Australian Naval Amateur Radio Society
HMAS HOBART
"The Final Voyage"
written by David Wilson VK3JKY
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First day-Monday April 16 2000
The shrill of the Bosun's pipe followed by ‘All Hands Wakey Wakey’ at 6:40 AM on the first morning managed to claw the remnants of the last nights frivolities from my head - boy these sailors play hard. I suspect the City of Geelong will have fond memories of the HMAS Hobart.
I joined the ship during the previous afternoon while she was berthed alongside Cunningham Pier at the Port of Geelong for a voyage to Garden Island (Sydney). This was to be Hobart’s final voyage while serving under the White Ensign. HMAS Hobart was built by Defoe Shipbuilding in Bay City, Michigan and launched on the 9th of January 1964 and finally completed on December 18 1965. She has seen 35 years of service with the RAN.
Two 35,000 SHP steam turbines provide propulsion for the 440 foot hull displacing 3370 tons. 333 Officers and men form the ships complement. Armament consists of two 5" fully automatic guns in fore and aft turrets, six 12.75" tubes for anti-submarine torpedoes and 24 Standard Block 2 surface to air missiles.
HMAS Hobart is one of three Perth class Guided Missile Destroyers purchased from the US in the mid to late sixties. The other vessels being HMAS Perth and HMAS Brisbane. Hobart has been part of several joint service exercises and earned the nickname ‘The Green Ghost’ .This was a response to her habit of disappearing from radar screens at critical times. She participated in two tours of Vietnam. In 1968 she was struck by two sidewinder missiles fired from a USAF Phantom (the ship was mistaken for a helicopter) two of the ships company lost their lives as a result of this incident.
Why am I here? The RAN have a scheme permitting relatives to accompany crewmembers on certain passages. My nephew Ben ABMT (Able Seaman Marine Tech) Hudson is currently serving on the ship and managed to organize myself to join the ship for it’s final voyage.
We got under way 1000 local from Geelong and headed for the channel that accesses Port Philip Heads. Clearing the heads around 1400 we set a southeasterly track for Wilson’s Promitory. The seas were moderate from the southwest. I was fortunate to watch a test of the gunnery system during the afternoon. It was most impressive to see the speed of the servo systems but the real highlight was to see the gun barrel remain precisely in position totally irrespective of the ships movement.
A word about the food or ‘scran’s’ (navyspeak). I was on the ship for three days and I only have good words for the cooks. These guys don’t just provide the normal three meals per day at set times they have to provide meals at quite obscure hours to suit the ships 24-hour operation.
We cleared Wilson’s Prom just to the south of Rodondo Island around 2015. Would have been great to have seen it in daylight but then, who’s complaining? A track was set to take us parallel with the Victorian southeastern coast off the 90 mile beach. Lights from the offshore oil platforms provided an interesting diversion.
Big things start from small things. I witnessed a flash up of one of the aft boilers. It is started by simply applying a cigarette lighter flame to a diesel soaked rag fixed to a steel rod. This rod is inserted into a port in the front of the boiler at the same time as the fuel valve is opened. With an almighty ‘woof’ the boiler is away
Ben provided me with an excellent tour of the boiler and engine spaces. I take off my hat to the guys working in these areas. Access is very limited and the ambient air temperature can often exceed 60 degrees C. There is some respite provided by some high flow ventilation ports forcing cool air into the engine compartments at strategic points.
I am slowly finding my way around the ship. It has been one exciting day and I finally hit the sack (rack) around 0100.
A brief word about accommodation. I was allocated rack number 53 located in 143 mess. I am reasonably certain my temporary messmates were service types (stokers, fitters electricians etc). We sleep in racks, these are essentially three levels of bunks with around two feet of headroom above each bunk, individual privacy is simply a heavy curtain around each rack. A reading light is provided but I had difficulty in reading a book, as I couldn’t lift it high enough to bring it in focus. Despite all of this once you are tucked in a good nights sleep can be enjoyed.
Day Two (Tuesday April 17)
Big Stuff-Up by me. Woke up and peered at my watch. Shit - after 0800? Crawled out of the rack, into the shower, got dressed, took another look at the watch, hell – it’s only 0515. Must have mixed up minute and hour hand. Dummy! Ben (Rocky) still not in the cot. (he lives in the rack above me). Found him in the café. Big problems with the aft boilers overnight - black smoke everywhere. Flameout when one boiler system is placed in automatic. The guys looked totally stuffed. The problems were emphasized when I observed a very ‘black’ white ensign flying from the mainmast.
Rocky hit the sack around 0545 after 22 hours on watch. I checked with the bridge around 0645, the ship is approaching Gabo Island near the NSW Vic. border.
Met the navigating officer (Luther). We discovered a common interest in electronic navigation technologies; a very interesting chat resulted. Luther arranged a visit to the operations center; this compartment contains among other thing the tactical radar displays. Essentially it is the electronic eyes and ears of the ship.
Exercises such as man overboard and pyrotechnic displays occupied some of the morning. At one stage the ship went to a real fire alert following heavy smoke in one of the engine rooms. This turned out to be smoke from the pyrotechnic flares being sucked into the engine room air vents.
The imperial carcass (me) is not quite as capable nowadays so following lunch a brief nap seemed to be in order, this was fine until a distinct increase in the ships vibration pattern was noted. Hell what’s happening? Out of my rack and up on deck. It turns out the skipper had decided to give the old lady her head for a brief run. Standing on the afterdeck of a DDG when running high power is an experience that should not be denied to anyone. At this point my respect for HMAS Hobart increased tenfold.
We joined the HMAS Arunta and HMAS Adelaide off the NSW south coast late in the afternoon. The Hobart and Adelaide then proceeded to demonstrate a series of ‘follow the leader’ style of ship manoeuvres that allowed me some excellent photographic opportunities.
The word is around for a full power run starting at 0700 tomorrow morning.
Hey – They piped ‘Beer Issue’. I was at the head of the queue. What only two stubbies? What only 50c each? Well enjoy it while you can.
Day Three (Wednesday)
Last day (just when I am starting to find my way around). Everyone is on a bit of a high. The final cruise has included the South Pacific Nations of New Zealand, Fiji, Vanuatu then returning to Australia at Mackay in Northern Queensland then down to Geelong, as a result the crew are quite keen to get home.
The 6:40 wake up pipe demonstrated the feeling of the ship in that bagpipes replaced the bosuns pipe and traditional navy wake up calls like ‘Hands off c---s and hands on socks' or 'Out of your mates and into your eights’ provided a most appropriate substitute for the normal ‘Wakey Wakey’.
Up on deck around 0645, already a noticeable increase in vibration level. A brown smoke haze trails from both stacks - all four boilers are working well. A mass of white water surges behind the ship. We are currently positioned a few miles off the coast around the Wollongong in a moderate south-easterly sea. The run to the north offered some excellent views of the central NSW coast including Botany Bay, Sydney Heads and the infamous Gap. We reached a point a few miles to the north of Sydney Heads around 0930 - a 180o turn to the south positioned HMAS Hobart for her final entry into Sydney Harbour under the white ensign.
At times I don’t understand fate. There were a couple of heavy rain cells approaching Sydney from the southeast. The first of these cells provided the ships topsides with a thorough washing down and was probably nothing more than a minor nuisance. However the timing of the arrival of the second rain cell at the Garden Island area coincided precisely with the arrival of Hobart.
Picture the scene --The Ships’ company dressed in whites (summer uniform) man the decks of the ‘Green Ghost’ in ceremonial order - heavy rain falls - family and visitors stand on the wharf - the greeting RAN band head for cover (too wet), the popular song Ghost Riders in The Sky flows from the ships PA. A gentle nudge of the wharf followed by a few final engine movements ends the last voyage of HMAS Hobart as a serving vessel of the RAN.
Hobart exceeded 36 Knots during her final speed trial. I am told she is the fastest ship in the fleet (excluding the wave piercing catamaran, HMAS Jervis Bay.
My name is Dave Wilson. I live in Tyabb Victoria. I would like to go on record in thanking the RAN, all officers and men especially my nephew ABMT Hudson (Ben) of the HMAS Hobart for allowing this to happen. My brief journey will remain one of the most endearing adventures in my lifetime. To be a part of a ship that is about to celebrate the end of her service is a unique and emotional event. The professionalism, friendliness, tolerance and total lack of bullshit displayed by all crew members is encouraging when we as civilians consider the future defence of Australia.
73....................David VK3JKY
This article may be reproduced but acknowledgement to the Author and ANARS would be appreciated.
