Royal Australian Navy
From Free net encyclopedia
Template:RAN The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Established in 1909, the RAN was formed out of the Commonwealth Naval Forces, the small navy of Australia after federation, which consisted of the colonial navies of the new Australian states. The Royal Navy continued to provide blue water defence in the Pacific until World War Two, when expansion of the RAN saw the acquisition of aircraft carriers, and other large surface vessels.
Today the RAN is one of the largest naval forces in the Pacific region, and has undertaken operations in support of military campaigns and peacekeeping missions worldwide.
Contents |
History
Formation
Template:Seealso Image:Set03 20.jpg Prior to the formation of the Commonwealth of Australia, each self-governing colony in Australia retained its own naval force. These usually consisted of naval gunboats for coastal defence of harbours and rivers. The Royal Navy continued to provide blue water defence of Australia, as it had since 1788. After federation of Australia in 1901, the Commonwealth Naval Forces was formed. The Commonwealth government paid for the Royal Navy to continue providing blue water defence.
A growing number of people, among them Captain William Rooke Creswell, the director of the Commonwealth Naval Forces, demanded an autonomous Australian navy, financed and controlled by Australia. In 1909 Creswell represented Australia at the Imperial Conferences, convened to settle the question of naval defences, and won his campaign for an Australian Navy. His name lives on as the name of base, HMAS Creswell, the site of the Royal Australian Naval College at Jervis Bay.
The first Australian warship, the destroyer HMAS Parramatta, was launched at Govan in Scotland on Wednesday 9 February 1910 and its sister ship HMAS Yarra, was launched at Dumbarton in Scotland on Saturday 9 April 1910. Both ships were commissioned into the Royal Navy on Monday 19 September 1910 and sailed for Australia. They arrived at Port Phillip on Saturday December 10 1910 an event that was marred by the death of Engineer Lieutenant W. Robertson, RN. Robertson suffered a heart attack 8 miles outside Port Phillip Heads whilst onboard HMAS Yarra and drowned.
In October 1911 King George V fixed his signature to the approval for the Royal Australian Navy and the ships now officially received the prefix "His Majesty's Australian Ship" (HMAS). The manpower of the fleet stood at four hundred officers and men and, for the next two years, ships were built for the fledgling navy. On Saturday 4 October 1913 the first Fleet Review of the Royal Australian Navy took place, the battle cruiser HMAS Australia, the cruisers HMAS Melbourne and HMAS Sydney, the protected cruiser HMAS Encounter and the torpedo boat destroyers HMAS Parramatta, HMAS Yarra and HMAS Warrego, entered Sydney Harbour.
World War One
In 1914, the United Kingdom declared war on Germany, bringing the whole British Empire into war, including Australia. The war was greeted with enthusiasm in Australia, and over 200,000 troops were deployed to the Middle East for campaigns in Gallipoli, Turkey. RAN ships helped provide naval cover for the ambitious landings on the Turkish beaches, and the Australian submarine AE2 broke the blockade of the Dardenelles to harass Turkish shipping. The RAN also contributed, under the command of the Royal Navy in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. The first RAN victory of the war occurred when the cruiser, HMAS Sydney sank the German light cruiser, Emden off the Cocos Islands in the Indian Ocean. RAN ships also played a part in capturing German colonies in the Pacific.
World War II
Image:HMAS Canberra sailing into Sydney Harbour in 1930.jpg Australia declared war on Nazi Germany, days after the United Kingdom's declaration of war in September 1939. At the onset of war, the RAN numbered two heavy cruisers, four light cruisers, five destroyers, three sloops and a variety of support and ancillary craft. From mid-1940, the RAN took part in the Battle of the Mediterranean against Fascist Italy, with the Leander class cruiser light cruiser HMAS Sydney sinking the Italian cruiser, Bartolomeo Colleoni and helping to sink Espero.
In September the County class heavy cruiser HMAS Australia sank a Vichy French destroyer while taking part in Operation Menace, off West Africa.
Losses
There was Axis naval activity in Australian waters throughout the war. In November 1941, Sydney was sunk with the loss of all hands (645 officers and men) after a battle with the German auxiliary cruiser Kormoran, off the coast of Western Australia.
After the Japanese attacks on the Allies in December 1941, the RAN redeployed its larger ships to home waters to protect the Australian mainland from Japanese attack. At the Battle of Sunda Strait, in March 1942, the RAN suffered the loss of another Leander class vessel, HMAS Perth. The RAN played a key role in the Battle of the Coral Sea, which averted a Japanese attack on Port Moresby. The most significant enemy naval attacks in Australian waters occurred in May and June 1942, when Japanese submarines attacked Sydney and Newcastle. The RAN's biggest single ship loss of the war was that of the sister ship to Australia, HMAS Canberra at the Battle of Savo Island, in August 1942.
At the Battle of Leyte Gulf, in October 1944, HMAS Australia became the first Allied ship to be hit by a kamikaze. The ship survived that and several other suicide attacks, although many crew members were killed. Overall, more than 30 ships were lost in the war, the costliest in RAN history.
| Ship | Location | Date | Numbers Lost |
| HMAS Sydney | Off Western Australia | November 19 1941 | 645 |
| HMAS Perth | Sunda Strait | February 28 1942 | 350 |
| HMAS Kuttabul | Sydney Harbour | May 31 1942 | 19 |
| HMAS Canberra | Savo Island | August 9 1942 | 84 |
Post war
Image:Perth sydbridge.jpg Following World War II, the RAN reduced its surface fleet but continued to expand in other ways, acquiring two Royal Navy Majestic class aircraft carriers then under construction (HMS Majestic and HMS Terrible) to build up a Fleet Air Arm. At this time, the RAN also began to move away from commissioning British designs; the last major British design used was the Type 12 frigate, which formed the basis of the "River" class frigates. When it was decided that the RAN should commission a destroyer armed with guided missiles, the obvious British design was the "County" class; however, the RAN had reservations regarding the gas turbine propulsion, the Seaslug missile system, and being able to adapt the design to Australian needs. So, the Australian government chose the steam turbine powered Charles F. Adams class destroyer, armed with the Tartar missile as the basis for its Perth class, the first major US warship design chosen for the RAN.
By the mid-late 1960s, the RAN was at the zenith of its operational capabilities; it was capable of despatching a full carrier battle group in support of major operations by having in service an aircraft carrier, three large area defence destroyers of the Perth class, six modern "River" class frigates and four Oberon class submarines. Image:RAN Carriers (AWM 301021).jpg
Aircraft carriers
Roles in post-war conflicts
With the retreat of British forces west of the Suez Canal in the 1960s, the RAN began to take a more defensive role, and in co-operation with the United States, allied though the ANZUS treaty. The RAN saw service in many of the world's post war conflicts including Korea, Vietnam, and the Indonesian Confrontation. RAN ships also served in the first Gulf War, and later in the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
RAN Ships in the Vietnam War
- Gunline Destroyers
- Logistic Support
- Escorts
RAN Today
The Fleet
Today's fleet consists of around 70 vessels including frigates, submarines, patrol boats and auxiliary ships. The RAN today is one of the most modern in the Pacific, tasked with the ability to defend the home waters, and undertake operations in farout locations. Current deployments of the navy include: contributions to the multinational force in Iraq; support for the United Nations mission in East Timor; and a "regional assistance mission" with New Zealand in the Solomon Islands.
The RAN has two primary bases for its fleet;
- Fleet Base East, which is located at HMAS Kuttabul near Sydney.
- Fleet Base West, located at HMAS Stirling near Perth.
In addition, there are two other ports which are home to the majority of the RAN's minor war vessels;
- HMAS Coonawarra, at Darwin.
- HMAS Cairns, at Cairns.
Ships of the Royal Australian Navy
RAN has 5 main classes of vessels in the fleet:
| Class | Type | Number | Dates | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anzac Class | Frigate | 8 | 1996 | Anti-submarine and anti-aircraft, with SH-2 Seasprite helicopters. |
| Adelaide ClassTemplate:Fn | Frigate | 5 | 1985 | Anti-submarine and anti-aircraft frigate with 2 S-70B-2 Seahawk helicopters |
| Fremantle Class | Patrol boat | 10 | 1980s | Coastal and harbour defence |
| Armidale ClassTemplate:Fn | Patrol boat | 3 | 2005 | Coastal defence and fishery protection, 14 to be built in total |
| Collins Class | Submarine | 6 | 2000 | diesel-electric powered patrol submarines for deep ocean patrols |
Template:Fnb - A total of 14 Armidale class vessels will be built.
Template:Fnb - only 4 Adelaide class frigates will be upgraded and returned to service the other will be retired
Deployments
- Frigate deployed on operations to the Persian Gulf in support of Australian forces in Iraq (currently HMAS Parramatta).
- Minor war vessel in support of peacekeeping operations in the Solomon Islands (currently HMAS Diamantina)
- Operation Mistral - guaranteeing Australian sovereign rights and fisheries laws in the Southern Oceans
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm provides the naval aviation capability for the RAN. At present, it is an entirely helicopter based force, with a total of four squadrons. The Fleet Air Arm and its associated support are under the direction of the Navy Aviation Group. Both the NAG and Fleet Air Arm are located at HMAS Albatross in New South Wales.
Clearance Diving Teams
The RAN has two Clearance Diving Teams which serve as parent units for the navy's élite clearance divers, Clearance Diving Team One (AUSCDT ONE), based at HMAS Waterhen in New South Wales and Clearance Diving Team Four (AUSCDT FOUR) based at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia. When personnel are sent into combat, Clearance Diving Team Three (AUSCDT THREE) is formed. The CDT have two primary roles:
1. Mine Counter Measures (MCM) and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD)
2. Maritime Tactical Operations
Future
Image:Australian AWD.jpg Template:Main There are several major projects in process that will see upgrades to the capabilities of the RAN:
- The Sea 1390 Project will see the upgrading of four Adelaide class guided missile frigates with enhanced weapons and electronics.
- The Sea 1654 Project has been initiated to upgrade the RAN's replenishment and support vessels.
- The RAN has initiated the Sea 4000 Project, under which it has agreed to acquire three vessels based upon the U.S. Navy Aegis air and surface combat management system.
- The RAN also has a project to build two large (25000+ tonne Displacement) multi-purpose ships that would have amphibious assault, transport and command centre roles.
- There is also currently a project being undertaken within the RAN to equip the Collins Class submarines with a new tactical combat system, and upgraded state of the art heavyweight torpedoes.
See also
External links
- Royal Australian Navy home page
- 'Virtual Fleet' - on-line computer based 'tour' of ships and aircraft
- Maritimequest Royal Australian Navy photo gallery
- Official Biographies:
Template:Australian Defence Forcede:Royal Australian Navy ja:オーストラリア海軍 zh:澳洲皇家海軍