Royal Australian Navy Discussions and Updates

[John Newman]

I was in her on that trip. It looks a little worse than it felt.
We were on an Indian Ocean deployment, our navigator chose a direct line course from Bass Str. to Cape Leeuwin, HMAS Supply decided to be clever and take the Great Circle route and she got hammered by a Low enroute, arrived in Fremantle with the forward cargo hatch flooded, not a huge problem except the entire deployment beer was stowed there in cartons. Those were the days when Reschs Pilsner was the favoured choice, 26oz steel cans.
You can imagine the cluster f.

It's funny that you mention 26oz beer cans, that brings back memories.

One hot January weekend in 1976, I was about 17, I went and stayed with an old uncle in Coogee, I had a girlfriend that was staying with her mother in Bronte (the girlfriend was half Dutch and half Portuguese, hmmm, memories!), I digress...

Anyway, the old uncle was a big drinker and I remember getting up about 7.00am and walking into the kitchen, and there was old uncle Ron having his usual liquid breakfast, a 26oz can of Flag Ale or two!

Before I could say no, he opened another 26oz can (with the old fashioned can opener that pierced two holes in the top) and poured me a schooner glass of Flag. I didn't mind a drink, but Flag tasted like shit, absolute shit!

Memories.

Cheers,

 

[Redlands18]

The names of the next five Arafura class have been announced:

Major milestone for Navy’s multibillion-dollar OPV program

Defence Minister, Linda Reynolds CSC, Defence Industry Minister, Melissa Price and Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Michael Noonan, AO have welcomed another major milestone in the delivery of the Roya

www.defenceconnect.com.au

In order they are: HMAS Eyre, HMAS Pilbara, HMAS Gippsland, HMAS Illawarra and HMAS Carpentaria.

Cheers,

What is wrong with using something that's been used before? At least Carpentaria has some history. For the others' it's almost as if the current management wants to separate the RAN from its traditions.

The one I’m finding a touch strange is the degree of commonality in the naming of both the Hunters and Arafura’s, Hunter, Flinders and Tasman would all be good fits for the Arafura class.
I’m scratching my head working out names for the final 6 using the same naming convention. I’ve come up with a few maybes. But its hard to think of many more. Remembering that the 6 named so far all have Coastal Regions.
Capricorn
Carpentaria
Arnhem
Whitsunday
Cape York

 

[spoz]

I was in her on that trip. It looks a little worse than it felt.
We were on an Indian Ocean deployment, our navigator chose a direct line course from Bass Str. to Cape Leeuwin, HMAS Supply decided to be clever and take the Great Circle route and she got hammered by a Low enroute, arrived in Fremantle with the forward cargo hatch flooded, not a huge problem except the entire deployment beer was stowed there in cartons. Those were the days when Reschs Pilsner was the favoured choice, 26oz steel cans.
You can imagine the cluster f.

Yes, me too. Derwent was with us as well; she suffered some structural problems related to corrosion under her boilers, if I remember correctly. Perth was there too, the helo that took these photos had actually been launched to do a MEDEVAC from her.

Some of that beer, and some goffas which also got trashed, was consigned cargo for us for the deployment. Had to get a lot of Swan in the West for the beer issue - not popular with the troops.

Melbourne’s last deployment with A4s embarked

Our navigator was Rod Taylor, later CN, who died much too young, if memory serves.

 

[StingrayOZ]

The one I’m finding a touch strange is the degree of commonality in the naming of both the Hunters and Arafura’s, Hunter, Flinders and Tasman would all be good fits for the Arafura class.
I’m scratching my head working out names for the final 6 using the same naming convention. I’ve come up with a few maybes. But its hard to think of many more. Remembering that the 6 named so far all have Coastal Regions.
Capricorn
Carpentaria
Arnhem
Whitsunday
Cape York

Too much up north stuff...

Dapto
Williamstown
Potato
Jundalup
Yamba
Vaucluse

Yeh, probably best if I don't name them or even suggest them. There does seem to be a bit of cross over. Plenty of play names, just might sound a bit weird with HMAS in front of them. I personally wouldn't mind to see more indigenous names, I reckon they work well on ships, particularly on the Arafura's.

 

[Redlands18]

Too much up north stuff...

Dapto
Williamstown
Potato
Jundalup
Yamba
Vaucluse

Yeh, probably best if I don't name them or even suggest them. There does seem to be a bit of cross over. Plenty of play names, just might sound a bit weird with HMAS in front of them. I personally wouldn't mind to see more indigenous names, I reckon they work well on ships, particularly on the Arafura's.

Yes HMAS Central Highlands or HMAS North Coast of New South Wales or HMAS Top End or HMAS South West of Western Australia just doesn’t really work.
Somebody may just decide re introduce Keel-Hauling if you suggest naming one after a RAAF Base.

 

[ASSAIL]

CN has announced the first few names of the Arafura Class.
The keel of the second OPV has been laid and she is to be “Eyre”
The first to be built in WA will be “Pilbara” then Gippsland, Illawarra and Carpentaria.

Chief of Navy announces names of new offshore patrol vessels

my apologies to John Newman, for some reason his earlier post and link to Defenceconnect didn’t appear until just now??
My post is superfluous.

 

[swerve]

What is wrong with using something that's been used before? At least Carpentaria has some history. For the others' it's almost as if the current management wants to separate the RAN from its traditions.

The RN has been recycling names for centuries. My ex-RN friends & relatives all seem to approve, liking the link with ships from previous centuries. "Oh yes, the first time Illustrious was here in Toulon she was bombarding the place of course . . . but that was in 1793".

 

[oldsig127]

The one I’m finding a touch strange is the degree of commonality in the naming of both the Hunters and Arafura’s, Hunter, Flinders and Tasman would all be good fits for the Arafura class.
I’m scratching my head working out names for the final 6 using the same naming convention. I’ve come up with a few maybes. But its hard to think of many more. Remembering that the 6 named so far all have Coastal Regions.
Capricorn
Carpentaria
Arnhem
Whitsunday
Cape York

But Hunter, Flinders and Tasman are named for noted seamen and particularly naval navigators with an association with Australia. None of your other six are the names of people. You could add Bass, Dampier, Bungaree, Freycinet, Hartog, Houtman, Janzsoon.... all exploreres of the Australian littoral as potential Hunter class names.

The commonality arises because there are coastal regions named after those three men.

oldsig

 

[Richo99]

But Hunter, Flinders and Tasman are named for noted seamen and particularly naval navigators with an association with Australia. None of your other six are the names of people. You could add Bass, Dampier, Bungaree, Freycinet, Hartog, Houtman, Janzsoon.... all exploreres of the Australian littoral as potential Hunter class names.

The commonality arises because there are coastal regions named after those three men.

oldsig

My record of accurately predicting defence decisions is appalling, however, whilst I understand the supposed theme of the Hunter class, I will bet my left one that the second flight of 3 will include Melbourne, Darwin and possibly Perth (dependant upon timing for deommissioning of the current ship). If these names miss the boat (pun intended) this time, it will end up being about 30 years between Melbourne III and IV, which I find almost inconceivable.

 

[oldsig127]

My record of accurately predicting defence decisions is appalling, however, whilst I understand the supposed theme of the Hunter class, I will bet my left one that the second flight of 3 will include Melbourne, Darwin and possibly Perth (dependant upon timing for deommissioning of the current ship). If these names miss the boat (pun intended) this time, it will end up being about 30 years between Melbourne III and IV, which I find almost inconceivable.

I'm inclined to agree about the use of repeat names. Only the extras will get new names, and I have no confidence in my reading of the "system", however superficially logical it seems.

oldsig

 

[seaspear]

Would it really be the end of the world and convention to name a future submarine Melbourne

 

[Redlands18]

My record of accurately predicting defence decisions is appalling, however, whilst I understand the supposed theme of the Hunter class, I will bet my left one that the second flight of 3 will include Melbourne, Darwin and possibly Perth (dependant upon timing for deommissioning of the current ship). If these names miss the boat (pun intended) this time, it will end up being about 30 years between Melbourne III and IV, which I find almost inconceivable.

We don’t know yet if they will stick with a theme for the Hunters, they certainly didn’t for the Anzacs other than they all named after ships that served in WW2.
Doubt Perth will be available for a Hunter as she was the very last Anzac commissioned but i could see Melbourne, Darwin and Newcastle being used for Hunters,

 

[oldsig127]

I'm inclined to agree about the use of repeat names. Only the extras will get new names, and I have no confidence in my reading of the "system", however superficially logical it seems.

oldsig

Melbourne is a difficult one. Anyone my age remembers Melbourne III fondly despite a fairly uninspiring career - her defining moment in my opinion was the relief of Darwin after Tracy. Despite the derision for Canberra/Adelaide by many of her former crew, in practice she actually shone at something they are actually designed to do as one of their roles.

If we ever get that extra Amphibious ship rather than another AOE, Melbourne would be an ideal name. A hunter class would do. But a submarine? With the role of hiding away rather than projecting power, naval or humanitarian? Naaah. The surviving crew of III would choke on their goffas.

(Edit: possibly, but I meant II, not III. Mea culpa etc. Oldtimers is getting me)

oldsig

 

[Redlands18]

Would it really be the end of the world and convention to name a future submarine Melbourne

I actually had it as an outside chance that the Attack class may have been named after cities starting with Melbourne.

 

[Redlands18]

Melbourne is a difficult one. Anyone my age remembers Melbourne III fondly despite a fairly uninspiring career - her defining moment in my opinion was the relief of Darwin after Tracy. Despite the derision for Canberra/Adelaide by many of her former crew, in practice she actually shone at something they are actually designed to do as one of their roles.

If we ever get that extra Amphibious ship rather than another AOE, Melbourne would be an ideal name. A hunter class would do. But a submarine? With the role of hiding away rather than projecting power, naval or humanitarian? Naaah. The surviving crew of III would choke on their goffas.


oldsig

1 slight point @Oldsig the Carrier was actually Melbourne 11 not 111, that was the recently decommissioned Frigate.

 

[oldsig127]

1 slight point @Oldsig the Carrier was actually Melbourne 11 not 111, that was the recently decommissioned Frigate.

Oops. Yes, a typo that I didn't pick up and dopily repeated. Incidentally, someone earlier mentioned a possible 30 year gap if a Hunter didn't carry the name. It wouldn't be all that unusual; there was a 28 year gap between I and II

oldsig

 

[hairyman]

"Wimera" and "Mallee" would be good names for RAN ships. I am not sure if they have been used before. "Mallee" takes in both Victoria and South Aus. I realize neither region has any connection to the sea, but I am sure sailors from both area have served in the RAN.

 

[Takao]

I dislike the names for the Hunter's - Hunter was at least Navy but Tasman wasn't. It's more suitable for MCM / patrol boats.

The Hunter's are warships, and damn capable ones. We have warships with historical names already - there are the cities (Darwin, Newcastle, Perth, Melbourne), the N's (Napier, Nizam, Nestor (especially)), the Q's (Quality, Queenborough, Quadrant), or - and my personal favourite - the Scrap Iron Flotilla. Waterhen and Voyager may not be feasible, but that still leaves Stuart, Vampire and Vendetta. What better names than three ships that drew the personal ire of the greatest threat to the RAN - ever? Every one of those ships have history, strong linkages to the RAN and reflect Australian heritage and history. Tasman? pshaw...

The Arafura Class I don't mind. There is an argument to keep the town names, but I understand the CN expanding it to regions is a deliberate ploy to encompass more people - which makes sense and reflects their role better. Perhaps not Hammersley though....

 

[Hazdog]

I dislike the names for the Hunter's - Hunter was at least Navy but Tasman wasn't. It's more suitable for MCM / patrol boats.

The Hunter's are warships, and damn capable ones. We have warships with historical names already - there are the cities (Darwin, Newcastle, Perth, Melbourne), the N's (Napier, Nizam, Nestor (especially)), the Q's (Quality, Queenborough, Quadrant), or - and my personal favourite - the Scrap Iron Flotilla. Waterhen and Voyager may not be feasible, but that still leaves Stuart, Vampire and Vendetta. What better names than three ships that drew the personal ire of the greatest threat to the RAN - ever? Every one of those ships have history, strong linkages to the RAN and reflect Australian heritage and history. Tasman? pshaw...

The Arafura Class I don't mind. There is an argument to keep the town names, but I understand the CN expanding it to regions is a deliberate ploy to encompass more people - which makes sense and reflects their role better. Perhaps not Hammersley though....

I think that the names such as Waterhen, Voyager many others that you have listed, provide little enticement for new recruits, as such with the CN trying to build the ranks out once again, any detrimental or potentially offputting names could make that goal even harder.

I understand it sounds silly, but think about it, with new classes having very dominant and imposing lead ships, Attack, Hunter, Arafura; all seemingly very forward names to entice a new breed of strong warfighters.

- These names, Hunter, Attack, Tasman and such, of course, will have a back story and namesake, yet I think that the names have come first, then the history.

Can you see where I am coming from?

 

[John Newman]

I think that the names such as Waterhen, Voyager many others that you have listed, provide little enticement for new recruits, as such with the CN trying to build the ranks out once again, any detrimental or potentially offputting names could make that goal even harder.

I understand it sounds silly, but think about it, with new classes having very dominant and imposing lead ships, Attack, Hunter, Arafura; all seemingly very forward names to entice a new breed of strong warfighters.

- These names, Hunter, Attack, Tasman and such, of course, will have a back story and namesake, yet I think that the names have come first, then the history.

Can you see where I am coming from?

What the?

Is joining the RAN (and ADF generally), now a popularity contest? Seriously?

Just throw history and tradition out the window to disappear like a fart in the wind?

If young people were only looking to join because of a trendy name, then that would be a very sad day indeed, ('trendy' or 'fashionable' names do exactly what those two words mean, they come, go and disappear).

I'm with Takao, in the short, but busy 100+ years of history for the RAN there has been a number of ship names that are significant (including the ones that he has mentioned), I for one would love to see those names he mentioned 'live' again.