SI. SO < p THE NAVY JULY, 19B5 \ The Magazine of THE NAVY LEAGUE OF AUSTRALIA •r Registered by Australia Post Publication No NBP 1482 &$ *" •*f^ Babcock's defence related activities go back to tho b»ginntng« of stum pojrered ships EDITOR wh«n tho parent company began making ROSS GILLETT naval boiler* at Renfrew, Scotland. Tho PO BOX 653 association continues today, with DEE WHY, NSW 2099 specialised Babcock skills being utlllsod by THE ths Royal Aususllsn Navy In both traditional Aafliir.rM by AuHiHIs Pan PubUcilkm No HBP lit! and tho newer technology areas. One Reproduction in pan or whole is forbidden without the permission recently completed project was a refit of of the Editor in writing superheeters for the guided missile destroyer HMAS Perth. NAVY The magazine of the Navy League of Australia JULY, 1SBS Babcock COMTiMTS EareweU to HMAS MELBOURNE . 4 y«w Submarint Project . 7 The Hasp Class . 10 The Impossible Takes a Little Soviet \aval Power I98S . 14 . 20 . 21 USr\ Destroyers . 26 . 27 . 28 Reserve Training Vessels of the RSZN W Stop Press — HMAS WOU.ONGONG 32 ADVERTISING AND PUBLICATION: Perclvel Publishing Co Pty Ltd /•INCORPORATED IN NSW) SYDNEY 862 Elizabeth Street Waterloo. NSW. 2017 Phone 699 2600 ADELAIDE 26 Cuime Si. Adelaide. 5000 Phone 51 6225 PERTH 5th floor. Eagle House 10 William Si. Perth. 6000 Phone 322 4072 MELBOURNE 388 Bourke Streei Phone 67 1461 BRISBANE 3rd Moor 460 Ann Sreel Brisbane 4000 Phone 31 253i HOBART 123 Murray Si. Hoban 7000 Phone 34 4098 Prmt«d by M«xw«i Printing Co Pry Lid (incwpof ttad B) NSW1. 882 Ek»b*m Street Waterloo 2017 Phona 699 2600 Tee opWow or anwtiow nprataeo ta artcta* la -no Nsrf am tho** * ft» aai MssJ OOJMI of Ths Ms* Laiaw of "" *d^ haw" or Tie Out (fate* 'PfottyiajtA Ex HMAS MELBOURNE is towed to China, April 1985. The RAN* new fleel replenishment ship, SUCCESS in the Sutherland Doek. Cockaian Island. sw March. 1985 (Ptw*.> - ABPH K«m Apf.1 i Page On* : xjg&rei The Challenge Australians Face ARLIER this year the writer attended a symposium EATURES of the symposium were the frankness of the discussions, the forward-looking attitudes adopted by national E in Honolulu sponsored by the United States F representatives and their realism, and an obvious willingness to National Defence University, at which 13 Pacific work together for the common good The ASEAN nations have already shown what can be achieved given goodwill on all sides and an ability to countries were represented by a mix of serving and translate fine words into deeds — the last requiring the most effort former diplomats, military leaders, scholars and others After listening to the discussions the question that came to the writer's mind was — what pan will Australians play in what is widely involved in Pacific affairs. The countries included the seen a. a dawning "Pacific Age"? In many ways Australia is a potentially ASEAN group, China, Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan, important country — in a strategic sense, lying at the junction of the Indian and Pacific Oceans and dominating a large part of the Southern South Korea, Australia and, of course, the host Ocean, it is already important, both globally and regionally Australia is country. India and Pakistan were also represented. resource-rich, but nowhere near fully developed The population, The object of the symposium, titled "Regional Balances of Security although small, is on the whole well-educated and the skills are available For these and other reasons the future should be bright in the Pacific Basin", was to explore ways and means of co-operating indeed together to ease tensions and ensure stability in the area, essential if the countries are to continue to develop and realise their full potential It has to be said though, that we appear to be muffing our chances Generally speaking, little interest is shown in our neighbours and the way Subjects discussed ranged from technology and scientific exchange, they are forging ahead We are preoccupied with what are largely through arms control to threats to regional stability Given the fact that parochial matters and almost everywhere sectional interests can be seen the Pacific is one of the most heavily militarised areas in the world, with pursuing their particular interests with scant regard to the effect on others over a million men under arms in Vietnam. Kampuchea and Laos, or the country Nowhere is this selfishness more evident or more one and a half million on the Korean Peninsula, over four million in noticeable abroad than in the maritime industry, where strife seems to be China, at least a third of the Soviet Union's ground forces, that country's accepted as a fact of life, it is not. of course, as we will one day find out if largest fleet and growing strategic and tactical Air Forces; and very large the waste of resources continues to be tolerated *&5* US forces, it was not surprising that military threats to stability received Australians could play a constructive part in their region and more attention than anything else Economic "threats" were not. perhaps beyond it. but only with a sense of national purpose and a however, disregarded willingness to make the necessary effort One was reminded at the symposium of the diversity of the Pacific nations • Population sures ranging from 8.000 people in Nauru's 8 square miles to China's one billion in 4 million square miles • Huge differences in per capita wealth — ranging from $US 18.000 (in GEOFFREY EVANS Brunei) to S3S0 in some of the small island States Federal President • Cultural, religious and philosophical traditions ranging from The Navy League of Australia Confucianism and Buddhism to Islam and Christianity On the other hand, there are many common (actors Most Pacific Stale Dockyard Newcastle i> the most countries favour a market-orientated economy and appreciate the role of DEADUNE logical site in Australia tor the the individual entrepreneur, human resources are generally abundant, educational levels are relatively high and literacy ahead of other regions. The deadline for the October issue of construction of the new generation of i strong technological base has been formed in many countries and submarines for the Royal Australian linked with a disciplined and skilled workforce has produced remarkable The Navy is Navy. results — in South Korea. Taiwan and Singapore, for example, in a 1st AUGUST, 1985 "l«l nfiw ' comparatively short period S.D.N, delivers • on time • high productivity BRAMBLES MARINE • mature, effective Industrial relations AND ENERGY SERVICES • a "greenficld" site with Australia's most extensive A Division of. .BRAMBLES INDUSTRIES LIMITED engineering and marine Providing Specialised Service to ... COMMERCIAL SHIPPING AND THE infrastructure to back it up. OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY SDn • Marine Towage • Harbour Lighterage • Deep Sea Diving & Engineering • Supply Boats Services FOR ENQUIRIES AND SERVICE — S.D.N, and Submarines <d.F'O BOX W. < ARRIN(,T()\. N SV I 22') I IiiI-:<;RAMS MATKIXXK. NEW CASTLE BRAMBLES MARINE AND ENERGY SERVICES TELEX: AA 2H(P< Underwood House, 37 Pitt Street, Sydney, NSW 2000 PHONE National mi')) 69 ')" Telephone: 231 8222 Telex: 72271 MfV Inicmaiional: + 6h> Page Two THE NAVY July, 1985 July, 1985 THE NAVY Papa Three FAREWELL TO HMAS * MELBOURNE *> - . Fighting Service and we become professional by living with danger and being able to handle it She had accidents, but less than her fair share It is not surprising that the two major collisions, in which she was the innocent victim, attracted a lot of attention and some cynical and sensational publicity We must remember that in both of those accidents the Carrier was found, after exhaustive investigations (two Royal Commissions and an International Board of Inquiry), to have been t completely innocent Those who say that Melbourne "claimed the lives of a number of people should be sued for slander She did not cause one death and. in fact, she saved the lives of many The Navy has been proud of her and every sensible Australian should have shared that pride — there are many that do She certainly had many admirers In Darwin after Cyclone Tracey, where she and her Air Group did fine work. Sailors have never welcomed a posting to a big ship and there will have been few who were pleased to hear that they had a draft to the MELBOURNE But It was always interesting to see how quickly Officers and Sailors became part of the team on board the MELBOURNE and worked together to keep her smart and efficient She was always Commanding Officers had to worry about the safety of the catapult, crowded and uncomfortable, usually happy, and always had a great anester gear and other machinery The ship owes us nothing, but spirit She stood as an example of what a large group of average Australia, as a whole, is in her debt Australians could achieve, given a sense of purpose Would that There is no doubt that some of the options which have been Australia as a country could achieve the standards set by her flagship available to Australian Governments are no longer available Some of She was overworked, used and abused, admired, cherished, sworn at the things which the Australian Defence Force could do can no longer be HE old MELBOURNE has finally left her moorings in Sydney Harbour and is now at the and loved by those who lived in her breaker's yard. The statistics about her career have been chronicled elsewhere: thousands of done A significant capability is missing T It is good to see that the HMAS MELBOURNE Association is off to miles steamed, thousands of deck landings and launches, the Officers who commanded her.