She participated in Exercise SWAN LAKE in Western Australian waters in November and visited Adelaide and Hobart en route back to Sydney. Long shot of HMS Bulwark at anchor off Pall Tidman, 1969. . She participated in the anti-submarine Exercise WINCHESTER off Jervis Bay in September/October, following which she visited her namesake city. SEALION was the largest SEATO exercise yet involving more than 60 ships from Australia, New Zealand, the US, the UK, France, India, the Philippines, Thailand and Pakistan. She arrived back in Sydney on 1 August where she recommenced a routine program of exercises, training and maintenance. [78], In 1962, Melbourne began the year's activities at the Royal Hobart Regatta, before sailing to her Strategic Reserve deployment, by way of Adelaide and Fremantle. She went on to visit Kobe, Manila and Singapore where she participated in Exercise BERSATU PADU involving defence units from Australia, the UK, New Zealand, Malaysia and Singapore in May and June. [28] The 1969 and 1971 refits did improve conditions, although there was little scope for upgrade, and the system was still inadequate: temperatures inside the ship continued to reach over 65C (149F), and on one occasion a hold reached 78C (172F). [18] These included an angled flight deck, steam catapult and a mirror landing aid, making Melbourne the third aircraft carrier (following HMSArk Royal and USSForrestal) to be constructed with these features, instead of having them added later. [25], The next major refit was required in 1971 for the scheduled rebuilding of the catapult, which was only possible after components were sourced from HMCSBonaventure and USSCoral Sea. [23] To operate the new aircraft, the carrier received a major refit on her return to Sydney, which began in December 1967. [65] Melbourne spent from September to November in Southeast Asian waters, during which she participated in Exercise Albatross and received an official visit by Philippines president Ramon Magsaysay. The stern section remained afloat. Memorabilia from Melbourne's voyages with the Fleet Air Arm embarked, and examples of all the types of aircraft deployed on Melbourne, are on permanent static display in the Fleet Air Arm Museum at HMAS Albatross. [98][99] This is the only time in Australian history two Royal Commissions have been held for a single incident. [120] After having narrowly passed in front of Melbourne, the turns quickly placed Evans back in the carrier's path. He was 31 years of age. (Courtesy Mike Breakspear). [102], Melbourne spent ten weeks at Cockatoo Island Dockyard, having her new bow fitted. [166] The journey was delayed when the towing line began to part, requiring the carrier and tug to shelter in Queensland's Moreton Bay, on 30 April. Hard-a starboard. The ledger is recorded under the name of the parent vessel or shore base. Vickers Armstrong Ltd, Barrow-in-Furness, England, Lady Anderson, wife of the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Some records include terms and views that are not appropriate today. Melbourne went on to visit Yokohama and Djakarta before arriving back in Fremantle on 24 June. The deployment was further marred when, just a week later while the ship was en route to Japan, a sailor was injured on the flight deck. These larger and more dynamic jet aircraft led to commensurate advancements in the designs of the carriers from which they operated, most significantly the introduction of angled flight decks, mirror deck landing systems and steam powered catapults. At the time of purchase, it was decided to incorporate new aircraft carrier technologies into the design, making Melbourne the third ship to be constructed with an angled flight deck. [4][6] As Terrible was the closer of the two ships to completion, she was finished without modification, and was commissioned into the RAN on 16 December 1948 as HMASSydney. [145], During February and March 1980, Melbourne participated in RIMPAC 80, as the flagship of Battle Group Two. [23] The four Bofors twin mountings were removed in 1980. Skyhawks conduct a low flypast, 2 September 1971. Melbourne and the FAA in general received a boost during the year with the decision to re-equip the FAA with Douglas A4G Skyhawk fighter bombers and Grumman S2E Tracker anti-submarine warfare aircraft. [132] The ship's catapult was replaced with parts from the decommissioned HMCS Bonaventure in 1970. Occurring off the New South Wales coast in 1964, the aircraft carrier Melbourne and destroyer Voyager were engaged in night flying exercises when Voyager inexplicably turned in front of Melbourne's bow. [2], Melbourne's initial armament included 25 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns: six twin and thirteen single mountings. On completion of the exercise, Melbourne led the four nation fleet in ceremonial fleet entry into Sydney Harbour on 22 November. On 10 April she visited Colombo before crossing the Indian Ocean and arriving in her first Australian port, Fremantle, on 23 April 1956. [1], Operations in 1972 commenced with a three-month deployment to Southeast Asia. The two other sailors in the car with him suffered only minor injuries. The ship was not scrapped immediately; instead she was studied by Chinese naval architects and engineers as part of the nation's top-secret carrier development program. A BritIsh Avro Vulcan flies over HMAS Melbourne during exercises in SE Asia. Thompson and Potts were both killed when their Sea Venom crashed into the sea in 1956. Department of Defence users will not be able to view this video on the Defence Protected Network. [44] The highlight of the deployment saw the three ships represent Australia and New Zealand at the Silver Jubilee Naval Review on 28 June 1977. For more information, you can ask us a question. 808 Squadron in 1955 posing before a Sea Venom onboard Melbourne. [1] During this deployment, Melbourne led a fleet of 17 ships from the RAN, Royal Navy, Royal New Zealand Navy, US Navy, Philippine Navy, and Royal Thai Navy in Exercise Sea Hawk. She visited New Guinea before proceeding on to Subic Bay where she commenced the SEATO exercise SEA ROVER in March and April, which took the SEATO fleet across the South China Sea to Sattahip in Thailand. Ledgers often include individual crew lists for each vessel. [77] Melbourne returned to Australia in June, and on 15 June led several ships in a ceremonial entry to Sydney Harbour to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the RAN. Ledgers often include individual crew lists for each vessel. The Gannet fleet was grounded pending an investigation and was cleared to recommence flying operations on 12 February. In 1960, the United States Navy offered an Essex-class carrier to the Australian government, in the interest of improving relations between the two nations and their navies. | Australian War Memorial Home Collection Crew members aboard HMAS Vampire. [108] Seventh Fleet staff suggested in April 1967 that Melbourne deploy in the anti-submarine role, but nothing came of these talks. While conducting flying exercises off Manus Island on 16 March, one of Melbournes Gannets ditched into the sea when the pilot was unable to control the aircraft after relighting her second engine. [84] Instead, Voyager first turned to starboard, away from Melbourne, then turned to port without warning. She participated in Exercises JUC 61 and HOMERUN with USN units off the New South Wales coast in March, before departing Sydney on 24 February for South East Asian waters. [53], Melbourne was the third and final conventional aircraft carrier to operate with the RAN. [12] Two days later, the ship was renamed Melbourne by Lady White, the wife of Sir Thomas White, the Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, and recommissioned. [58][59], As Melbourne was the only ship of her size (both in dimensions and ship's company) in the RAN, the carrier underwent a regular rotation of commanding officers to give them experience. [61][63] Melbourne sailed east via the Great Australian Bight, meeting sister ship HMASSydney near Kangaroo Island a week later. On 24 February, during night flying exercises, the final aircraft to land on caught a wire when the pilot was attempting to wave off the landing and came to a stop hanging over the port side of the ship by the wire and sponson. Left: A Royal Navy Westland Whirlwind. [135] Melbourne, Brisbane, and eleven other ships were deployed as part of the largest peacetime rescue effort ever organised by the RAN: Operation Navy Help Darwin. She then went on to visit Hong Kong before proceeding to Singapore to participate in the SEATO exercise SEA SERPENT, which in 1963 was being conducted congruently in Manila and Singapore. Many survivors were embarked in Melbourne while others were transported by other search and rescue vessels to HMAS Creswell at Jervis Bay. [23] During this deployment, a fire ignited inside the ship's main switchboard. The Melbourne-Voyager collision, also known as the Melbourne-Voyager incident or simply the Voyager incident, was a collision between two warships of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN); the aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne and the destroyer HMAS Voyager.. On the evening of 10 February 1964, the two ships were performing manoeuvres off Jervis Bay. [1][56] A decision was made in 1959 to restrict Melbourne's role to helicopter operations only, but was reversed shortly before its planned 1963 implementation. She visited Pearl Harbor, Vancouver, Los Angeles, and San Francisco before proceeding to San Diego, where the new aircraft were embarked on Friday 27 and Monday 30 October. It is the most prestigious fleet award in the RAN, one which the carrier would go on to win twice more, in 1962 and 1972. Note: This video is hosted on YouTube and has no audio. The integrity of the initial Board of Inquiry has since been questioned, particularly as it was presided over by Rear Admiral Jerome H King, USN, the officer in overall tactical command of Evans at the time of the collision. NSW. The first aircraft to land on HMAS Melbourne. References to many ledgers appear at item level on RecordSearch. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. HMAS Melbourne was a Town class light cruiser operated by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Melbourne maintained a regular program of exercises, training and maintenance over the next few years, including annual deployments to the Asia-Pacific region. Budgetary constraints from the late 1950s had placed some doubt over the future of naval aviation given the large financial outlay required to operate aircraft carriers and their associated aircraft. In these cases, the remainder of the record will be made available. [17], Following the recommencement of construction, modifications were made to the ship, based on wartime experience and Britain's post-war carrier warfare technology and innovations. The two groups started SEALION independently before rendezvousing in the South China Sea on 11 May. Australian Navy ( RAN ) removed in 1980 During this deployment, a fire ignited inside the ship catapult... 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