
Completion of the refit in early May was followed by post refit trials, work-up and exercises in the East Australia Exercise Area (EAXA).
During July 1968 Derwent undertook a series of exercises in New Zealand waters before returning to Sydney later that month for leave and maintenance, prior to another South-East Asian deployment.
Derwent arrived in Singapore in late October. Her program then saw her gradually working her way northward through the tropics into a northern Pacific winter. In December for example, Derwent and her consort, Duchess undertook an 11-day Flag showing visit to Korea and Japan during which four ports were visited. While on passage to Inchon, South Korea, Derwent received five very welcome bags of mail from Duchess. At Seoul, Derwent's divers spent a day assisting in the construction of the Colombo Plan Dredge "Australian Endeavour", which was a gift from the Australian Government; and the ship also gave a party for 65 Orphanage children.
In Nagasaki, Japan, Derwent and Duchess were both open to public, and despite unpleasant weather, over 1000 visitors arrived onboard. Christmas and New Year saw Derwent alongside in Hong Kong for a self maintenance period.
Whilst in Hong Kong, Derwent utilized the services of Jenny's Side Party, a group of 30 Chinese women ship painters who devotedly painted and cleaned many visiting warships. The Side Party workers supplemented their normal operational earnings on non-navy vessels by selling soft drinks to visiting ship's crews.
1969
Following a festive season break, Derwent's new year program took her steadily south into tropical waters, with visits to Singapore, Chittagong and Madras in India, and as far south as Trincomalee in Sri Lanka. She then retraced her route northward, with official visits to Singapore, Vung Tau, Bangkok and Hong Kong, before sailing 'west about' for her home port of Sydney, where she arrived on 25 April. This was closely followed by a mid-cycle docking period at Williamstown Dockyard.
During a port visit to Brisbane 16-20 August, Derwent's ship's company enjoyed the benefits of a "Dial a Sailor" program. It proved so popular with the public that it was not possible to find enough sailors to meet all the invitations received by the ship.
The Brisbane visit was closely followed by an unsuccessful three-day search off the north coast of NSW, for survivors from the merchant ship, SS Noongah, and the annual harbour inspection by CAPT J.D. Stevens, RAN, Commander of Australian Destroyer Squadron Three.
Late on the afternoon of Wednesday, 17 September, Derwent sailed from Sydney for another deployment, this time to the Northern Pacific; initially setting course for New Caledonia and a fuelling stop in Noumea.
Derwent's Navy News correspondent recorded the following non-operational snippets from the deployment: 'the passage from Noumea to Pago-Pago, the capital of American Samoa, set the pattern for most legs of this deployment – we had flat seas, a hot sun and nary a sign of another ship… Conditions below decks were torrid at night (don't ever believe that Derwent is effectively air-conditioned) and many moved on deck for relief… USN authorities in Canberra and Pearl Harbor really extended themselves to assist and by the day prior to our arrival we had a very good idea of our programme – both work and play. We entered Pearl Harbor on the morning of Friday, October 3, to find ourselves allocated the most accessible (amenities-wise) berth… There on the wharf to greet us was a USN band, a host of welcoming 'brass' and last but by no means least, the Hula girls…Ever seen a sheepish commanding officer piped back aboard complete with Lei? The girls were in fact USN wives who do this as part of their navy wives' activities and they were very good indeed.'
Derwent was soon fully involved with a full round of exercises with USN units which was the purpose of her deployment. Derwent's Hawaiian deployment ended with her Navy News correspondent recording that " Derwent will volunteer for a similar tour at a moment's notice!"
Derwent then continued her deployment, proceeding to Singapore via Kwajalein, Guam and Subic Bay. Kwajalein is in the Marshall Islands, and is a major US defence facility. Derwent's reporter recorded that 'one interesting little bit of naval history now lies bottom up, with only a bit of the stern and two propellers showing – the Prinz Eugen. She, as one of the only two German capital ships still seaworthy at the close of the war in Europe, subsequently became a target ship in the Bikini (Atomic) Test. She was later towed into Kwajalein where she unfortunately came to grief, [capsizing] during a typhoon."
Derwent then spent two weeks in a Singapore Shipyard undergoing maintenance, which included an external boiler clean, and the painting of the entire ship's side. From Singapore, Derwent sailed for Australian waters in company with the troop transport, Sydney, 'westabout' with a 'dog-leg' around Christmas Island, and a refueling stop at Fremantle, before returning to Sydney on 11 December in time for an Australian Christmas.
