HMAS Vampire (D11)

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For other ships of the same name, see HMAS Vampire.
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HMAS Vampire, HMAS Onslow, and the replica of HM Bark Endeavour on display at the Australian National Maritime Museum
Career (Australia (RAN)) RAN ensign
Builder: Cockatoo Island Dockyard
Laid down: 1 July 1953
Launched: 27 October 1956
Commissioned: 23 June 1959
Decommissioned: 13 August 1986
Reclassified: Training ship (1980)
Motto: "Audamus"[I]
Latin: "Let Us Be Daring"
Honours and
awards:		 Malaysia 1964-66
plus six inherited battle honours[1][2][3]
Status: Preserved as museum ship
General characteristics
Class and type: Daring class destroyer
Displacement: 2,800 tons standard
3,560 tons full load
Length: 388 feet 11.5 inches (118.6 m)
Beam: 42 feet 11.375 inches (13.1 m)
Draught: 12 feet 9 inches (3.9 m)
Propulsion: 2 x Forster Wheeler boilers, English Electric geared turbines, 2 shafts, 54,000 SHP
Speed: 34.75 knots (64.36 km/h)
Complement: 326 (in 1972)
Sensors and
processing systems:		 M22 gunfire director
LW-02 air search radar
Armament: 6 x 4.5-inch (110 mm) Mark V guns (3 dual turrets)
6 x 40-millimetre (1.6 in) Bofors anti-aircraft guns (2 twin mountings, 2 single mountings)
4 x 0.5-inch (13 mm) Browning machine guns
1 x 5-tube 21-inch (530 mm) Mark IV torpedo launcher
1 x Limbo anti-submarine mortar (later removed)
Sea Cat missile system (installed later)
Notes: Taken from:[4]

HMAS Vampire (D11) was the third of three Australian-built Daring class destroyers serving in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). One of the first all-welded ships built in Australia, she was constructed at Cockatoo Island Dockyard between 1952 and 1959, and was commissioned into the RAN a day after completion.

Vampire was regularly deployed to South East Asia during her career: she was attached to the Far East Strategic Reserve on five occasions, and escorted the troop transport HMAS Sydney on six of the latter's twenty-five transport voyages to Vietnam. In 1977, the destroyer was assigned to escort the Royal Yacht Britannia during Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip's visit to Australia. In 1980, Vampire was reclassified as a training ship.

The warship remained in service until 1986, when she was decommissioned and presented to the Australian National Maritime Museum for preservation as a museum ship. Vampire remains part of the museum's collection as of 2010.

Design and construction

See also: Daring class destroyer (1949)

Vampire was laid down at Cockatoo Island Dockyard in Sydney, New South Wales on 1 July 1952.[5] The destroyer was launched on 27 October 1956 by the wife of Sir William Slim.[5]

Vampire and her sister ships were the first ships constructed in Australia to be completely welded together, as opposed to being riveted.[6] Between laying down and completion, the ship's cost increased from A£2.6 million to A£7 million.[6]

The destroyer was completed on 22 June 1959, and commissioned into the RAN in Sydney a day later.[5]

Armament and sensors

Vampire’s main armament consisted of six 4.5-inch (110 mm) Mark V guns, arranged in three dual turrets: two forward and one aft.[4] Six 40-millimetre (1.6 in) Bofors guns were fitted for anti-aircraft protection.[4] Two single mountings were located on the forward superstructure, and two twin mountings on the aft superstructure.[4] Four 0.5-inch (13 mm) Browning machine guns were fitted for point defence.[4] A five-tube, 21-inch (530 mm) Mark IV torpedo launcher was installed on the quarterdeck between the forward and aft superstructure.[4] A Limbo anti-submarine mortar was located on the aft quarterdeck.[4] The Bofors, torpedo launcher, and Limbo mortar were all removed as part of various refits.[7] A Sea Cat missile system was installed at some point during her career.[4]

Prior to 1980, Vampire was equipped with a M22 gunfire director, and a LW-02 air search radar.[7] These were removed during her 1980 conversion into a training ship.

Operational history

1959-1970

After competing work-up trials and entering active service, Vampire underwent training exercises with ships of the RAN and Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) until early 1960.[5]

On 9 September 1959, Vampire and HMAS Quiberon were in North Borneo, to represent Australia at liberation celebrations.[clarification needed][8]

Vampire was deployed to the Far East Strategic Reserve in March 1960, and sailed to Singapore after a brief visit to New Zealand.[5] She returned to Sydney in December, and was docked for refit until April 1961.[5] In September 1961, Vampire returned to the Far East.[5] On 1 December 1961, a chief petty officer died aboard from illness.[9] In January 1962, Vampire and HMAS Quickmatch visited Nha Trang and Saigon in Vietnam.[10] The destroyer's second Far East deployment ended in April 1962.[5]

The ship was deployed to the Strategic Reserve for a third time, from January to July 1963.[5] On her return, Vampire spent the remainder of 1963 on exercises in the waters of Australia and New Guinea.

On 11 May 1964, Vampire sailed from Sydney to take part in the annual SEATO exercise LIGTAS in South-East Asian waters,[11] after which she remained on deployment with the British Commonwealth Strategic Reserve until returning to Sydney on 12 February 1965.[12] During that deployment, the ship carried out patrols in the Malacca Straits and off Borneo during Indonesia's Confrontation with Malaysia. After a short period of leave and self-maintenance, Vampire sailed again for the Far East in April, exercising with the French frigate Doudart de Lagree en route from Manus Island to Manila.[13] Vampire returned to Sydney on 11 June[14] In June 1965, Vampire accompanied the troop transport HMAS Sydney for parts of the latter's first transport voyage to Vietnam.[15]

She was sent on her fourth Far East deployment in March 1966.[5] In late April, Vampire was temporarily withdrawn from Strategic Reserve service to escort Sydney on her third Vietnam voyage: the destroyer returned to Hong Kong on 9 May.[16] On 10 June 1966, Vampire collided with the Danish merchant ship Emilie Maersk on the Chao Phraya River.[17] The destroyer was only slightly damaged.[17] Vampire's fourth deployment concluded in August 1966.[5]

From April until May 1967, Vampire accompanied Sydney on the latter's fifth and sixth troop transport voyages.[18] On 14 May 1969, the destroyer met Sydney off Singapore, and escorted the troopship to Vũng Tàu on the former aircraft carrier's fourteenth Vietnam voyage.[19]

On 16 April 1970, Vampire joined a fleet of 45 naval ships from 13 nations to perform a ceremonial entry into Sydney Harbour as part of the first Australian Bicentenary, celebrating the discovery and claiming of the east coast of Australia by James Cook.[20]

Refit (1970-1972)

In June 1970, Vampire was handed over to Williamstown Naval Dockyard for a $US10 million modernisation.[5] Work included the replacing of the superstructure, enclosure of the bridge area, replacement of the radar and sonar sets, and installation of cowlings over the funnels.[5][21]

Vampire reentered active service on 4 March 1972.[5]

1972-1986

In late 1972, Vampire was deployed to Singapore for five months as part of the ANZUK force: the first Daring class destroyer assigned to the force.[5] She was temporarily withdrawn in November to accompany Sydney on her twenty-fifth and final voyage to Vũng Tàu.[22] Vampire returned to Sydney on 1 March 1973.[5]

Vampire began 1974 by participating in a joint Australia-Indonesia military exercise, before sailing to the Coral Sea in June to participate in Exercise Kangaroo I.[5] In September 1974, the ship entered Garden Island Dockyard for an eight-month refit.[5]

On 22 August 1975, Vampire, sister ship HMAS Vendetta, and the supply ship HMAS Success were prepositioned in Darwin following tensions between Indonesia and the former Portuguese colony of East Timor (which cumulated in the Indonesian invasion in December).[5][23] The ships were to evacuate Australian citizens and Timorese refugees if needed, but this did not eventuate.[5][23] On 21 September, the destroyer left Darwin for a five-month Strategic Reserve deployment.[5] During her fifth deployment, which ended with her return to Sydney on 18 February 1976, Vampire joined training exercises with United States Navy ships in the China Sea, and visited sixteen ports in six countries for diplomatic and goodwil purposes.[5] On 31 May 1976, Vampire and the destroyer escort HMAS Stuart departed Sydney Harbour for the United States.[5] The two ships, along with the destroyer HMAS Hobart, visited ports along the west coast of the United States as the RAN representatives during the United States Bicentennial: Vampire visited Long Beach, California and Seattle, Washington.[24] Vampire returned to Sydney on 6 August, but departed seven days later to participate in exercises in South East Asia.[7]

During the visit of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip to Australia in March 1977, Vampire was assigned as the escort to Her Majesty's Yacht Britannia.[7] Vampire met Britannia on 11 March, and accompanied the royal yacht to Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Fremantle.[7] Between April and July 1977, Vampire was involved in two rescue missions and three fleet training exercises.[7] On 5 September, Vampire left Sydney as "part of the RAN contribution to Queen Elizabeth's Silver Jubilee."[7] The destroyer returned on 18 October.[7] At the end of 1977, Vampire participated in Exercise Compass 77, held off Sri Lanka.[7] The destroyer was primarily involved in training exercises during 1978 and 1979.[7]

In April 1979, it was announced that Vampire would be converted into a training ship.[7] This refit was carried out from 21 January to 18 April 1980, and included the removal of the destroyer's M22 fire control radar, LW-02 air search radar, Limbo anti-submarine mortar, and Bofors anti-aircraft guns.[7] Following the conversion, Vampire was assigned to the RAN training squadron, where she joined HMAS Jervis Bay.[7] On 13 May, Vampire and Jervis Bay were ordered to the Solomon Islands to observe the splashdown of China's first intercontinental ballistic missile test-firing.[25] The ICBM landed north-west of Fiji, and was observed by both the two Australian ships and a fleet of 18 warships from the People's Liberation Army Navy.[25] On 6 November 1980, the two ships joined the patrol boats Aware and Ardent to perform a ceremonial entry into Darwin as part of the city's Navy Week.[7]

Decommissioning and preservation

On 25 June 1986, Vampire left active service.[7] She was decommissioned on 13 August 1986, having spent 27 years in service, and travelled 808,026 nautical miles (1,496,464 km).[26] She was later[when?] presented to the Australian National Maritime Museum for preservation as a museum ship.[7]

Vampire was moved to HMAS Kuttabul for maintenance on 18 October 2006, triggering false rumours that she would be refitted and returned to active service.[26] During this refit, which included dry-dock work, a fire broke out in the ship's boiler room.[27] Nobody was injured, and no irreparable damage was caused.[27] Vampire was moved back to Darling Harbour on 29 November.

An overhaul of the RAN battle honours system completed in March 2009 saw Vampire retroactively honoured for her service in the Strategic Reserve between 1964 and 1966—the time of the Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation.[1][2] Any future ships named HMAS Vampire will carry the battle honour "Malaysia 1964-66" in addition to the honours earned by the previous HMAS Vampire.[2]

Footnotes

^[I] 'Audamus' is meaningless in Latin. Cassells, who discovered the error during a review of RAN badges in September 1974, believes that the motto should have been 'Audeamus' as it matches the provided English translation of "Let Us Be Daring" or "Let Us Dare".[28]

Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Navy Marks 109th Birthday With Historic Changes To Battle Honours". Royal Australian Navy. 1 March 2010. http://www.navy.gov.au/Navy_Marks_109th_Birthday_With_Historic_Changes_To_Battle_Honours. Retrieved 14 March 2010. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Royal Australian Navy Ship/Unit Battle Honours". Royal Australian Navy. 1 March 2010. http://www.navy.gov.au/w/images/Units_entitlement_list.pdf. Retrieved 14 March 2010. 
  3. ↑ Cassells, The Destroyers, pgs 145, 233
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 Cassells, The Destroyers, pp. 147-8
  5. ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15 5.16 5.17 5.18 5.19 5.20 5.21 5.22 Cassells, The Destroyers, p. 148
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Cooper, in Stevens, The Royal Australian Navy, p. 168
  7. ↑ 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 7.12 7.13 7.14 7.15 Cassells, The Destroyers, p. 149
  8. ↑ Lind, The Royal Australian Navy, p. 238
  9. ↑ Cassells, The Destroyers, p. 152
  10. ↑ Cooper, in Stevens, The Royal Australian Navy, p. 203
  11. ↑ * "R.A.N. Ships Sail". Navy News: p. 3. 15 May 1964. http://www.navy.gov.au/w/images/Navy_News-May-15-1964.pdf. 
  12. ↑ "Vampire Home After Long Tour". Navy News: p. 1. 19 February 1965. http://www.navy.gov.au/w/images/Navy_News-February-19-1965.pdf. 
  13. ↑ "Doudart Days With Vampire". Navy News: p. 5. 28 May 1965. http://www.navy.gov.au/w/images/Navy_News-May-28-1965.pdf. 
  14. ↑ "Melbourne, Supply, Vampire Return from Far East Duty". Navy News: p. 1. 25 June 1965. http://www.navy.gov.au/w/images/Navy_News-June-25-1965.pdf. 
  15. ↑ Nott & Payne, The Vung Tau Ferry, p. 169
  16. ↑ Nott & Payne, The Vung Tau Ferry, p. 170
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Lind, The Royal Australian Navy, p. 251
  18. ↑ Nott & Payne, The Vung Tau Ferry, p. 171
  19. ↑ Nott & Payne, The Vung Tau Ferry, p. 174
  20. ↑ Lind, The Royal Australian Navy, pp. 274-275
  21. ↑ Lind, The Royal Australian Navy, p. 275
  22. ↑ Nott & Payne, The Vung Tau Ferry, p. 178
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Jones, in Stevens, The Royal Australian Navy, p. 231
  24. ↑ Cassells, The Destroyers, pp. 148-149
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Lind, The Royal Australian Navy, p. 296
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Brooke, Destroyer revamped
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Pride of naval museum catches fire, The Daily Telegraph
  28. ↑ Cassells, The Destroyers, p. 150

References

Books
  • Cassells, Vic (2000). The Destroyers: their battles and their badges. East Roseville, NSW: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0731808932. OCLC 46829686. 
  • Lind, Lew (1986) [1982]. The Royal Australian Navy: Historic Naval Events Year by Year (2nd ed.). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Reed Books. ISBN 0730100715. OCLC 16922225. 
  • Nott, Rodney; Payne, Noel (2008) [1994]. The Vung Tau Ferry: HMAS Sydney and Escort Ships (4th ed.). Dural, NSW: Rosenberg. ISBN 9781877058721. OCLC 254773862. 
  • Stevens, David, ed (2001). The Royal Australian Navy. The Australian Centenary History of Defence (vol III). South Melbourne, VIC: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195555422. OCLC 50418095. 
    • Cooper, Alastair. "The Korean War Era"; "The Era of Forward Defence". The Royal Australian Navy. 
    • Jones, Peter. "Towards Self Reliance"; "A Period of Change and Uncertainty". The Royal Australian Navy. 
Newspaper articles

External links

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Coordinates: 33°52.15′S 151°11.995′E / 33.86917°S 151.199917°E / -33.86917; 151.199917 (HMAS Vampire)

hu:HMAS Vampire (1956) ja:ヴァンパイア (駆逐艦・2代)

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