NUSHIP HOBART- Check the Updates section for the latest Information from Leo Stakenberg

Check Out: Reunion Pages for the latest information on the Bundaberg Reunion for 2009 Updated: 27 February 2008

 

 

 

 

 

Hobart History

Cruiser Hobart

Battle of Leyte Gulf

A few dozen elderly men met for lunch yesterday to mark the 60th anniversary of a historic naval battle
Australia's role in the Battle of Leyte Gulf fought as Americas Gen. Douglas MacArthur fulfilled his vow to return to the Philippines, has been largely forgotten. No special memorial service was planned by the Australian Government or the navy to mark the anniversary of the battle fought in a series of engagements off the Filipino island of Leyte from October 21 to 25, 1944.
The battle began with a horrific new form of warfare ‑ kamikaze attacks. It culminated in the last great naval battle  of history where massive warships lined up and fired broadsides at each other.
Significantly for old sailors, the battle began on Trafalgar Day, the day in 1805 when Admiral Nelson defeated Napoleon's fleet.
At dawn on October 21 the Japanese launched their suicide missions.  A lone . Japanese dive‑bomber went straight for HMAS Shropshire, an Australian heavy cruiser handed over by the British 16 months earlier. The heavy anti‑aircraft fire put up by the Shropshire drove the plane off, but it veered around and flaw straight at the nearby battle cruiser HMAS Australia,  smashing into the bridge.
Thirty officers and men, including the captain, were killed. Another 64 were badly wounded
HMAS Australia was forced away for repairs, escorted by destroyer HMAS Warramunga but the Battle of Leyte Gulf bed begun.
The United States fleet of six battleships, four heavy cruisers, as well as HMAS Shropshire and an Australian destroyer, the Arunta. were arranged in a crescent as the Japanese came into range.
In the early hours of October 25 the Allied fleet sprung its trap and opened fire with everything It had.. Hundreds of tonnes of armour‑piercing shells and explosives were hurled at the Japanese battleship; in minutes, the flash from hundreds of gun turrets lighting up the night.
Sydney awn Dave Birrell now  84 who was leading visual signaller on the bridge of the Shropshire recalled: "It was incredible, continual flashes from the guns the sound was deafening and we were saying: 'Come on, pour it on 'em'."
"Shropshire aimed at the closest battleship, the Yamashiro, four times her size. They fired back at us and we saw two huge red balls flying at us. They were 14-inch shells. If they bit us it could have blown us up, but they went right over the top."
The Japanese lost two battleships, three cruisers and 5000 sailors. One US destroyer was damaged.
About 100 surviving veterans from the Shropshire, Arunta, Australia and Warramunga met in Sydney yesterday .

 

DDG Hobart

 

HMAS Hobart DDG 39 was commissioned in Boston USA on 18 December 1965 .

She was the second of three Charles F Adams class to be built. The first being HMAS Perth DDG 38 and the third HMAS Brisbane DDG 41

HMAS Hobart was the first warship to be deployed to Vietnam – and indeed served with distinction during her three tours of duty in Vietnam .   She was awarded the United States Navy Unit Citation during her first tour of Vietnam

HMAS Hobart was also awarded the Gloucester Cup in 1967 after her first deployment to Vietnam – And before the end of her service she had received the award a total of 8 times – indeed a great honour.   This cup is awarded annually to the most proficient ship in the fleet.

The ship was decommissioned in Sydney after approx 35 years of service and was sunk as a dive wreck in Yankalilla Bay , South Australia in November 2002.

 

This picture of the Commissioning on the 18/12/1965 was sent

In by Graeme Edwards (Commissioning Crew) now living in

Burnie in Tasmania