HMAS Melbourne, More Anecdotes.

The first port of call in California for HMAS Melbourne on 18th. October 1967, was Seal Beach, which is an ammunition port for the US Navy on the West Coast, not far from the famous Huntington Beach and the infamous "pipeline". Melbourne was to load 100 Mk 44 torpedoes for service in the RAN. This electric active homing antisubmarine torpedo was small and was designed to be launched from fixed wing aircraft, helos, and was incorporated into the design of the Australian antisubmarine guided missile "Ikara". The electrolyte for the battery was salt water gathered as the torpedo entered the water (via the small scoop in the photo) and enough power was generated to turn the propellers and enable the electronics within 3 seconds.

The Ikara (Aboriginal for "Throwing Stick") was developed by the RAN at RANEL as an anti submarine weapon for the new Type 12 Frigates and later the DDGs, it was far more advanced than the US Navy ASROC missile. Ikara was only to be exported to Commonwealth Navies and was used by the RN, although subsequently sold to the Brazilian Navy. Experimental missiles were painted yellow and were tested at the Woomera rocket range in South Australia. Once over the target the torpedo was launched from the missile by being blown out using 6 small charges, these charges also blew off the bottom half of the tail fin. To stabilise the missile a swing down fin with two small panels replaced the ventral fin and was refered to as the "rabbits ears". The Ikara had a range of 12 nm and flew at 1000ft with a constant speed of 600 knots. Ikara was stored in the magazine with out any wings and these were clipped on prior to the missile entering the launcher. I was the first instructor in Ikara at HMAS Watson in 1968/9 and wrote & compiled the original instructing notes.

Seal Beach being the first port of call, protocol demanded that the Captain & officers hold a cocktail party for officials and guests. The face of Australia in Hollywood at that time was Chips Rafferty, a 3rd. rate ham actor but the best that Australia could offer. Rafferty arrived for the party an hour early and was the last to leave, having consumed large quantities of Aussie beer.

As Chief Quarter Master, I, with two Quartermasters had to standby the gangway and "pipe the side" as the guests arrived and left.

One of the guests was well known comedian Shelly Berman and as he was waiting to leave, he came up behind me and passed me a card. There was a real party at his place and we would be welcome. It was a real party, actually a "Pool Party" and the dress rules were "fully clothed or naked". No in-betweens!! Not a single officer from Melbourne had been invited. I know what you are thinking, but it was not a "poofs" party, as there were eager young & beautiful starlets everywhere, that I can guarantee!!

On 27th. October 1967 Melbourne berthed starboard side to in San Diego, California to load new aircraft. The next morning when "Call the Hands" roused the crew, there berthed astern of us was a huge aircraft carrier, the USS Constellation. She had returned from Guam and the Vietnam conflict for a crew change and new aircraft. One hundred and thirty (130) aircraft were unloaded on to the wharf and a similar number of new ones embarked. 5,500 crew were changed over, the ship was stored and sailed during the night of 30th. October. Constellation had been in port for a mere 4 days!. The might and organisation of the US Navy was being displayed, unintentionally, to us and we were really impressed with the speed of this turnaround! A turnaround of this nature would have been impossible in the RAN as it did not even have a second complement of aircraft for Melbourne!

At the same time the 8 skyhawks (6 + 2 trainers) and 12 tracker aircraft for Melbourne were craned off the wharf at a more leisurely pace concurrently. Melbourne sailed from San Diego for Pearl Harbour, Suva and Jervis Bay at 0800 on 31st. October 1967.

During the voyage from Hawaii to Australia, a "crossing the line" ceremony was held as was the custom in those days of carefree non political correctness and minor physical and verbal abuse of fellow ship mates and officers in such a ceremony was acceptable. King Neptune and his entourage are seen coming on board using the fwd lift. Trackers on deck for the voyage home were in "mothballs".

Once a year Melbourne exercised heeling the ship to ascertain at what point she could no longer operate or fight. As the trials were usually done in Jervis Bay one wonders what value they really were as after a few degrees of list, fixed wing aircraft could not be launched much less recovered. As water was pumped into one side of the ship she began to heel and all machinery was tested consistently. There were ammunition hoists, aircraft lifts, the catapult, moving aircraft, lashing aircraft, lowering and hoisting boats and a myriad of moving units and machinery that had to be tested. Once the ship reached 15 degrees the trial was over although Melbourne looked a little unsafe at that angle.

Heavy seas are a fact of life when at sea, but it takes a smart Captain to manage his ship and not just go flat out to arrive on time. In one particularly bad sea as Melbourne was making for Hong Hong in the South China Sea a succession of waves broke on the flight deck with such mass as to force the fwd lift down slightly and allow hundreds of tons of water to enter the hanger deck. It was always assumed that a couple of inches of free surface water in the hanger deck would capsize the ship however that did not occur although the wave of water rushing from side to side caused the ship to hang on to a roll. The feeling was not reassuring to say the least but gradually the water was drained away and pumped out while the ship slowed down a couple of knots.

When in HK with some American sailors buying the drinks, one would describe the practice of surfing down the flight deck in heavy weather and catching an arrestor wire to stop being washed over the stern. Being Yanks they always believed it and shouted more drinks!!

The torpedo workshop was fwd of the sickbay and access was down a passage beside it. I made friends with a Sick Berth Attendant (SBA), Dusty M and he regularly called in for a brew. One day he seemed to be a bit vague and after a while revealed that he had sucked a couple of oranges injected with pure medical alcohol. The old frig in the workshop seemed like a perfect place to store treated oranges and the practice of sucking an icy cold "Orange Blender" after work was a huge success!

In 1967 Melbourne spent 4 months in the Far East and at sea one morning before "stand easy" the main door to the torpedo workshop opened and in walked A.W.R. McNicoll, OBE, GM, Flag Officer Commanding the Australian Fleet (FOCAF). My team were having early smoko and we were caught red handed. McNicoll stood there with the three of us gaping at him, and all I could think of to say was "Coffee, Sir?". Thankfully he accepted and during conversation while sitting on a 4 gallon drum with rags for a cushion, revealed that he had joined the Navy before WW11 (1922 in fact), specialised in torpedoes during that war, and worked his way up to become Rear Admiral and FOCAF.

He once remarked that an Admiral had no privacy and to escape his Flag Lieutenant ("Flags") during quieter periods at sea, McNicoll (Photo: On the Admirals Bridge of Melbourne) paid the odd visit to our workshop thereafter heralded by his cabin boy with a plate of freshly made lamingtons or biscuits, so we always looked busy when he arrived, a point which was not lost to him as he would remark "busy today I see" or something similar.

When Melbourne was alongside in Subic Bay, Philippines I was duty watch and allocated to the shore patrol. I was picked up from the ship by a US marine and taken to SP headquarters for briefing. The SP unit I joined was a jeep with a .5 caliber machine gun mounted in the back, a Marine, a Petty Officer and an Ensign all armed with side arms and Tommy guns and little old me with an armband with "NP" on it and a night stick! The Ensign said if there was trouble we would have to move quickly and I confirmed however decided that running like hell away from any trouble would be a very positive response!

The ship was to sail at midnight and the word came that 3 sailors were adrift. We searched the dock yard and into Oloongapo and found the three passed out in a bar from too much hooch. They were bundled into the back of the jeep and taken back to the ship which was ready to sail. The only gangway still down was the aft brow, the officers gangway, so the three had to be carried onboard. I had one over my shoulder in a fireman carry and crossed the gangway. As I came over the side I saw lots of officers coming into the gangway space, FOCAF was showing his guests (Admirals and Senior Officers of the USN) ashore and at that moment I tripped off the end of the brow and me and my drunk went flat on the deck. At this moment my charge spewed and there were several explosions of spew shooting all over the place! Such a colourful display of red, white and blue for our American friends - How Embarrassing!!!