Publication:Navy Annual 2005/RAN Operations 2005
BY BRETT MITCHELL
NOV 04
The period began with a number of major fleet units deployed overseas. HMAS Adelaide was on station in the Middle east Area of Operations in support of Operation CATALYST, her crew focused on protecting the Iraqi off-shore oil terminals and monitoring and reporting merchant shipping proceeding to and departing from the Iraqi waterways.
HMA Ships Anzac, Arunta and Westralia returned home to Fleet Base West on completion of their respective east Asian deployments. Similarly, HMAS Success, which had been attached to the United States Navy Seventh Fleet, returned home to Fleet Base east.
Continuing the homecoming theme, HMAS Fremantle arrived in Darwin on 04 November, thus drawing to a close the Royal Australian Navy's commitment to Operation ANODE in the Solomon Islands; and HMAS Tobruk returned from the South West Pacific. In other overseas activity, a detachment of personnel from Clearance Diving Team One was dispatched to Kiribati to dispose of World War II unexploded ordnance; HMAS Leeuwin visited Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia and HMAS Betano proceeded to Dili to deliver stores for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Her visit also represented the first by a Royal Australian Navy ship since east Timorese independence.
Operation RELEX II remained at the forefront of Australia's border protection regime, with HMAS Parramatta on duty in the Christmas Island area, ably supported across the breadth of Australia's northern approaches by the Fremantle Class Patrol Boats and Balikpapan Class Landing Craft Heavy. Routine fisheries patrols in support of Operation CRANBERRY also continued, with HMA Ships Betano, Bendigo, Bunbury, Gladstone and Townsville all apprehending foreign fishing vessels in addition to making numerous administrative seizures.
All of the hydrographic ships were active during the month. HMA Ships Benalla and Shepparton conducted survey operations off Great Keppel Island, HMA Ships Mermaid and Paluma in the Shoalwater Bay Training Area, HMAS Leeuwin (HS White Crew) off Melville Island, HMAS Melville (HS Red Crew) in Torres Strait and the Laser Airborne Depth Sounder (LADS) aircraft flew missions over Ashmore Reef. HMAS Melville also accurately positioned the wreck of HMAS Warrnambool (I), lost to a mine in 1947 during post-war minesweeping operations.
Several units were tasked to support civil authorities during November. HMAS Wewak embarked Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) personnel, HMAS Bunbury deployed a $400,000 ocean meteorological buoy on behalf of the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, and HMAS Betano delivered 20 tonnes of building supplies to the Gawa Homeland Community on elcho Island, located in the Northern Territory.
In mid November HMA Ships Ballarat and Melbourne and MSA Bandicoot supported Victorian Navy Week celebrations and the Ship's company of HMAS Labuan were granted Freedom of entry to the City of Ballina. HMAS Melbourne later completed a circumnavigation of mainland Australia. HMA Ships Rankin, and HMA Ships Ballarat, Newcastle, and Westralia were joined by HMNZ Ships Endeavour and Te Kaha for anti-submarine exercise (ASWEX). Collins Class Submarine HMAS Farncomb returned to Fleet Base West on 26 November after an absence of over two years, having undergone a Full Cycle Docking.
DEC 04
In the Persian Gulf, HMAS Adelaide's engineers responded to a call for help from a United States Navy security detachment by working tirelessly to install and set to work three hot water systems for the personnel embarked on the Khawr Al Amaya Oil Terminal.
HMA Ships Benalla and Shepparton completed their survey off Great Keppel Island as did HMAS Melville in Torres Strait. HMAS Wewak continued to support AQIS until mid December. On 2 December the Ship's company of HMAS Ballarat paraded through their namesake city during a visit that coincided with the 150th anniversary of the eureka Stockade. HMAS Ballarat then relieved HMAS Parramatta on Operation RELEX II. On 07 December HMAS Warramunga conducted the Royal Australian Navy's inaugural firing of a canister-launched Harpoon Missile Blast Test Vehicle. HMA Ships Geelong and Launceston each captured foreign fishing vessels during the month.
The close of 2004 saw the commencement of two major deployments. On 28 December HMAS Darwin sailed from Fleet Base West on Operation CATALYST. HMAS Kanimbla sailed from Sydney on New Year's eve for Operation SUMATRA ASSIST, to provide humanitarian assistance to the Indonesian province of Banda Aceh which was devastated by the Boxing Day tsunami. It was almost 30 years to the day that a Royal Australian Navy Task Group had sailed for Darwin after the city was flattened by Cyclone Tracy.
JAN 05
HMAS Kanimbla embarked stores and equipment in Darwin and sailed for Banda Aceh on 07 January with a complement of 466 personnel, including a detachment from Clearance Diving Team One. She anchored off Banda Aceh on 13 January and her Ship's company actively engaged in disaster relief operations. HMAS Betano was placed on standby to support the operation however she was not required.
HMAS Darwin relieved HMAS Adelaide on station in the Persian Gulf on 12 January, and HMAS Adelaide returned to Fleet Base West on 25 January having made passage via Diego Garcia. She had spent 103 days on patrol and effected 157 boardings.
HMAS Arunta relieved HMAS Ballarat on Operation RELEX II after the latter unfortunately ran aground in Flying Fish Cove, Christmas Island. Although able to proceed under her own power, HMAS Ballarat was escorted to Fleet Base West by HMAS Canberra.
A rededication ceremony was held for HMAS Farncomb on 19 January and she deployed on 25 January for New Zealand. HMAS Leeuwin (HS White Crew) continued the Melville Island survey which was finalised in February.
The patrol boat force had a very successful month, with HMA Ships Bendigo, Bunbury, Dubbo, Gawler and Gladstone apprehending over a dozen foreign fishing vessels on their respective Operation CRANBERRY patrols. HMAS Bendigo accounted for six in her own right.
FEB 05
HMAS Kanimbla remained off Banda Aceh until 23 February when she proceeded to Penang for a respite visit.
HMAS Arunta detached from Operation RELEX II on 10 February to proceed with dispatch to rendezvous with the 46,000 tonne bulk carrier MV Great Prestige and evacuate a seriously injured crewman to Darwin. On 23 February she went to the aid of the 23,000 tonne container ship MV MSC Denisse, drifting southeast of Christmas Island without power and with a flooded engine room. HMAS Arunta's boarding party managed to slow the ingress of water and stabilised Denisse before HMAS Stuart arrived two days later to assume Operation RELEX II duties.
The first major fleet exercise for 2005 was OCEAN PROTECTOR which began on 1 February. Participants were HMA Ships Diamantina, Huon, Melbourne, Norman, Parramatta, Stuart, and HMNZ Ships Canterbury, Endeavour and Te Kaha. HMAS Huon's involvement was interrupted for a period when she was hit by a lightning strike in Jervis Bay.
HMA Ships Farncomb, Melbourne, Melville (HS Blue), Parramatta, Tobruk, and HMNZ Ships Canterbury, Endeavour, Te Kaha and Te Mana then conducted exercise TASMANEX from 14 February to 4 March. In addition, HMAS Farncomb participated in exercise FINCASTLE as part of her workup off New Zealand.
The patrol boats had yet another busy month. HMA Ships Bendigo, Bunbury, Ipswich and Wollongong apprehended three foreign fishing vessels each, and HMA Ships Launceston and Townsville one each.
HMA Ships Benalla, Leeuwin (HS White), Shepparton and the LADS aircraft conducted exercise COPPS, a Rapid environmental Assessment training period. The LADS aircraft then concentrated on survey flights over Swains Reef and the two Survey Motor Launches shaped course for the survey grounds at Goodwin Shoals. Their sister ships HMA Ships Mermaid and Paluma visited Gizo in the Solomon Islands from 24 to 28 February. HMAS Gawler also deployed to the South West Pacific, visiting the Solomon Islands and Fiji.
In other activities, HMAS Rankin conducted exercise PLATYPUS MOON between 1 and 11 February, and HMAS Melbourne acted as the Hobart Regatta Flagship. Aircraft from 723 and 805 Squadrons supported the Temora and Bairnsdale Airshows in support of the Navy ground display.
MAR 05
HMAS Kanimbla returned to anchor off Banda Aceh on 1 March and resumed disaster relief operations. She departed for Singapore on 24 March, however, the 28 March earthquake off Sumatra caused extensive damage to the island of Nias and HMAS Kanimbla was directed to sail with all dispatch.
HMAS Anzac conducted a Freedom of entry parade through their adopted city of Albany, a prelude to her departure on 11 March on NORTHERN TRIDENT. She visited the Indian port of Goa before proceeding to Suez. HMAS Canberra also sailed on deployment in mid-March and visited Singapore.
The sea phase of the Minor War Vessel Concentration Period, which commenced on 7 March, was curtailed due to the unwelcome presence of Cyclone Ingrid. HMA Ships Balikpapan, Benalla, Brunei, Gladstone, Ipswich, Labuan, Shepparton, Tarakan and FNS La Moqueuse were all forced to seek shelter.
The Ships' companies of HMA Ships Diamantina, Hawkesbury, Huon, Norman, Yarra and MSA Wallaroo practised their mine countermeasures skills off Jervis Bay in exercise MULGOGGER, which ran from 14 to 22 March.
HMAS Parramatta visited Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin; HMAS Gawler concluded her visit to Fiji before proceeding to Vanuatu; and HMAS Farncomb participated in exercise TAMEX.
HMAS Melville (HS Blue) surveyed outlying reefs in the Coral Sea, including Wanganella Banks and elizabeth Reef. She also visited Auckland and Noumea. HMA Ships Mermaid and Paluma progressed their Torres Strait survey. Aircraft from 805 and 817 Squadrons were detached to the Australian International Airshow at Avalon, in support of the Navy ground display. 817 Squadron also supported the visit of His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales.
APR 05
HMAS Kanimbla arrived off the Indonesian island of Nias on 2 April. The resumption of operations in support of a needy community began tragically when the Sea King helicopter, Shark 02, crashed on approach to Amandraya, killing nine personnel. It is a tribute to the Ship's company that they completed their tasking in emotionally difficult circumstances. A detachment of personnel from Clearance Diving Team Four deployed to Nias for a two-week period to assist in recovery operations. The deployment culminated with HMAS Kanimbla's solemn homecoming to Sydney on 30 April.
HMAS Anzac transited the Suez Canal and visited Alexandria and Crete before passing through the Dardanelles to the Turkish port of Istanbul where she participated in a number of events in the lead up to the 90th Anniversary of ANZAC Day on 25 April. She later visited Marmaris for the inaugural Marmaris Festival of the Sea.
HMAS Tobruk sailed for Operation CATALYST on 4 April. elements of the Al Muthanna Task Group were embarked in Darwin before the ship proceeded direct to the Middle east Area of Operations. HMAS Canberra proceeded to North Asia and visited Zhanjiang and Shanghai in China, Nagoya in Japan and Pusan in South Korea. The visit to Nagoya coincided with the World expo.
HMAS Stuart assisted the catamaran Total eclipse on 3 April. The vessel had sustained structural damage and was taking water. Once stabilised the vessel was escorted to Christmas Island. HMAS Stuart was shortly thereafter relieved on Operation RELEX II by HMAS Melbourne. HMAS Leeuwin (HS Red Crew) departed Cairns on 4 April on a 10-week survey deployment to Exmouth Gulf.
The major focus for fisheries protection in April was Operation CLEARWATER, an initiative of the Australian Customs Service. HMA Ships Betano, Bunbury, Warrnambool, Wewak and Whyalla participated in the coordinated blitz on foreign fishing activity in the Gulf of Carpentaria. The successful operation saw HMAS Bunbury apprehend five vessels, HMAS Whyalla six and HMAS Warrnambool eleven.
MAY 05
HMAS Anzac visited Malta, Toulon, La Coruna and Hamburg. Some of her personnel travelled inland to Paris to attend ceremonies commemorating the 60th Anniversary of Victory in europe Day on 8 May.
HMAS Tobruk arrived in Kuwait to disembark vehicles, stores and equipment for the Australian Army. She then visited Dubai and the Indian port of Cochin on the return voyage.
HMAS Newcastle departed Fleet Base east on 23 May for Operation CATALYST. HMAS Adelaide relieved HMAS Melbourne on Operation RELEX II and HMAS Westralia sailed from Fleet Base West in mid-May on a five-month deployment.
HMAS Balikpapan sailed for a short deployment to east Timor in support of Operation SPIRE. HMAS Bendigo visited New Zealand and Noumea and exercised with ships of the French and Tongan Navies in exercise CAGOU. Her sister ships HMAS Gladstone and HMAS Ipswich sailed for the South West Pacific on 16 May and visited the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.
HMAS Sheean deployed to the Guam area for exercises. HMAS Canberra also visited Guam, having earlier sailed from Yokosuka for exercises with the USS Kitty Hawk Battle Group.
On 1 May HMAS Betano celebrated the 300th anniversary of the Dutch landings in the Tiwi Islands, and both HMA Ships Fremantle and Whyalla provided assistance to the stricken yacht Matilda. HMA Ships Benalla and Shepparton returned to Goodwin Shoals whilst HMAS Leeuwin completed her exmouth Gulf survey on 28 May. HMAS Labuan supported the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service in early May. Sadly, one of the embarked AQIS scientists was killed in the tragic Metroliner air crash near Lockhart River shortly after disembarking from HMAS Labuan.
JUN 05
HMAS Newcastle relieved HMAS Darwin on station in the Persian Gulf on 14 June. HMAS Darwin returned to Fleet Base West on 28 June, five days after HMAS Tobruk returned to Sydney on completion of her short Middle East deployment.
There were several other significant events for the Royal Australian Navy in June. The first was exercise TALISMAN SABER, which was conducted in the Shoalwater Bay Training Area and involved over 6,000 Australian and 11,000 American personnel representing all services. The Royal Australian Navy contributed a variety of platforms including HMA Ships Ballarat, Benalla, Brunei, Canberra, Farncomb, Hawkesbury, Huon, Labuan, Manoora, Melville, Norman, Shepparton, Success, Warramunga, Westralia, Wewak, Yarra, the LADS aircraft and detachments from Clearance Diving Teams One and Four.
The second was the decommissioning of HMAS Cessnock on 23 June, the first of the Fremantle Class Patrol Boats to do so. HMAS Armidale commissioned the following day, thus opening a new chapter for the Royal Australian Navy Patrol Boat Force. On 27 June HMAS Whyalla began her last patrol before she decommissioned in September.
HMAS Anzac continued her NORTHERN TRIDENT deployment and visited Glasgow prior to exercise NEPTUNE WARRIOR. Following the exercise she visited Cork, the first recorded visit by a RAN warship to the Republic of Ireland, and then proceeded to Portsmouth to prepare and rehearse for the Royal Fleet Review which took place on 28 June and commemorated the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar. Concurrently she supported the International Festival of the Sea.
HMA Ships Gladstone and Ipswich visited Fiji and New Zealand. In the first week of June both patrol boats conducted Operation KURU KURU, a multinational operation to patrol the exclusive economic Zones of Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu and Tuvalu. Labuan sailed from Brisbane on 25 June for deployment to Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea and exercise PUK PUK.
JUL 05
HMAS Anzac welcomed in excess of 10,000 visitors during the International Festival of the Sea and began the homeward bound passage. During the month she visited Gibraltar, Cape Verde, Simon's Town and Cape Town and hosted a visit by the touring Wallabies rugby team in South Africa.
In an otherwise quiet month, HMAS Manoora relieved HMAS Adelaide on Operation RELEX II. MSA Wallaroo supported the visit of USS Key West to Brisbane. On 24 July the Ship's company of HMAS Canberra exercised their right to march through the City of Canberra for the final time. On 29 July the Australian Submarine Corporation returned material control of HMAS Collins to the RAN, a significant milestone to return the submarine to the fleet.
AUG 05
HMA Ships Adelaide, Ballarat, Farncomb, Kanimbla, Warrnambool and Westralia conducted exercise KAKADU VII off Darwin between 1 and 11 August. With the exercise completed, HMAS Westralia then proceeded north to the South China Sea for exercise DEEP SABRE and visited Singapore and Penang. HMA Ships Adelaide and Ballarat conducted exercise MASTEX en route to Penang. HMAS Ballarat then visited Singapore and HMAS Adelaide visited Sihanoukville in Cambodia.
Other ships to visit South east Asian ports during August included HMAS Sheean and HMAS Leeuwin (HS Blue). At the close of the month HMA Ships Townsville and Wollongong were en route to Singapore.
HMAS Anzac visited the French Indian Ocean territory of La Reunion, southwest of Mauritius, and after steaming 31,534 nautical miles, officially concluded her NORTHERN TRIDENT deployment on 15 August.
In Australian waters, HMAS Dechaineux exercised with USS Houston and HMAS Whyalla steamed into Cairns on 19 August flying her decommissioning pennant. The RAN also actively supported ceremonies throughout Australia commemorating the 60th Anniversary of Victory in the Pacific Day.
