Perth class destroyer - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Perth class destroyers were three modified Charles F. Adams class

Charles F. Adams class destroyer

The Charles F. Adams class is a ship class of 29 guided missile destroyers built between 1958 and 1967. Twenty three ships were built for the United States Navy, 3 for the Royal Australian Navy, and 3 for the West German Bundesmarine. The ships were based on the existing Forrest Sherman class, but...

guided missile destroyers operated by the Royal Australian Navy

Royal Australian Navy

The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...

(RAN). Ordered from Defoe Shipbuilding Company

Defoe Shipbuilding Company

The Defoe Shipbuilding Company was a small ship builder established in 1905 in Bay City, Michigan, USA. It ceased to operate in 1976 after failing to renew its contracts with the United States Navy. The site of the former company is now a scrapyard on the bank of the Saginaw River.-Founding:Harry J...

during 1962 and 1963, HMA Ships , , and were the first guided missiled-armed warships, and the first naval ships of United States design, to enter service with the RAN. All three ships operated during the Vietnam War

Vietnam War

The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...

, while Brisbane also participated in the Gulf War

Gulf War

The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...

. The class was decommissioned between 1999 and 2001, with all three vessels later sunk as dive wrecks.

Design and construction

During the late 1950s, the RAN announced a requirement for guided missile-armed warships; along with plans to install guided missiles aboard currently active escort vessels, plans were made to acquire two purpose-built destroyers. Although traditionally, Australian warships were based on British designs, the RAN chose to study the United States Nay's Charles F. Adams class

Charles F. Adams class destroyer

along with the Royal Navy's County class

County class destroyer

The County class was a class of guided missile destroyers, the first such vessels built by the Royal Navy. Designed specifically around the Sea Slug anti-aircraft missile system, the primary role of these ships was area air-defence around the aircraft carrier task force in the nuclear-war...

. The American design was favoured because the Tartar

RIM-24 Tartar

The General Dynamics RIM-24 Tartar was a medium-range naval surface-to-air missile , and was among the earliest surface-to-air missiles to equip United States Navy ships...

missile carried was seen as superior to the British Sea Slug

Sea Slug missile

Sea Slug was a first generation surface-to-air missile designed by Armstrong Whitworth for use by the Royal Navy...

, but the risk of operating American-designed ships in a predominately British-designed naval force was seen as acceptable after a RAN proposal to redesign the Counties combined steam and gas

Combined steam and gas

Combined steam and gas is a propulsion system for ships using a combination of steam turbines and gas turbines to power the shafts. A gearbox and clutches enable either of the engines or both of them together to drive the shaft. It has the advantage of the cruising efficiency and reliability of...

propulsion system to purely steam-powered was knocked back by British. In 1960, the decision was made to instead acquire Charles F. Adams class ships, and on 6 Jauanry 1962, two destroyers of a slightly modified design were ordered from Defoe Shipbuilding Company

Defoe Shipbuilding Company

of Bay City, Michigan

Bay City, Michigan

Bay City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 34,932, and is the principal city of the Bay City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Saginaw-Bay City-Saginaw Township North...

. Plans to refit Tartar missiles to the Battle

Battle class destroyer

The Battle class were a class of destroyers of the British Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy . Built in three groups, the first group were ordered under the 1942 naval estimates. A modified second and third group, together with two ships of an extended design were planned for the 1943 and 1944...

and Daring

Daring class destroyer (1949)

The Daring class was a class of eleven destroyers built for the Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy . Constructed after World War II, and entering service during the 1950s, eight ships were constructed for the RN, and three ships for the RAN. Two of the RN destroyers were subsequently sold to and...

classes were later cancelled because of cost, and on 22 January 1963, a third destroyer was ordered from Defoe. The Australian ships were referred to as the Perth class after lead ship

Lead ship

The lead ship or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable military ships and larger civilian craft.-Overview:...

; the other two destroyers were HMA Ships and . Thought was given to acquiring a fourth ship of the class, but this did not go ahead.

At launch, the destroyers had a standard displacement of 3,370 tons, and a full load displacement of 4,500 tons, although by 1998, various modifications and modernisations had increased the ship's full load displacement to 4,618 tons. Each ship was 440.8 feet (134.4 m) long at the waterline

Waterline length

The Waterline length is a measurement of ships and boats. The term denotes the length of the vessel at the point where it sits in the water. It excludes the total length of the boat, such as features that are out of the water...

, 437 feet (133.2 m) long overall, had a beam of 47.1 feet (14.4 m), and a draught of 20.1 feet (6.1 m). The propulsion system consisted of four Foster Wheeler D-type boilers connected to two General Electric double reduction steam turbines; these provided 70000 shp to the two propeller shafts, allowing them to reach speeds of 35 knots (19.1 m/s). Maximum range was 6000 nautical miles (11,112 km) at 15 knots (8.2 m/s), or 2000 nautical miles (3,704 km) at 30 knots (16.3 m/s). The standard ship's company at launch consisted of 21 officers and 312 sailors.

Construction of lead ship Perth commenced when she was laid down on 21 September 1962. Perth was launched on 26 September 1963, completed on 22 May 1965, and commissioned into the RAN on 17 July 1965. Hobart was laid down a month after Perth on 26 October 1962, with launching on 9 January 1964, and completion on 18 December 1965, two days after she was commissioned into the RAN. Work on Brisbane did not start until 15 February 1965, with the destroyer launched on 5 May 1966, commissioned on 16 December 1967, but not completed until 24 January 1968. Construction and acquisition of the Perth class included many firsts for the RAN: they were the first ships to be armed with guided missiles, the first to be designed and built in the United States, and the first to be launched sideways instead of stern-first.

Armament and sensors

As a guided-missile destroyer, the primary armament of the Perth class ships at launch was of a Mark 13 missile launcher for Tartar

RIM-24 Tartar

The General Dynamics RIM-24 Tartar was a medium-range naval surface-to-air missile , and was among the earliest surface-to-air missiles to equip United States Navy ships...

anti-aircraft missiles. This was supplemented by two 5-inch/54 caliber Mark 42 guns in two single turrets, two Ikara

Ikara (missile)

The Ikara missile was an Australian ship-launched anti-submarine missile, named after an Australian Aboriginal word for "throwing stick". It launched an acoustic torpedo to a range of , allowing fast-reaction attacks against submarines at ranges that would otherwise require the launching ship to...

anti-submarine missile systems (although the actual launchers were not installed until the late 1960s), and two Mark 32 triple-tube torpedo sets for Mark 46 torpedo

Mark 46 torpedo

Designed to attack high-performance submarines, the Mark 46 torpedo is the backbone of the U.S. Navy's lightweight ASW torpedo inventory, and is the current NATO standard. These aerial torpedoes, such as the Mark 46 Mod 5, are expected to remain in service until the year 2015...

es. The main differences between the Perth class and the parent design related to the weapons systems: a large deckhouse was added between the two funnels to house the two Ikara launchers and their magazines, and the Mark 13 single-arm launcher was fitted instead of the Mark 11 twin-arm launcher.

During the ships' careers, the Tartar missiles were replaced by the Standard

RIM-66 Standard

The RIM-66 Standard MR is a medium range surface-to-air missile originally developed for the United States Navy . The SM-1 was developed as a replacement for the RIM-2 Terrier and RIM-24 Tartar that were deployed in the 1950s on a variety of USN ships...

missile, and the launchers were updated to fire the Harpoon missile, although Harpoon missiles were not carried by the Perths, and the modification was intended as a "for but not with

For but not with

Fitting "for but not with" is a design concept used by militaries in which a weapon or system called for in a design is not installed or is only partially installed during construction to save on construction costs. The term is usually used in regard to vehicles and ships but sometimes extends to...

" fitting. During 1990 and 1991, the three ships were modified to carry two Vulcan Phalanx close-in weapons systems; Phalanx units were stored in a common pool, and were only fitted to the ships as required. Around the same time as the Phalanx installation, the Ikara launchers and magazines were removed. As a result, the magazine spaces were converted into accommodation and recreation areas, and the ship's company was reduced from 332 to 310, although the number of officers had increased by this point from 21 to 25.

In 1998, near the end of the ships' careers, the radar suite consisted of a Hughes SPS-52C air search radar, a Lockheed SPS-40C air search radar, a Norden SPS-67V surface search radar, two Raytheon SPG-516 fire control radars for the Mark 13 launcher, and a Western Electric SPG-53F fire control radar for the 5-inch guns. In addition a Sangamo SQS-23KL hull-mounted sonar was fitted. Countermeasures included two SRBOC Mark 36 units, a Nulka

Nulka

Nulka is an Australian designed and developed active missile decoy built by an Australian/American collaboration. Used aboard warships of the United States Navy , Royal Australian Navy , United States Coast Guard , and Canadian Forces, Nulka is a rocket propelled, disposable, offboard, active decoy...

decoy launcher, and an SQL-25 towed decoy.

Operational history

Between 1967 and 1971, all three destroyers were rotated through deployments to the Vietnam War: Perth and Hobart deployed three times, while Brisbane only undertook two tours. During these deployments, the destroyers were integrated into the United States Seventh Fleet

United States Seventh Fleet

The Seventh Fleet is the United States Navy's permanent forward projection force based in Yokosuka, Japan, with units positioned near Japan and South Korea. It is a component fleet force under the United States Pacific Fleet. At present, it is the largest of the forward-deployed U.S. fleets, with...

. The three ships operated primarily in the naval gunfire support

Naval gunfire support

Naval gunfire support is the use of naval artillery to provide fire support for amphibious assault and other troops operating within their range. NGFS is one of a number of disciplines encompassed by the term Naval Fires...

role, but also performed screening escort for the American aircraft carriers, and were involved in the Market Time and Sea Dragon

Sea Dragon

-Fish:* Leafy sea dragon * Weedy sea dragon -Military:* Operation Sea Dragon , a military operation* MH-53E Sea Dragon, a helicopter* USS Seadragon, two ships of the United States Navy...

operations, both of which aimed to prevent North Vietnamese troop and supply movements by sea. During these deployments, Perth was damaged by North Vietnamese shells in October 1967, and Hobart was accidentally attacked

Friendly fire

Friendly fire is inadvertent firing towards one's own or otherwise friendly forces while attempting to engage enemy forces, particularly where this results in injury or death. A death resulting from a negligent discharge is not considered friendly fire...

by United States Air Force aircraft in June 1968.

In 1971, all three ships were marked for modernisation, primarily involving updates to the missile and gunnery systems, along with the installation of the Naval Combat Data System (an derivative of the United States Navy's Naval Tactical Data System

Naval Tactical Data System

Naval Tactical Data System, commonly NTDS, refers to a computerized information processing system developed by the United States Navy in the 1950s and first deployed in the early 1960s for use in combat ships.- Reason for development :...

modified for the Perths). Hobart was refitted in San Francisco during 1972, but instead of following through on plans to update all three ships in American shipyards, the RAN decided to upgrade the other two destroyers at Garden Island instead to give the dockyard experience in refitting the destroyers.

From 1974 to the start of 1975, Hobart underwent a second modernisation, this time involving the fitting of a new combat system, updates to the radar suite, and modification of the Mark 13 launcher to fire Standard missiles. The same upgrades were made to the other two ships at Garden Island between 1977 and 1979.

During the early-to-mid 1980s, the destroyers, along with Adelaide class

Adelaide class frigate

The Adelaide class is a ship class of six guided missile frigates constructed in Australia and the United States of America for service in the Royal Australian Navy. The class is based on the United States Navy's Oliver Hazard Perry class frigates, but modified for Australian requirements...

frigates, were regularly deployed to the Indian Ocean. Maintaining a constant naval presence in the Indian Ocean was a response to the Soviet invasion of Afganistan, along with the growing presence of Soviet warships.

The ships were modernised a third time between 1987 and 1991. During this upgrade, the radar and gun systems were updated, and the Mark 13 launcher was modified to fire Harpoon missiles.

Brisbane served as part of the RAN commitment to the Gulf War

Gulf War

during 1990 and 1991.

In late 1993, , a former Charles F. Adams class destroyer, was acquired by the RAN for use as a parts hulk to support the three Perth class vessels. After arriving in Sydney in 1994, a four-man team was assigned to identify and remove equipment from the ship. These were primarily used to maintain the three destroyers, although some components were fitted to the Adelaide class

Adelaide class frigate

guided missile frigates, or installed at training facilities. While being stripped, the team painted the number 40 on Goldsboroughs bow, filling the gap in the pennant number

Pennant number

In the modern Royal Navy, and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth, ships are identified by pennant numbers...

sequence of the Perths. By August 1994, the ship had been stripped of usable equipment, and the hulk was sold to an Indian company for ship breaking

Ship breaking

Ship breaking or ship demolition is a type of ship disposal involving the breaking up of ships for scrap recycling. Most ships have a lifespan of a few decades before there is so much wear that refitting and repair becomes uneconomical. Ship breaking allows materials from the ship, especially...

Decommissioning and replacement

All three ships were decommissioned between 1999 and 2001. Following their withdrawal from service, they were all sunk as dive wrecks in Australian waters: Perth off Albany, Western Australia

Albany, Western Australia

Albany is a port city in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, some 418 km SE of Perth, the state capital. As of 2009, Albany's population was estimated at 33,600, making it the 6th-largest city in the state....

, Hobart off Yankalilla, South Australia

Yankalilla, South Australia

Yankalilla is an agriculturally-based town situated on the southern Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia, located 72 km south of the state's capital of Adelaide...

, and Brisbane off Mooloolaba, Queensland

Mooloolaba, Queensland

Mooloolaba is a suburb and tourist resort township on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. It is located north of the state capital, Brisbane, and is part of the Maroochydore urban centre.- Etymology :...

. Before being scuttled, Brisbanes bridge and forward 5-inch gun were removed from the destroyer; these were installed at the Australian War Memorial

Australian War Memorial

The Australian War Memorial is Australia's national memorial to the members of all its armed forces and supporting organisations who have died or participated in the wars of the Commonwealth of Australia...

in 2007 as part of the "Conflicts 1945 to Today" gallery.

There was no direct replacement of the Perth class following their withdrawal from service, with the area air defence role instead taken by the Adelaide class

Adelaide class frigate

guided missile frigates (which at the time, only had the capability to defend themseleves, not other ships). Four of the six Adelaide class, were upgraded as a makeshift gap-filler, while the two oldest Adelaides were decommissioned to offset the cost. Fleet anti-air defence will remain at a reduced capability until the three Hobart class air warfare destroyers enter service from 2013 onwards.

Ships

Pennant	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Completed	Commissioned	Decommissioned	Fate
D 38	Defoe Shipbuilding Company Defoe Shipbuilding Company The Defoe Shipbuilding Company was a small ship builder established in 1905 in Bay City, Michigan, USA. It ceased to operate in 1976 after failing to renew its contracts with the United States Navy. The site of the former company is now a scrapyard on the bank of the Saginaw River.-Founding:Harry J... , Bay City, Michigan Bay City, Michigan Bay City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 34,932, and is the principal city of the Bay City Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Saginaw-Bay City-Saginaw Township North...	21 September 1962	28 September 1963	22 May 1965	17 July 1965	15 October 1999	Sunk as dive wreck off the coast of Albany, Western Australia Albany, Western Australia Albany is a port city in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, some 418 km SE of Perth, the state capital. As of 2009, Albany's population was estimated at 33,600, making it the 6th-largest city in the state....
D 39	Defoe Shipbuilding, Bay City, Michigan	26 October 1962	9 January 1964	18 December 1965	18 December 1965	12 May 2000	Sunk as dive wreck off the coast of Yankalilla, South Australia Yankalilla, South Australia Yankalilla is an agriculturally-based town situated on the southern Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia, located 72 km south of the state's capital of Adelaide...
D 41	Defoe Shipbuilding, Bay City, Michigan	15 February 1965	5 May 1966	24 January 1968	16 December 1967	19 October 2001	Sunk as dive wreck off the coast of Mooloolaba, Queensland Mooloolaba, Queensland Mooloolaba is a suburb and tourist resort township on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. It is located north of the state capital, Brisbane, and is part of the Maroochydore urban centre.- Etymology :...

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