HMAS Adelaide (FFG 01)

Coordinates: 33°28′0″S 151°27′0″E / 33.46667°S 151.45000°E / -33.46667; 151.45000
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For other ships with the same name, see HMAS Adelaide.

A warship tied up at a wharf. The ship has the number "01" painted near her bow. She is decorated with flags and bunting, and a large number of civilians stand on her decks
HMAS Adelaide docked at Port Adelaide for an open day in 2007
History
Australia
NamesakeCity of Adelaide
Builder
Todd Pacific Shipyards, Seattle
Laid down29 July 1977
Launched21 June 1978
Commissioned15 November 1980
Decommissioned19 January 2008
Motto"United For The Common Good"
Nickname(s)FFG-17 (US hull designation during construction)
Honours and
awards
FateSunk as dive wreck
General characteristics
Class and type
guided missile frigate
Displacement4,100 tons
Length138.1 m (453.1 ft) overall
Beam13.7 m (44.9 ft)
Draught7.5 m (24.6 ft)
Propulsion
Speed29 knots (54 km/h; 33 mph)
Range4,500 nmi (8,334 km; 5,179 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Complement184 (including 15 officers, not including aircrew)
Sensors and
processing systems
Armament
Aircraft carried2 ×
AS350B Squirrel

HMAS Adelaide (FFG 01) was the

guided missile frigates built for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), based on the United States Navy's Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates. She was built in the United States and commissioned
into the RAN in 1980.

During her career, Adelaide was part of Australian responses or contributions to the

Children overboard affair
.

In 2008, Adelaide was the second ship of the class to be

Avoca Beach, New South Wales as a dive wreck on 27 March 2010, until an appeal to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal by protest groups led to a postponement of the scuttling until additional cleanup work was completed. Despite further attempts to delay or cancel the scuttling
, Adelaide was sunk off Avoca on 13 April 2011.

Design and construction

Main article: Adelaide-class frigate

Following the cancellation of the Australian light destroyer project in 1973, the British Type 42 destroyer and the American Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate were identified as alternatives to replace the cancelled light destroyers and the Daring-class destroyers.[1] Although the Oliver Hazard Perry class was still at the design stage, the difficulty of fitting the Type 42 with the SM-1 missile, and the success of the Perth-class acquisition (a derivative of the American Charles F. Adams-class destroyer) compared to equivalent British designs led the Australian government to approve the purchase of two US-built Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates (including Adelaide) in 1976.[1][2] A third was ordered in 1977, followed by a fourth, with all four ships integrated into the USN's shipbuilding program.[3][4][5] A further two ships were ordered in 1980, and were constructed in Australia.[4][5]

As designed, the ship had a

RAST helicopter recovery system, increasing the displacement to 4,100 tons and pushing the overall length to 138.1 metres (453.1 ft).[7] Propulsion machinery consisted of two General Electric LM2500 gas turbines, which provided a combined 41,000 horsepower (31,000 kW) to the single propeller shaft.[7] Top speed was 29 knots (54 km/h; 33 mph), with a range of 4,500 nautical miles (8,334 km; 5,179 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph).[7] Two 650-horsepower (480 kW) electric auxiliary propulsors were used for close manoeuvring, with a top speed of 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph).[7] The standard ship's company was 184, including 15 officers, but excluding the flight crew for the embarked helicopters.[7]

Close up of a naval missile launcher. A blue missile with white fins has been loaded.
Adelaide's Mark 13 launcher, with a dummy Standard missile loaded

The original armament for the ship consisted of a

AS350B Squirrel.[7]

Adelaide was

AMECON.[1]

Operational history

After commissioning, Adelaide and Canberra remained in the United States to work up; during this time both ships were attached to the United States Navy's Destroyer Squadron 9.[10] The frigate ran aground off Seattle in early 1981, during post-commissioning trials, but was freed with only minor damage.[11]

Following the decommissioning of the

Gloucester Cup for being the most efficient ship in the RAN during 1984.[9][13]

In May 1987, Adelaide visited Fiji, and was alongside in Lautoka when the first of the 1987 Fijian coups d'état occurred on 14 May.[14] Adelaide and sister ship Sydney, alongside in Suva, were instructed to remain off Fiji to aid in any necessary evacuation of Australian citizens; the first component of what became Operation Morris Dance.[14] Adelaide remained on station until at least 29 May, when a phased withdrawal began.[14]

On 3 July 1990, Adelaide became the first Australian warship to visit

Two-Ocean Policy.[18]

Adelaide travelling on the open sea
Adelaide underway in 1982

In January 1997, the

1996–97 Vendée Globe solo, round-the-world yacht race), capsized while attempting to cross the Southern Ocean.[19] Adelaide successfully found and rescued the sailors after seven days of searching by ships and aircraft.[19] During late May and early June, the frigate was deployed to the Philippines, and represented Australia at the Philippines Centenary International Naval Review.[20]

Between 17 and 27 May 1998, Adelaide was one of four RAN ships placed on standby, in case Australian citizens required evacuation if the

naval review by Indonesian president B. J. Habibie.[22]

In February 1999, Adelaide was awarded the Duke of Gloucester Cup awarded to the most efficient ship in the RAN during the previous year.

INTERFET peacekeeping taskforce from 19 September to 19 October.[24]

On 6 October 2001, Adelaide was the ship which intercepted

RHIB boarding action, with the boarding party took control of the craft that afternoon.[25] Between this time and when the craft was manoeuvred from Australian territory late the next morning, several attempts were made to sabotage the craft, and some adult passengers jumped or were thrown overboard while others threatened to do so; the fourteen people that entered the water were recovered by the frigate's RHIB and taken back to the SIEV.[25] Adelaide observed the craft as it headed towards Indonesia, and moved in to provide further assistance a few hours later, after systematic sabotage immobilised the small vessel.[25] Adelaide was instructed to take the vessel in tow and head for Christmas Island.[25] The SIEV began to take on water during the afternoon of 8 October, and despite the appearance that the problem had been rectified, the craft sank without warning at 17:00.[25] All aboard were forced into the water, and were rescued by personnel from Adelaide.[25] Reports of the sinking were conflated with information about those who jumped or were thrown overboard the day previous to give the impression that the threat of throwing children overboard had been made or carried out, a story that was later proven false but taken up at the time by the Howard government during the lead-up to the 2001 election to support their campaign promises to tighten border controls and immigration.[25][26]

From November 2001 to March 2002, Adelaide and the amphibious warfare ship

War in Afghanistan.[27] The ships also contributed to the continuing enforcement of the Iraq sanctions.[27] Adelaide was deployed on border protection operations on multiple occasions until 2004.[18]

Adelaide returned to the Middle East from July 2004 to January 2005 as part of

capture of 15 British personnel during a similar incident in March 2007.[29][30]

A March 2010 reorganisation of

battle honours awarded to RAN ships saw Adelaide retroactively honoured for her service with INTERFET ("East Timor 1999") and during the War in Afghanistan ("Persian Gulf 2001–02").[31][32]

Decommissioning and fate

Adelaide was originally scheduled to be paid off in November 2006, but delays with the project to

White Bay at a point prior to November 2009.[35]

Adelaide tied up alongside at a wharf. The majority of her communications and radar masts have been removed, she carries no weapons, and several large squares have been cut into the ship's hull.
Adelaide tied up at White Bay in April 2010. The vessel has been prepared for scuttling: weapons and systems have been removed, masts have been cut short, and diver access holes have been prepared.

The ship was prepared for scuttling during late 2009 and early 2010: her mast (which would have become a navigational hazard once the ship was scuttled) was removed, dangerous materials and toxins were removed, and access holes were cut in the ship's flanks.

littoral sand drift, and that the removal of chemicals and hazardous materials in the ship had not been thorough enough, with the chance that marine life and people could be poisoned.[36][37]

An appeal by the protest groups to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal three days before the sinking saw the project placed on hold until the case could be heard in full: supporters and opponents of the dive wreck agreed to participate in mediation in the meantime.[38][39] The case was to be heard on 5 May, but was later postponed to July.[40][41] On 15 September, the Tribunal ruled that scuttling of the ship could go ahead after the removal of any remaining wiring, which may contain polychlorinated biphenyls, canvas, insulation, and exfoliating red lead paint.[42][43] The delays caused by the tribunal hearing meant that the original $5.8 million assigned to the scuttling project was expended, and the tribunal hearing, additional cleanup, and berthing fees brought the cost of the scuttling project to $8.5 million.[42]

Adelaide submerging after the scuttling charges were fired

A new scuttling date was announced on 24 February 2011 by NSW Lands Minister Tony Kelly, with Adelaide scheduled to be sunk on 13 April 2011, after the additional cleaning ordered by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal was completed in March.[44] Adelaide was towed from Sydney Harbour on the morning of 11 April for the voyage north.[45] The action group attempted to cancel or further delay the sinking of the warship, requesting that the New South Wales Ombudsman investigate the government's handling of the artificial reef project, filing a summons in the Land and Environment Court of New South Wales on the afternoon of 12 April, and asking an Aboriginal 'whale caller' to summon humpback whales to the planned wreck site.[46][47] Despite this, the sinking went ahead just before midday on 13 April, after being delayed by over an hour by a pod of dolphins inside the 1 kilometre (0.6 mi) exclusion zone.[47] After the scuttling charges were fired, Adelaide submerged within two minutes.[11]

Citations

  1. ^ a b c Jones, in Stevens, The Royal Australian Navy, p. 220
  2. ^ Frame, Pacific Partners, pp. 102, 162
  3. ^ Frame, Pacific Partners, p. 162
  4. ^ a b MacDougall, Australians at war, p. 345
  5. ^ a b c d Hooton, Perking-up the Perry class
  6. ^ a b Moore (ed.), Jane's Fighting Ships 1977–78 , p. 25
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Sharpe (ed.), Jane's Fighting Ships 1998–99, p. 26
  8. ^ Scott, Enhanced small-calibre systems offer shipborne stopping power
  9. ^ a b Perryman, Ships Named Adelaide, p. 2
  10. ^ Cranston, Frank (16 August 1981). "The new Canberra is coming along proudly". The Canberra Times. p. 9. Retrieved 6 April 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. ^ a b Westbrook, Dolphins frolic, protesters sunk as frigate sent to the bottom
  12. ^ a b Jones, in Stevens, The Royal Australian Navy, p. 247
  13. ^ "The Duke of Gloucester's Cup". Royal Australian Navy. Archived from the original on 1 August 2015. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  14. ^ a b c Jones, in Stevens, The Royal Australian Navy, p. 260
  15. ^ a b Bendle et al., Database of Royal Australian Navy Operations, 1990–2005, p. 6
  16. ^ Jones, in Stevens, The Royal Australian Navy, p. 261
  17. ^ Jones, in Stevens, The Royal Australian Navy, p. 263
  18. ^ a b Perryman, Ships Named Adelaide, p. 3
  19. ^ a b Grazebrook, A Drop in the Ocean?
  20. ^ Bendle et al., Database of Royal Australian Navy Operations, 1990–2005, p. 28
  21. ^ Bendle et al., Database of Royal Australian Navy Operations, 1990–2005, p. 34
  22. ^ a b Bendle et al., Database of Royal Australian Navy Operations, 1990–2005, p. 35
  23. ^ Adelaide's pair of cups, in Navy News
  24. ^ Stevens, Strength Through Diversity, p. 15
  25. ^ a b c d e f g h Senate Select Committee, A Certain Maritime Incident
  26. ^ Senate Select Committee, Executive Summary
  27. ^ a b Bendle et al., Database of Royal Australian Navy Operations, 1990–2005, p. 44
  28. ^ Bendle et al., Database of Royal Australian Navy Operations, 1990–2005, p. 60
  29. ^ a b c d Gardner, Iran 'unable to take Australians'
  30. ^ a b c d e f Australian Associated Press, Australians repelled Iranian navy
  31. ^ Royal Australian Navy, Navy Marks 109th Birthday With Historic Changes To Battle Honours
  32. ^ Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Navy Ship/Unit Battle Honours
  33. ^ a b Fish, Australia's Adelaide ends 27 years of service
  34. ^ Nelson, Warship to be sunk off New South Wales coast [press release]
  35. ^ a b Collins, HMAS Adelaide was stripped of her mast at White Bay last Thursday
  36. ^ a b c West, Scuttled ship would wreck bay: residents
  37. ^ Trembath, HMAS Adelaide to sleep with the fishes
  38. ^ ABC News, Plans to sink warship scuttled by court order
  39. ^ Tovey & Harvey, Tribunal scuppers plan to sink ship
  40. ^ West, Judge fires broadside at rush to sink warship
  41. ^ West, New tests ordered for warship toxins
  42. ^ a b Harvey & West, Judge orders tough new rules for scuttling
  43. ^ Australian Associated Press, More money sinks with HMAS Adelaide
  44. ^ Australian Associated Press, Greenies try to scuttle plans to sink HMAS Adelaide
  45. ^ Australian Associated Press, Decommissioned HMAS Adelaide towed to sea
  46. ^ Australian Broadcasting Corporation, HMAS Adelaide en route to final destination
  47. ^ a b McMahon, Dolphins delay scuttling of HMAS Adelaide

References

Books

Journal articles

News articles

Other sources

External links

Media related to HMAS Adelaide (FFG 01) at Wikimedia Commons


33°28′0″S 151°27′0″E / 33.46667°S 151.45000°E / -33.46667; 151.45000

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