HMAS Onslow

Coordinates: 33°52.155′S 151°11.997′E / 33.869250°S 151.199950°E / -33.869250; 151.199950
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

A submarine tied up alongside a wharf on a calm day. Numerous skyscrapers are in the background
HMAS Onslow on display at the Australian National Maritime Museum
History
Australia
NamesakeTown of Onslow, Western Australia
Ordered1963
BuilderScotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Greenock
Laid down4 December 1967
Launched3 December 1968
Commissioned22 December 1969
Decommissioned29 March 1999
RefitModernisation (1982–1984)
HomeportHMAS Platypus Sydney
Motto
Festina Lente
 ("Hasten Slowly")
StatusMuseum ship at the Australian National Maritime Museum since April 1999
General characteristics
Class and typeOberon-class submarine
Displacement
  • 1,610 tons standard
  • 2,030 tons surfaced
  • 2,410 tons submerged
Length295.2 ft (90.0 m)
Beam26.5 ft (8.1 m)
Draught18 ft (5.5 m)
Propulsion
  • 2 × Admiralty Standard Range supercharged V16 diesel generators
  • 2 × English Electric motors
  • 3,500 bhp, 4,500 shp
  • 2 shafts
Speed
  • 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) surfaced
  • 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph) submerged
  • 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph) at snorkel depth
Range9,000 nautical miles (17,000 km; 10,000 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Test depth200 metres (660 ft)
Complement
  • As launched:
  • 8 officers, 56 sailors
  • At decommissioning:
  • 8 officers, 60 sailors
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Sonar:
  • Atlas Elektronik Type CSU3-41 bow array
  • BAC Type 2007 flank array
  • Sperry
    BQG-4
    Micropuffs rangefinding array
  • Radar:
  • Kelvin Hughes Type 1006
Armament
  • Torpedo tubes:
  • 6 × 21-inch (53 cm) bow tubes
  • 2 × short-length 21-inch (53 cm) stern tubes (later removed)
  • Payload: Mix of 20:
  • Mark 48 Mod 4 torpedoes
  • UGM-84 Sub Harpoon
    missiles
NotesTaken from:[1][2]

HMAS Onslow (SS 60/SSG 60) is one of six

badge derived from Onslow's family heritage. Ordered in 1963, Onslow was laid down at the end of 1967 by Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company
in Scotland, launched almost a year later, and commissioned into the RAN at the end of 1969.

During her career, Onslow became the first conventionally powered submarine to be fitted with anti-ship missiles, and was successful in wargames, "sinking" a seven-ship flotilla during Exercise Kangaroo 3 in 1980 and the United States supercarrier

RIMPAC 1998.[3][4][5][6]

After being decommissioned in March 1999, Onslow was then presented to the Australian National Maritime Museum in April, where she is preserved as a museum ship.

Design and construction

Onslow is one of four Oberon-class submarines ordered in 1963.

ship's badge contains a judge's wig.[8] Although this was the only use of the name by the RAN, two surface ships of the Royal Navy have previously been named HMS Onslow.[7]

A rectangular plaque mounted on a bulkhead. The plaque reads "H.M.A.S. "Onslow". Engine no 798. Scotts' Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd. Greenock. 1969"
The builders' plaque for Onslow

The submarine is 295.2 feet (90.0 m) long, with a

test depth of 200 metres (660 ft) below sea level.[1][2] When launched, the boat had a company of 8 officers and 56 sailors, but by the time she was decommissioned, the number of sailors had increased to 60.[1][2] In addition, up to 16 trainees could be carried.[2]

Unlike other submarines in her class, Onslow is fitted with a four-man diver access hatch, allowing for easier deployment and recovery of special forces divers.[9]

Armament

The main armament of Onslow are six 21-inch (53 cm) bow torpedo tubes, capable of firing torpedoes or releasing sea mines.

UGM-84 Sub Harpoon.[4][5] At the same time, the Mark 23 torpedoes were replaced by the United States Mark 48 wire-guided torpedo.[4] As of 1996, the standard payload of Onslow was a mix of 20 Mark 48 Mod 4 torpedoes and Sub Harpoon missiles.[1] Some or all of the torpedo payload could be replaced by Mark 5 Stonefish sea mines, which were deployed through the torpedo tubes.[10]

The submarine's secondary armament consisted of two stern-mounted, short-length 21-inch (53 cm) torpedo tubes: these were intended for use against pursuing submarines, but the development of steerable wire-guided torpedoes shortly after the boat entered service made these redundant, and they were closed off during the 1982–84 refit.

Mark 20 anti-submarine torpedoes.[11]

Operational history

1970–1981

Onslow arrived in Sydney at the conclusion of her delivery voyage to Australia on 4 July 1970.

RIMPAC multinational naval exercise.[13] During the exercise, a practice torpedo fired by the United States Coast Guard Cutter Rush[14] failed to disengage as designed and hit the submarine—the only damage was a small dent near the stern.[13]

Onslow became the first vessel of the RAN to be assigned to the ANZUK force in Singapore on 22 July 1972.[15] During another ANZUK deployment, in 1974, the boat's attack periscope was damaged when it came in contact with the log probe of the frigate HMS Leopard.[citation needed] The boat returned to Australia on 18 December.[15] On 5 May 1975, Onslow began a two-year refit at Cockatoo Island Dockyard, becoming the first Australian submarine to use the dockyard's new slave dock.[16] This dock had been built specifically for refit work on Oberon-class submarines, and was the main location of all Onslow's refits until 1990.[16] In 1977, Onslow was presented with the Gloucester Cup, marking her as the most efficient warship in the RAN during the previous year—Onslow was the first submarine to receive the award.[13]

A submarine underway on the surface. A man is standing near the boat's bow sonar dome, while other personnel are visible on top of the sail
Onslow underway on the surface. A sailor is standing near the original bow sonar dome. This dome was replaced during the submarine's 1982–84 refit, as the new sonar was larger.

In 1980, Onslow participated in Exercise Kangaroo 3 as an opposing submarine.[6] During the exercise, Onslow carried out successful simulated attacks on all seven surface ships involved in the exercise without being 'sunk' herself, including a simultaneous 'attack' on two United States Navy (USN) amphibious warfare vessels and a RAN replenishment ship while they were under escort by the other four warships.[6] To indicate her success, the submarine flew a Jolly Roger from her communications mast upon her return to port, which was marked with the silhouettes of her seven targets: the Perth-class destroyers HMAS Brisbane and HMAS Hobart, the Knox-class frigate USS Lang, the River-class destroyer escort HMAS Yarra, the Anchorage-class dock landing ship USS Mount Vernon, the Newport-class tank landing ship USS Bristol County, and the Tide-class replenishment oiler HMAS Supply.[6]

On 1 March 1981, Onslow participated in wargames with a

asphyxiation and carbon monoxide poisoning, while another eighteen were rendered unconscious or were convulsing because of blood poisoning.[17][18] Upon returning to base, doctors found that one-third of the 66 survivors had absorbed twice the lethal limit of carbon monoxide into their blood.[17]
The crew onboard were taken to Soldiers Beach surf club and provided with free alcohol for 3 days before returning back to duties. They were not compensated in any other way as stated they were by the RAN.

The RAN Board of Inquiry into the incident concluded that the accident was caused by human error—the duty engineer failed to shut down both engines—but members of Onslow's complement disagree with this, claiming the problem to be mechanical in origin.

newsmagazine program under the Freedom of Information Act.[17] When interviewed by Sunday Night in March 2009, the deputy Chief of Navy, Rear Admiral Davyd Thomas (who had been Passlow's divisional officer prior to the incident) promised counselling for the survivors, and claimed that prior treatment of the Onslow submariners was due to a limited understanding of post-traumatic stress disorder back in the 1980s.[17]

1982–1990

Onslow underwent a modernisation refit from 1982 until 1984, becoming the third Australian Oberon to be modernised.

Harpoon anti-ship missile through the torpedo tubes: Onslow became the first conventionally-powered submarine in the world to be fitted with guided anti-ship missiles.[4][5]

Onslow was the first Australian submarine to visit the west coast of the United States of America when she arrived in San Diego on 17 July 1985.[20] The boat made goodwill visits to the cities of San Francisco and Seattle during mid-August, before participating in the Royal Fleet Review for the 75th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Navy.[8][21]

Onslow's "safe to dive" certificate ran out just after Christmas 1989.

Australian Defence Industries (ADI) was awarded the $100 million refit contract for Onslow and sister submarine HMAS Otama in July.[23] Cockatoo Island's slave dock was transferred to the ADI facilities at Garden Island in November 1990, and was used for the refit.[16] It was later found, during arbitration between the Australian Government and Cockatoo Island Dockyard for various issues, that by tendering out the submarine refits to other companies, the government was in breach of contract with the Dockyard; A$17.3 million in compensation was awarded to the dockyard in August 1996 for loss of profits and overhead costs.[24]

1990–1999

In the early 1990s, four of Onslow's sister boats were decommissioned from service. By 1996, Onslow and Otama were the only members of the class in active service.

During 1995, Onslow was deployed to South East Asia. During this deployment, the personnel of Onslow were involved in a controversial line-crossing ceremony while operating near the equator.[25] During this particular ceremony, normally intended to induct new sailors into the 'court of King Neptune', the victims were verbally and physically abused, had their pelvises and genitals covered in what was described as a "blistering concoction", then thrown overboard and forced to stay there until the rest of the company permitted them on board.[25] When one of the victimised sailors complained to superiors, he became subject to several administrative errors and inconveniences, to the point where he was forced to resign a year later.[25] The sailor acquired a copy of a videotape made of the ceremony and presented it to the Nine Network, which broke the story on 6 July 1999.[25] An inquiry into the incident aboard Onslow was held, which found that although guidelines had been developed in the years after the incident to prevent harassment in the Australian Defence Force, disciplinary charges against the sailors involved could not be laid, as more than three years had passed since the offence.[26] The inquiry also stated that while line-crossing ceremonies would continue to be held aboard RAN vessels, they would be supervised by a non-involved member of the crew to prevent similar extreme situations developing.[26] The deployment ended in December, with Onslow visiting her namesake town for the last time on her return to Australia.[27]

On the evening of 16 April 1997, three

Australian Special Air Service Regiment soldiers were injured when they were thrown from their Zodiac boat during launch and recovery exercises with the submarine.[28] Later that year, in November, Onslow participated in a joint RAN-RAAF exercise off the coast of Western Australia.[29] Over the end of 1997 and the start of 1998, Onslow and Otama were used for trials of the Australian-designed Narama towed array sonar.[30] The Narama sonar was one of the towed arrays under consideration for incorporation with the under-developmentCollins-class submarines,[30]
and was the array selected.

In mid-1998, the date of Onslow's decommissioning was announced for early 1999.

Fincastle competition.[33] Onslow operated on a secret patrol course 130 nautical miles (240 km; 150 mi) south of Kangaroo Island while aircraft from the competing Australian, British, Canadian, and New Zealand air forces attempted to locate and 'sink' her.[33] No. 5 Squadron RNZAF was declared the winner, although all teams were successful in locating the submarine during at least one of their three attempts.[34]

Decommissioning and preservation

HM Bark Endeavour replica
Bunks onboard HMAS Onslow

Onslow was decommissioned from service on 30 March 1999.[35] While in service, Onslow travelled 358,068 nautical miles (663,142 km; 412,057 mi).[36] On the same day, sister boat Otama was permanently reassigned to the submarine base at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia, clearing the way for the closure of HMAS Platypus.[35]

The submarine was gifted to the

Western Australian Maritime Museum.[38] As of 2004, she is one of seven Oberon-class submarines preserved in this manner.[39]

On 22 November 2002, Onslow was taken by tugs to Garden Island for three weeks of maintenance in drydock.

HMAS Advance
. In February 2018 Onslow was towed from the museum to Garden Island, Sydney, for regular maintenance in dry dock.

Gallery

  • HMAS Onslow returning to Hawaii from RIMPAC 98.
    HMAS Onslow returning to Hawaii from
    RIMPAC 98
    .
  • HMAS Onslow's fin and masts.
    HMAS Onslow's fin and masts.
  • HMAS Onslow's nameplate.
    HMAS Onslow's nameplate.
  • HMAS Onslow on display at the Australian National Maritime Museum in 2017
    HMAS Onslow on display at the Australian National Maritime Museum in 2017
  • HMAS Onslow at night
    HMAS Onslow at night
  • HMAS Onslow's galley
    HMAS Onslow's galley

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Sharpe (ed.), Jane's Fighting Ships, 1996–1997, p. 23
  2. ^ a b c d e Shaw, HMAS Onslow, p. 15
  3. ^ a b c Curtis, Pride of the fleet
  4. ^ a b c d e f White, Australian submarines, p. 202
  5. ^ a b c Lind, The Royal Australian Navy – Historic Naval Events Year by Year, p. 303
  6. ^ a b c d Richards & Smith, Onslow's Jolly Roger, pp. 11–12
  7. ^ a b c White, Australian submarines, p. 199
  8. ^ a b c d White, Australian submarines, p. 200
  9. ^ Shaw, HMAS Onslow, p. 10
  10. ^ a b Shaw, HMAS Onslow, p. 21
  11. ^ a b Shaw, HMAS Onslow, p. 19
  12. ^ Pratley, Farewell to a quiet achiever, p. 59
  13. ^ a b c Shaw, HMAS Onslow, p. 6
  14. ^ "Onslow makes repair". The Canberra Times. trove.nla.gov.au. 16 November 1971. p. 3. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  15. ^ a b Gillett, Warships of Australia, p. 198
  16. ^ a b c Jeremy, Cockatoo Island, p. 64
  17. ^ a b c d e f g h i Seconds from Disaster [Sunday Night segment]
  18. ^ White, Australian submarines, p. 203
  19. ^ White, Australian submarines, p. 201
  20. ^ Lind, The Royal Australian Navy – Historic Naval Events Year by Year, p. 304
  21. ^ Australian Submarine to visit San Francisco, PR Newswire, p. 7
  22. ^ a b Grigson, Nothing doing down under for our subs, p. 3
  23. ^ Grigson, $100M submarine refits to stay in Sydney, p. 2
  24. ^ Jeremy, Cockatoo Island, pp. 52–3
  25. ^ a b c d Weaver, Navy crosses the line with anal antics, p. 13
  26. ^ a b Australian Associated Press, Sailors won't be disciplined over videotaped ceremony
  27. ^ a b c Barton, Onslow snubbed on sub visit, p. 38
  28. ^ Seymour, SAS men hurt in submarine exercise, p. 4
  29. ^ Cusworth, Farewell flight for fighters, p. 48
  30. ^ a b Narama Sonar secures first sales, Jane's Navy International, p. 36
  31. ^ a b Stott & Jaumeson, Navy sinks Indonesian fishing vessel, p. 6
  32. RIMPAC 98
    . The submarine had ... "taken out" ... US carrier CARL VINSEN[sic] ...
  33. ^ a b Blenkin, RAAF use old technology to hunt old sub in annual comp
  34. ^ Australian Associated Press, Kiwis win Fincastle anti-submarine trophy again
  35. ^ a b Subs leave harbour behind, The Daily Telegraph, p. 4
  36. ^ a b c Casey, Onslow finds new home
  37. ^ Collings, Jon (19 June 2002), "Submission 18: Department of Defence" (PDF), in Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit (ed.), Review of the Accrual Budget Documentation (Report), Government of Australia, retrieved 20 January 2014
  38. ^ Australian Associated Press, Submarine to rest at museum after distinguished service
  39. ^ Weaver, The conservation of heritage submarines, pp. 58–9
  40. ^ a b Brough, Onslow in dry dock 2002, p. 30
  41. ^ Davis, Sub surfaces in Sydney
  42. ^ a b Brough, Onslow in dry dock 2002, p. 31
  43. ^ Brooke, Oberon sub surfaces at Fleet Base East, p. 10
  44. ^ Vanoac, Cold War sub gets polished

References

Books
Journal articles
Newspaper articles
Other media

External links

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33°52.155′S 151°11.997′E / 33.869250°S 151.199950°E / -33.869250; 151.199950

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