Success lives up to its name
18 May 2007
HMAS Success (CMDR A.R. Davis, RAN) may have set another record in her loyal and faithful 21 years service to the RAN.
On her passage in the Indian Ocean as part of the Commander Logistics Western Pacific (COMLOG WESTPAC) support to the United States Navy (USN), Success rendezvoused with a USN Amphibious Ready Group off the coast of Western Australia.
The task group consisted of the ships USS Boxer (LHD), USS Comstock (LST) and USS Dubuque () who were returning home, via Fremantle, from operations in the Arabian Gulf.
Success embarked all consigned stores and cargo, over 200 pallets, for the task group during her 48 hour visit to Singapore.
For two consecutive days (April 27 and 28), Success provided Replenishment at Sea (RAS) serials to the three ships.
The first day saw Vertical Replenishment (VERTREP) of 146 pallets of stores and cargo to Boxer. As the VERTREP serial continued, Comstock followed by Dubuque came along side Success to re-fuel from her starboard side RAS stations.
On completion of the VERTREP serial and with Dubuque still re-fuelling, Boxer came alongside Success' port side to commence re-fuelling from two of her port side RAS stations.
The next day saw the continuation of VERTREP serials of 60 pallets of stores and cargo to Comstock and Dubuque.
The two-day evolution saw the total transfer of 206 pallets of consigned cargo and the transfer of 2,500 CZ (2.5 million litres) of fuel to the task group using all four of Success' liquid replenishment stations.
On completion of the RAS serials Success detached from the task group and began her passage home to FBE.
Her return to FBE would end Success' three-and-a-half month deployment, which saw her involved in OP Resolute, a South-East Asian deployment consisting of port visits to Hong Kong, Da Nang and Singapore and support of COMLOG WESTPAC. Once again the "Battle Tanker" has proved her relevance in a modern Naval force.
HMAS Success, on her South East Asian Deployment recently stopped by the Lifestart Foundation Free School in Hoi An, Vietnam, to provide some extra hands. In anticipation of the up coming monsoon weather, the ship's company cleared a foundation in preparation for a retaining wall to prevent flooding from the Thu Bon River which backed onto the school. Ms Karen Leonard, founder of Lifestart Foundation, has operated the school for underprivileged children for the past 12 months and recently moved to a new building. The Commanding Officer in company with the Australian Ambassador to Vietnam, His Excellency Mr Bill Tweddell, cut the ceremonial ribbon to open the school on Thursday, April 12. Local school children were treated with Brand Navy souvenirs, such as frisbees, water bottles and stickers.
