HMAS Melbourne ( R21 ) HMAS " Melbourne " ( R21 ) was a " Majestic " - class light aircraft carrier of the Royal Australian Navy ( RAN ) . Operating from 1955 until 1982 , she was the third and final conventional aircraft carrier to serve in the RAN . " Melbourne " was the only British Commonwealth naval vessel to sink two friendly warships in peacetime collisions . The ship was laid down for the Royal Navy as the lead ship of the " Majestic " class in April 1943 , and was launched as HMS " Majestic " ( R77 ) in February 1945 . At the end of World War II , work on the ship was suspended until she was purchased by the RAN in 1947 . At the time of purchase , it was decided to incorporate new aircraft carrier technologies into the design , making " Melbourne " the third ship to be constructed with an angled flight deck . Delays in construction and integrating the enhancements meant that the carrier was not commissioned until 1955 . " Melbourne " never fired a shot in anger during her career , having only peripheral , non - combat roles in relation to the Indonesia - Malaysia confrontation and the Vietnam War . However , she was involved in two major collisions with allied vessels . On the evening of 10 February 1964 , " Melbourne " collided with and sank when the " Daring " class destroyer altered course across her bow . Eighty - two of " Voyager " s crew were killed , and two Royal Commissions were held to investigate the incident . The second collision occurred in the early morning of 3 June 1969 , when " Melbourne " collided with and sank the " Allen M . Sumner " class destroyer in similar circumstances . Seventy - four United States Navy ( USN ) personnel died , and a joint USN – RAN Board of Inquiry was held . These incidents , along with several minor collisions , shipboard accidents , and aircraft losses , led to the reputation that " Melbourne " was jinx ed . " Melbourne " was paid off from RAN service in 1982 . A proposal to convert her for use as a floating casino failed , and a 1984 sale was cancelled , before she was sold in 1985 and towed to China for breaking . The scrapping was delayed so " Melbourne " could be studied by the People ' s Liberation Army Navy ( PLAN ) as part of a secret project to develop a Chinese aircraft carrier and used to train PLAN aviators in carrier flight operations . Construction and acquisition . " Melbourne " was constructed by Vickers - Armstrongs at their Naval Construction Yard in Barrow - in - Furness , England . The ship was laid down as HMS " Majestic " on 15 April 1943 , and was launched on 28 February 1945 by Lady Anderson , the wife of Sir John Anderson , the British Chancellor of the Exchequer . Following the end of World War II , the Admiralty ordered the suspension of many British shipbuilding projects , including the fitting out of " Majestic " and her five sister ships . Construction resumed in 1946 , and major modifications to the design were incorporated . A review by the Australian Government ' s Defence Committee held after recommended that the post - war forces of the RAN be structured around a Task Force incorporating multiple aircraft carriers . Initial plans were for three carriers , with two active and a third in reserve , although funding cuts led to the purchase of only two carriers in June 1947 : " Majestic " and sister ship HMS " Terrible " , for the combined cost of AU£ 2 . 75 million , plus stores , fuel , and ammunition . As " Terrible " was the closer of the two ships to completion , she was finished without modification , and was commissioned into the RAN on 16 December 1948 as . Work progressed on " Majestic " at a slower rate , as she was upgraded with the latest technology and equipment . The " Colossus " class carrier was loaned to the RAN from 13 November 1952 until 12 August 1955 to cover " Majestic " s absence . Labour difficulties , late delivery of equipment , additional requirements for Australian operations , and the prioritisation of merchant shipping over naval construction delayed the completion of " Majestic " . Incorporation of the new systems and enhancements caused the cost of the RAN carrier acquisition program to increase to AU£8 . 3 million . Construction and fitting out did not finish until October 1955 . As the carrier neared completion , a commissioning crew was formed in Australia and first used to return " Vengeance " to the United Kingdom . The completed carrier was commissioned into the RAN as HMAS " Majestic " on 26 October 1955 . Two days later , the ship was renamed " Melbourne " by Lady White , the wife of Sir Thomas White , the Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom , and recommissioned . Design . As the lead ship of the " Majestic " - class of light aircraft carriers , " Melbourne " was conceived as a modified version of the " Colossus " class carrier , incorporating improvements in flight deck design and habitability . " Majestic " and " Colossus " carriers were almost identical in hull design and both were considered subclasses of the ' 1942 design ' light aircraft carrier program . These carriers were intended as ' disposable warships ' : to be disposed of at the end of World War II or within three years of entering service . " Melbourne " had a standard displacement of , which increased to at full load . At launch , the carrier was long overall , but this was increased by during a refit in 1969 . She had a beam of , and a draught of . " Melbourne " s two propellers were driven by two Parsons single - reduction geared turbine sets providing 40 , 000 shp , which were powered by four Admiralty 3 - drum boiler s . The carrier could achieve a top speed of , and a range of at or at . The size of the ship ' s company averaged 1 , 350 officers and sailors , including 350 personnel from the embarked Fleet Air Arm squadrons . Modifications during construction . Following the recommencement of construction , modifications were made to the ship , based on wartime experience and Britain ' s post - war carrier warfare technology and innovations . These included an angled flight deck , steam catapult and a mirror landing aid , making " Melbourne " the third aircraft carrier ( following and ) to be constructed with these features , instead of having them added later . The main modifications centred around the need to operate jet aircraft , which were larger and heavier than those that the carrier was originally designed for . The flight deck was angled 5 . 5 degrees left of the carrier ' s centreline , to allow for the simultaneous launch and recovery of aircraft . Despite an increase to approximately one acre ( 4 , 000 square metres , 4 , 800 square yards ) in area , the deck was still significantly smaller than other Cold War era carriers ; S - 2 Tracker s , with their wingspan , had less than a metre ' s clearance for their starboard wingtip when landing , and pilots from other navies often refused to attempt landing . Water rationing was required in the early years of the carrier ' s operation , as the ship ' s fresh water supply was insufficient to freely provide for the steam catapult , propulsion turbines and crew . The flight deck , hangar deck and aircraft lifts were strengthened , and reinforced arrestor cable s were installed . Flight direction radar was included , making " Melbourne " the only military airfield in the Australasia n region at the time capable of operating aircraft at night and in poor weather . Refits . Early in her career , " Melbourne " underwent a series of short annual refits , commencing in September and ending in January or February of the next year . As time passed , the refits were either extended in length or replaced by major upgrades or overhauls . " Melbourne " s first major refit started in December 1967 and continued until February 1969 , during which she was upgraded to operate S - 2 Tracker and A - 4 Skyhawk aircraft . The modifications cost A $ 8 . 5 million , and included an overhaul of the hull and machinery , strengthening of the flight deck , improvements to the catapult and arrestor cables , modification of the aviation fuel systems and flight control arrangements , and upgrades of the navigational aids and radar . Air conditioning systems and a liquid oxygen generation plant were also installed . " Melbourne " re - entered service at the conclusion of the refits on 14 February , and performed sea trials in Jervis Bay from 17 February until 5 May . This was the largest project undertaken by Garden Island Dockyard to that date . The next major refit was required in 1971 for the scheduled rebuilding of the catapult , which was only possible after components were sourced from and . The flight deck was again reinforced and strengthened , and attempts were made to increase the effectiveness of the air conditioning system installed in 1969 . " Melbourne " had been designed to operate in North Atlantic and Arctic climates , and the original ventilation systems were inappropriate for her primary operating climate , the tropics . The 1969 and 1971 refits did improve conditions , although there was little scope for upgrade , and the system was still inadequate : temperatures inside the ship continued to reach over , and on one occasion a hold reached . The refit took seven months to complete , and cost A $ 2 million . More large - scale refits occurred throughout the rest of the 1970s . " Melbourne " was back in dock from November 1972 until August 1973 , with further work done to her catapult . The next major refit ran from April 1975 to June 1976 , and was intended to increase the operational lifespan of the carrier to at least 1985 . The refit was lengthened by industrial action at the dockyard . " Melbourne " underwent another refit from late 1978 until August 1979 . " Melbourne " s next major refit was scheduled to begin in late 1981 . It was postponed in September until a decision was reached regarding the new carrier . The refit was cancelled in January 1982 , after the announcement that the RAN would be acquiring HMS " Invincible " . Armament . " Melbourne " carried a defensive armament of anti - aircraft guns and an air group comprising both attack and anti - submarine aircraft . As the ship was never directly involved in a conflict , her weapons and embarked aircraft did not fire a shot in anger . Weapons and systems . " Melbourne " s initial armament included 25 40 mm Bofors anti - aircraft guns : six twin and thirteen single mountings . The radar suite consisted of three Type 277Q height - finding sets , a Type 293Q surface search set , and a Type 978 navigational set . Between entering service and 1959 , four of the single Bofors were removed . During the 1967 – 1969 refit , thirteen Bofors were removed , leaving four twin and four single mountings . The three 277Q radars were replaced with updated American and Dutch designs : a LW - 02 air search set and a SPN - 35 landing aid radar . A TACAN aerial and electronic countermeasures pods were also installed during this refit . The four Bofors twin mountings were removed in 1980 . Aircraft . " Melbourne " carried three Fleet Air Arm squadrons . Initially , she had up to 22 planes and 2 helicopters embarked at any time . The number of aircraft gradually increased until 1972 , when the air group peaked at 27 aircraft . Approximately 350 Fleet Air Arm personnel were stationed aboard the carrier . Initially , two types of fixed - wing aircraft were operated from " Melbourne " . de Havilland Sea Venom fighter - bombers were flown by 805 Squadron RAN and 808 Squadron RAN , while Fairey Gannet anti - submarine strike aircraft were operated by 816 Squadron RAN and 817 Squadron RAN . At the time of their arrival , the Sea Venoms were the only radar equipped and all - weather combat aircraft in the Southern Hemisphere . At " Melbourne " s commissioning , the standard air group consisted of eight Sea Venoms and two squadrons of eight Gannets , with two Bristol Sycamore search - and - rescue helicopters added shortly after the carrier entered service . These aircraft were due to become obsolete in the late 1950s , and the RAN considered purchasing modern aircraft of French or Italian design , which were better suited to light carrier operations than equivalent British aircraft , or replace " Melbourne " with a larger carrier . Instead of pursuing either alternative , the Australian government announced in 1959 that " Melbourne " would be reconfigured during her 1963 refit to operate as a helicopter carrier . The fixed - wing aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm were marked for replacement by 27 Westland Wessex anti - submarine helicopters . A reduction of embarked plane numbers to four Sea Venoms and six Gannets , along with regular rotation and careful use of the aircraft , extended their service life until the mid - 1960s , while the size of the air group was maintained by carrying up to ten Wessex helicopters . The decision to retire the fixed - wing component of the Fleet Air Arm was rescinded in 1963 , and on 10 November 1964 , a AU£212 million increase in defence spending included the purchase of new aircraft for " Melbourne " . The RAN planned to acquire 14 Grumman S - 2E Tracker anti - submarine aircraft , and modernise " Melbourne " to operate the aircraft . The acquisition of 18 Douglas A - 4 Skyhawk fighter - bombers was also suggested , but these were dropped from the initial plan . A separate proposal to order 10 A - 4G Skyhawks , a variant of the Skyhawk designed specifically for the RAN and optimised for air defence , was approved in 1965 . Both aircraft types entered RAN service in 1968 , with the Trackers operated by 816 Squadron RAN and 851 Squadron RAN , and the Skyhawks by 805 Squadron RAN and 724 Squadron RAN . The aircraft did not fly from " Melbourne " until the conclusion of her refit in 1969 . In 1969 , the RAN purchased another 10 A - 4G Skyhawks , instead of the proposed seventh and eighth " Oberon " class submarines . " Melbourne " operated a standard air group of four Skyhawks , six Trackers , and ten Wessex helicopters until 1972 , when the Wessexes were replaced with ten Westland Sea King anti - submarine warfare helicopters and the number of Skyhawks doubled . Although replaced by the Sea King , up to three Wessex helicopters could be carried as search - and - rescue aircraft . On 5 December 1976 , a fire at the Naval Air Station destroyed or heavily damaged 12 of the Fleet Air Arm ' s 13 S - 2E Trackers . The carrier was sent to the United States in 1977 to transport back 16 S - 2G Tracker aircraft as replacements . Over the course of her career , over thirty aircraft were either lost or heavily damaged while operating from " Melbourne " . The majority of the aircraft ditched or crashed over the side , but some losses were due to catapult or arrestor cable failures . After " Melbourne " was decommissioned the Fleet Air Arm ceased fixed - wing combat aircraft operation in 1984 , with the final Tracker flight saluting the decommissioned carrier . Role . " Melbourne " was the third and final conventional aircraft carrier to operate with the RAN . Following the first decommissioning of sister ship in 1958 , " Melbourne " became the only aircraft carrier in Australian service . " Melbourne " was unavailable to provide air cover for the RAN for up to four months in every year ; this time was required for refits , refuelling , crew leave , and non - carrier duties , such as the transportation of troops or aircraft . Although one of the largest ships to serve in the RAN , " Melbourne " was one of the smallest carriers to operate in the post - World War II period . A decision was made in 1959 to restrict " Melbourne " s role to helicopter operations only , but was reversed shortly before its planned 1963 implementation . As well as an operational aircraft carrier , " Melbourne " was Flagship of the RAN , a role she received almost immediately following her 1956 arrival in Australia , and fulfilled until her decommissioning in 1982 . During her service , the carrier was deployed overseas on 35 occasions , visited over 22 countries , and was seen as the physical and psychological centrepiece of the RAN fleet . As " Melbourne " was the only ship of her size ( both in dimensions and crew complement ) in the RAN , the carrier underwent a regular rotation of commanding officers in order to give them experience . Commanding officers were changed on a regular basis — on average every fifteen months , with few remaining on board for over two years . The majority of " Melbourne " s commanders later reached flag rank . The carrier was also called on to perform underway replenishment s and command and control functions . Operational history . 1955 – 1964 . Following a working - up period in British waters , " Melbourne " departed Glasgow on 11 March 1956 on her maiden voyage to Australia via the Suez Canal . Aboard were the 64 aircraft of RAN squadrons 808 , 816 , and 817 , as well as the racing yacht " Samuel Pepys " ( named after the English naval administrator and diarist ) , which was a gift to the RAN Sailing Association from the Royal Navy . The ship visited Gibraltar , Naples , Malta , Port Said , Aden , and Colombo , before arriving in Fremantle on 24 April 1956 . " Melbourne " sailed east via the Great Australian Bight , meeting sister ship near Kangaroo Island a week later . After visiting Melbourne and Jervis Bay , where the aircraft were offloaded and sent to Naval Air Station HMAS " Albatross " , the carrier concluded her maiden voyage in Sydney on 10 May . The role of flagship was transferred from " Sydney " to " Melbourne " three days later . The carrier immediately underwent a two and a half - month refit , allowing for the inspection of machinery and repair of defects detected during the maiden voyage . " Melbourne " spent from September to November in Southeast Asia n waters , during which she participated in Exercise Albatross and received an official visit by Philippines president Ramon Magsaysay . On return to Australia in mid - November , the carrier visited Melbourne for the 1956 Olympics , where 200 of " Melbourne " s crew were provided to work as signallers , event marshals , carpenters , and medical workers . In February 1957 , " Melbourne " was sent to the Royal Hobart Regatta . Following this , she travelled to New Zealand , where she participated in exercises with HMNZS " Royalist " and visited several New Zealand ports . The first of several annual three - month deployments to Southeast Asia as part of the Far East Strategic Reserve began in April , with " Melbourne " returning to Darwin at the end of June . The carrier spent the rest of the year visiting Australian ports for open inspections by the public . During the visit to Port Adelaide , on 28 October 1957 , " Melbourne " was slightly damaged when she was struck by MV " Straat Lanka " — the first of several minor collisions the carrier would experience throughout her career . Operations for the year concluded with participation in Exercise Astrolabe off Lord Howe Island , with ships from the RAN , Royal Navy , and Royal New Zealand Navy , before returning to Sydney on 13 December . From February until July 1958 , " Melbourne " was deployed on a flag - showing cruise . During this cruise the carrier participated in four inter - fleet exercises and visited Singapore , Hong Kong , the Philippines , Japan , Pearl Harbor and Fiji . On return to Sydney , " Melbourne " entered a short refit , which concluded on 13 October and was immediately followed by a visit to Port Phillip , where the carrier was displayed to Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force officer cadets before the carrier returned to Sydney . At the start of 1959 , " Melbourne " spent four days in her namesake city , where she was used for the filming of " On The Beach " , based on Nevil Shute ' s post - apocalyptic novel of the same name . After filming concluded , the carrier participated in a demonstration exercise off the coast of Sydney before embarking on a Far East Strategic Reserve deployment from March until May . The rest of the year was spent visiting Australian and New Zealand ports . The following year , 1960 , was a bad year for the carrier ' s air group , with four Sea Venoms and two Gannets damaged in incidents aboard " Melbourne " over the course of the year . All four Sea Venom incidents occurred in March , with three attributed to aircrew error and one to brake failure . The year began with exercises en route to Adelaide , followed by a visit to the Royal Hobart Regatta . The carrier ' s Strategic Reserve deployment ran from April to June , and was followed by manoeuvres along the east coast of Australia until September . In the lead up to " Melbourne " s 1961 deployment to the Strategic Reserve , the carrier visited Bombay , Karachi , and Trincomalee . It was the first time a flagship of the RAN had entered Indian waters . " Melbourne " returned to Australia in June , and on 15 June led several ships in a ceremonial entry to Sydney Harbour to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the RAN . In August , " Melbourne " was called upon to lead Exercise Tuckerbox , in the Coral Sea . Following the conclusion of Tuckerbox , the carrier visited several New Zealand ports before returning to Sydney for demonstration exercises and public relations activities . In 1962 , " Melbourne " began the year ' s activities at the Royal Hobart Regatta , before sailing to her Strategic Reserve deployment , by way of Adelaide and Fremantle . After Strategic Reserve duties were completed , the carrier visited Japan , Guam , and Manus Island before returning to Sydney in late July . In September , " Melbourne " reprised her role as the leader of Exercise Tuckerbox II . The 10 , 000th catapult launch from " Melbourne " occurred in late 1962 . The carrier ' s annual refit began in Sydney on 1 October . At the beginning of 1963 , " Melbourne " again visited to the Royal Hobart Regatta , which was immediately followed by a deployment to the Strategic Reserve , including involvement in SEATO Exercise Sea Serpent . The 20 , 000th landing on " Melbourne " was performed in April by a Gannet , and in September , " Melbourne " participated in Exercise Carbine near Hervey Bay , Queensland . " Voyager " collision . On 10 February 1964 , " Melbourne " was performing trials in Jervis Bay under the command of Captain John Robertson , following the annual refit . The " Daring " class destroyer was also present , undergoing her own trials following refit , under the command of Captain Duncan Stevens . The trials involved interactions between both ships , and when " Melbourne " performed night - flying exercises that evening , " Voyager " acted as the carrier ' s plane guard escort . This required " Voyager " to maintain a position 20° off " Melbourne " s port quarter at a distance from the carrier of . Early in the evening , " Voyager " had no difficulties maintaining her position during the manoeuvres both ships performed . Following a series of turns intended to reverse the courses of both ships beginning at 8 : 40 pm , " Voyager " ended up to starboard of " Melbourne " . At 8 : 52 pm , " Voyager " was ordered to resume the plane guard station . The procedure to accomplish this required " Voyager " to turn away from " Melbourne " in a large circle , cross behind the carrier , then take position off " Melbourne " s port side . Instead , " Voyager " first turned to starboard , away from " Melbourne " , then turned to port without warning . It was initially assumed by " Melbourne " s bridge crew that " Voyager " was conducting a series of tight turns in order to lose speed before swinging behind " Melbourne " , but " Voyager " did not alter course again . At 8 : 55 pm , with " Voyager " approaching , " Melbourne " s navigator ordered the carrier ' s engines to half astern speed , with Robertson ordering an increase to full astern a few seconds later . At the same time , Stevens , having just become aware of the situation , gave the order " Full ahead both engines . Hard - a starboard . " , before instructing the destroyer ' s Quartermaster to announce that a collision was imminent . Both ships ' measures were too late to avoid a collision ; " Melbourne " hit " Voyager " at 8 : 56 pm . " Melbourne " struck " Voyager " just aft of the destroyer ' s bridge , rolling the destroyer to starboard before cutting her in half . " Voyager " s forward boiler exploded , briefly setting fire to the bow of the carrier before it was extinguished by seawater . The destroyer ' s forward section sank quickly , under the weight of the two gun turrets . The aft section did not begin sinking until half an hour after the collision , completely submerging just after midnight . Messages were immediately sent to the Fleet Headquarters in Sydney , although staff in Sydney initially underestimated the extent of the damage to " Voyager " . " Melbourne " launched her boats to recover survivors , and the carrier ' s wardroom and C Hangar were prepared for casualties . At 9 : 58 pm , " Melbourne " was informed that search - and - rescue boats from HMAS " Creswell " , helicopters from the naval air station HMAS " Albatross " , and five " Ton " class minesweepers had been despatched to assist in the search . All of the survivors were recovered within fifteen minutes of the collision , although the search continued until the next day . Of the 314 personnel aboard " Voyager " at the time of the collision , 14 officers , 67 sailors , and 1 civilian dockyard worker were killed , including Stevens and all but one of the bridge crew . " Melbourne " arrived in Sydney with the survivors on 14 February , and after spending time alongside at Garden Island , was moved to Cockatoo Island Dockyard on 25 March , where a 40 ton prefabricated bow was fitted . A Royal Commission into the events of the collision was held in 1964 , and found that while " Voyager " was primarily at fault for neglecting to maintain an effective lookout and awareness of the larger ship ' s location , " Melbourne " s bridge crew was also at fault , for failing to alert " Voyager " and not taking measures to avoid the collision . Robertson was posted to the training base , a move that he and the Australian media saw as tantamount to a demotion ; Robertson resigned rather than accept the posting . The Royal Commission and its aftermath were poorly handled , and following pressure from the public , media , and politicians , combined with revelations by " Voyager " s former executive officer that Stevens may have been unfit for command , a second Royal Commission was opened in 1967 . This is the only time in Australian history two Royal Commissions have been held for a single incident . The second commission found that Stevens was medically unfit for command and that some of the findings of the first Royal Commission were therefore based on incorrect assumptions . Robertson and the other officers of " Melbourne " were absolved of blame for the incident . 1964 – 1969 . " Melbourne " spent ten weeks at Cockatoo Island Dockyard , having her new bow fitted . Following the repairs , " Melbourne " was involved in Strategic Reserve deployments and exercises in Southeast Asia from June until September 1964 . During this deployment , the carrier visited Subic Bay , where the RAN performed flight deck trials with S - 2 Tracker anti - submarine aircraft and A - 4 Skyhawk attack fighters . The success of the trials , along with the discovery that " Melbourne " was able to operate both aircraft with relatively minor modification , led the Australian Government to approve the purchase of these aircraft . From March 1965 until mid - 1967 , " Melbourne " underwent a regular pattern of deployments to Southeast Asia , exercises , and flag - showing visits to nations in the Asia - Pacific region . Several of the Southeast Asian deployments were related to the Indonesia – Malaysia confrontation , and involved participation in show of force exercises off the coast of Malaysia . During 1965 and 1966 , " Melbourne " escorted sister ship , which had been recommissioned as a troop transport , for short periods during the latter ' s first , third , and fourth transport voyages to Vietnam . Despite the carrier being the centrepiece of several plans to involve Australian forces in the Vietnam War , the escort runs were the extent of " Melbourne " s participation in the conflict , and the carrier remained outside the Market Time area while " Sydney " and her other escorts proceeded to Vũng Tàu . As the carrier was optimised for anti - submarine warfare , there was little need for her at the start of the war . Utilising the carrier was suggested again by RAN officials in March 1966 , when the United States Seventh Fleet was having difficulties maintaining anti - submarine patrols around Yankee Station , but " Melbourne " could only remain on station for a single , ten - day period , a third of the time that US carriers were operational for on rotating deployments . Seventh Fleet staff suggested in April 1967 that " Melbourne " deploy in the anti - submarine role , but nothing came of these talks . Consideration was also given to using " Melbourne " as a floating helicopter base , but only ten Wessex helicopters could be provided , and modifications were required for them to operate as troop carriers . Both options were made more prohibitive by the need to supply at least two escorts for the carrier at a time when the RAN was having difficulty meeting deployment commitments with the available destroyers and destroyer escorts . In September 1967 , " Melbourne " travelled to the United States to collect new aircraft : 14 Trackers and 10 Skyhawks . In order to operate the new aircraft , the carrier received a major refit on her return to Sydney , which began in December 1967 . In May 1967 , it was proposed that while " Melbourne " was out of service , A - 4 Skyhawk pilots and maintenance personnel could be attached to a United States Marine Corps Skyhawk squadron in South Vietnam . Australian aircraft were not to be provided , as the A - 4G Skyhawks used by the RAN were optimised for air defence , not the fighter - bomber role performed by the Marines , and would have suffered heavy losses from North Vietnam ' s heavy anti - aircraft defences . This deployment did not occur ; the Skyhawk pilot training program was experiencing delays because US squadrons were being shipped training equipment and replacement parts in priority to the RAN , and sending qualified pilots overseas would have caused further holdups with the program , while also disrupting " Melbourne " s post - refit reactivation . " Melbourne " re - entered service at the conclusion of the refit on 14 February 1969 . She performed sea trials in Jervis Bay from 17 February until 5 May , then sailed for Subic Bay , Philippines , to participate in SEATO Exercise Sea Spirit . " Frank E . Evans " collision . " Melbourne " s commanding officer during the SEATO exercise was Captain John Phillip Stevenson . Rear Admiral John Crabb , the Flag Officer Commanding Australian Fleet , was also embarked on the carrier . During Sea Spirit , " Melbourne " was assigned five escorts : U . S . Ships , , and , HMNZS " Blackpool " , and . Stevenson held a dinner for the five escort captains at the start of the exercise , during which he recounted the events of the " Melbourne " – " Voyager " collision , emphasised the need for caution when operating near the carrier , and provided written instructions on how to avoid such a situation developing again . Additionally , during the lead up to the exercise , Admiral Crabb had strongly warned that all repositioning manoeuvres performed by the escorts had to commence with a turn away from " Melbourne " . Despite these warnings , a near - miss occurred in the early hours of 31 May when " Larson " turned towards the carrier after being ordered to the plane guard station . Subsequent action narrowly prevented a collision . The escorts were again warned about the dangers of operating near the carrier and informed of Stevenson ' s expectations , while the minimum distance between carrier and escorts was increased from . On the night of 2 – 3 June , " Melbourne " and her escorts were involved in anti - submarine training exercises in the South China Sea . In preparation for launching a Tracker , Stevenson ordered " Evans " to the plane guard station , reminded the destroyer of " Melbourne " s course , and instructed the carrier ' s navigational lights to be brought to full brilliance . " Evans " had performed the manoeuvre four times over the course of the night . " Evans " was positioned on " Melbourne " s port bow , but began the manoeuvre by turning starboard , towards the carrier . A radio message was sent from " Melbourne " to " Evans " bridge and Combat Information Centre , warning the destroyer that she was on a collision course , which " Evans " acknowledged . Seeing the destroyer take no action and on a course to place herself under " Melbourne " s bow , Stevenson ordered the carrier hard to port , signalling the turn by both radio and siren blasts . At approximately the same time , " Evans " turned hard to starboard to avoid the approaching carrier . It is uncertain which ship began to manoeuvre first , but each ship ' s bridge crew claimed that they were informed of the other ship ' s turn after they commenced their own . After having narrowly passed in front of " Melbourne " , the turns quickly placed " Evans " back in the carrier ' s path . " Melbourne " hit " Evans " amidships at 3 : 15 am , cutting the destroyer in two . Seventy - four of the 273 crew from " Evans " were killed in the collision , with the majority of these believed to have been asleep or trapped inside the bow section , which sank within minutes . " Melbourne " deployed her boats , life rafts , and lifebuoys , before carefully manoeuvring alongside the stern section of " Evans " , where both ships ' crews used mooring lines to lash the ships together . Other members of " Melbourne " s crew dived from the flight deck into the water to rescue overboard survivors close to the carrier , while the carrier ' s boats and helicopters collected those farther out . All of the survivors were located within 12 minutes of the collision and rescued before half an hour had passed , although the search continued for fifteen more hours . After " Evans " stern was evacuated , it was cast off , while the carrier moved away to avoid damage . The stern failed to sink , and was later recovered , stripped of parts , and sunk for target practice . Following the collision , " Melbourne " travelled to Singapore for temporary repairs to her bow , arriving on 6 June . " Melbourne " departed Singapore on 27 June and arrived in Sydney on 9 July , where the carrier spent until November docked at Cockatoo Island Dockyard while the new bow was installed . A Joint RAN - USN Board of Inquiry was established to investigate the incident , and was in session over June and July 1969 . The Board found " Evans " partially at fault for the collision , but also faulted " Melbourne " for not taking evasive action sooner , even though international sea regulations dictated that in the lead up to a collision , the larger ship was required to maintain course and speed . It was learned during the inquiry that " Evans " commanding officer was asleep in his quarters at the time of the incident , and command of the vessel was held by Lieutenants Ronald Ramsey and James Hopson ; the former had failed the qualification exam to stand watch , while the latter was at sea for the first time . Subsequent to the inquiry , the three USN officers and Stevenson were court - martial led by their respective navies on charges of negligence , with the three USN officers found guilty and Stevenson ' Honourably Acquitted ' . Despite the findings , Stevenson ' s next posting was as a minor flag officer ' s chief of staff , seen by him as a demotion in all but name . In a repeat of the aftermath of the " Voyager " collision , " Melbourne " s captain resigned amid accusations of scapegoating . In December 2012 , Stevenson announced that he had received a letter from the Minister for Defence , apologising for his treatment by the RAN and the government of the day . 1970 – 1976 . During the 1970s and early 1980s , replacing parts became an increasing problem . Components were failing due to wear and age , but the companies responsible for manufacturing the parts had gone out of business during the previous twenty years , sometimes immediately after World War II ended . The carrier ' s engineers often resorted to making replacements from scratch . In 1970 , " Melbourne " participated in three major inter - navy exercises : Sea Rover with SEATO forces in the South China Sea , Bersatu Padu with British Commonwealth forces off Malaysia , and Swan Lake with the Royal Navy and Royal New Zealand Navy off Western Australia . During this year , the carrier also visited Japan to participate in Expo ' 70 , and was hit by Manly ferry " South Steyne " while alongside at Garden Island , causing minor damage to both vessels . " Melbourne " was out of service for most of 1971 while she underwent refits , which concluded in early August . In mid - 1971 , the Australian military ' s Joint Planning Committee considered using " Melbourne " as a transport in order to help complete the withdrawal of the Australian Task Force from Vietnam before the end of 1971 . While the Army supported this proposal , the Navy successfully argued against its implementation , claiming that transporting troops and cargo would be misusing Australia ' s only active aircraft carrier , and would prevent " Melbourne " from participating in several major multi - national exercises . The refit concluded in late 1971 , with the carrier participating in the first RIMPAC exercise , RIMPAC 71 , before the end of the year . Operations in 1972 commenced with a three - month deployment to Southeast Asia . During this deployment , " Melbourne " led a fleet of 17 ships from the RAN , Royal Navy , Royal New Zealand Navy , US Navy , Philippine Navy , and Royal Thai Navy in Exercise Sea Hawk . This was followed by goodwill visits to numerous Southeast Asian ports , including Hong Kong , Jakarta , Manila , Singapore , and Surabaya , before " Melbourne " returned to Sydney at the end of April . The carrier spent May performing exercises off the New South Wales coast , during which she was called on to rescue three fisherman who had been stranded at sea for the previous two days . In August , " Melbourne " sailed for Hawaii to participate in RIMPAC 72 . At the conclusion of this exercise , " Melbourne " proceeded to Japan on a diplomatic visit , then sailed to the Philippines to exercise with SEATO ships . During this deployment , a fire ignited inside the ship ' s main switchboard . The carrier returned to Australia on 27 November after 101 days at sea , and underwent a seven - month refit . On 24 August 1973 , " Melbourne " returned to Hawaii to participate in RIMPAC 73 . She returned to Australia on 12 October , but sailed out ten days later to participate in Exercise Leadline off Malaysia , before reaching Sydney again in December . " Melbourne " began 1974 by transporting 120 Australian soldiers to a temporary assignment with an American infantry battalion based in Hawaii . She then sailed to San Francisco to collect 12 new Chinook and five UH - 1 Iroquois helicopters for the Royal Australian Air Force , arriving in Australia with her cargo in April . In June , the carrier took part in Exercise Kangaroo in the Coral Sea , before returning to Sydney in July . On 11 July , the passenger liner SS " Australis " hit and damaged " Melbourne " in Sydney Harbour . In November , the carrier took part in disaster relief exercises . These were prophetic , as on the night of 24 – 25 December 1974 , Cyclone Tracy destroyed the city of Darwin . " Melbourne " s crew were recalled immediately from leave , the ship was loaded with supplies , and the carrier departed Sydney on 26 December in the company of . " Melbourne " , " Brisbane " , and eleven other ships were deployed as part of the largest peace - time rescue effort ever organised by the RAN : Operation Navy Help Darwin . " Melbourne " remained off Darwin until 18 January 1975 , acting as operational headquarters and a helicopter base . During this operation , the seven Wessex helicopters embarked on " Melbourne " performed 2 , 493 flights , carrying 7 , 824 passengers and 107 tons of cargo . Following Navy Help Darwin , " Melbourne " participated in RIMPAC 75 , then returned to Sydney for a fourteen month refit , which was delayed by industrial action at the dockyard . While moored in Sydney Harbour , on 24 July , " Melbourne " was struck by Japanese cargo ship " Blue Andromeda " . While working up following the refit , " Melbourne " and provided assistance to MV " Miss Chief " off the coast of Bundaberg , Queensland on 16 August 1976 . In October , " Melbourne " participated in Exercise Kangaroo II , before sailing to her namesake city for the carrier ' s 21st birthday celebrations , then returning to Sydney on 5 November . 1976 – 1983 . On 5 December 1976 , a fire deliberately lit at by a member of the Fleet Air Arm damaged or destroyed all but one of Australia ' s S - 2 Tracker s . Following participation in RIMPAC 77 , " Melbourne " was sent to San Diego to collect replacement aircraft . Arriving back in Sydney on 5 April , the carrier was sent on a five - month deployment to the United Kingdom on 28 April , accompanied by and . En route , " Melbourne " lost a Sea King in the Indian Ocean on 9 May , with the aircrew recovered by " Brisbane " . A Tracker from " Melbourne " located the disabled Dutch vessel " Impala Princess " in the Gulf of Aden on 25 May and directed a French destroyer to assist . Two Bofors naval guns were deposited by " Melbourne " at Souda Bay , Crete on 2 June , marking the first visit of an Australian warship to Crete since June 1941 . These weapons were donated to the Australian War Memorial at Stavromenos , in Crete ' s Rethymno regional unit . The highlight of the deployment saw the three ships represent Australia and New Zealand at the Silver Jubilee Naval Review on 28 June 1977 . Two days later , a Sea Harrier VTOL aircraft performed multiple takeoffs and landings aboard " Melbourne " . Following the Jubilee Review and participation in Exercise Highwood in July , " Melbourne " and her escorts returned to Australia , arriving in Fremantle on 19 September and Sydney on 4 October . " Melbourne " was docked in Garden Island ' s drydock on arrival , where she remained until January 1978 . At the end of March 1978 , " Melbourne " left Sydney for RIMPAC 78 . During this exercise , " Melbourne " acquired the nickname ' Little M ' after working with ' Big E ' — the smallest and largest aircraft carriers ( respectively ) in operation at the time . On return in July , the carrier entered a major refit , which continued until 3 August 1979 . During this refit , on 3 March , a boiler explosion caused minor damage to the carrier . The remainder of the year involved participation in three exercises , Tasmanex off Wellington , New Zealand , Sea Eagle I in the Tasman Sea , and Kangaroo III in the Coral Sea . During Tasmanex , " Melbourne " lost her LW - 02 radar aerial and a Skyhawk , both of which fell overboard during heavy seas . During February and March 1980 , " Melbourne " participated in RIMPAC 80 , as the flagship of Battle Group Two . This was immediately followed by a visit to the Solomon Islands in early April . The carrier was in Sydney from mid - April until mid - August , during which the 25th anniversary of " Melbourne " s service in the RAN was celebrated on 15 August with a cocktail party aboard the carrier , popularly referred to as ' The Night of the Admirals ' . On 18 August , " Melbourne " sailed for Fremantle to participate in Exercise Sandgroper 80 . On 8 September , HMA Ships " Melbourne " , , , , , and deployed to the Indian Ocean as the Australian Squadron for a flag - showing cruise . During this cruise two Skyhawks were lost : on 2 and 21 October . On 24 October , a Tracker from " Melbourne " observed Soviet warships " Storozhevoy " and " Ivan Rogov " shadowing the Squadron . The Squadron ' s return in November 1980 concluded the largest and longest RAN deployment since World War II . Following her return , the carrier spent six months in Australian waters , before a two - month deployment to Southeast Asia . During this deployment , on 21 June 1981 , " Melbourne " rescued 99 Vietnamese refugees from a disabled fishing vessel in the South China Sea . The carrier ' s deployments for the second half of the year consisted of two exercises , Sea Hawk and Kangaroo 81 . A major refit scheduled to begin in late 1981 was cancelled pending the decision on a replacement carrier . After docking at Garden Island in December , the carrier was accidentally flooded by an officer who was impatient to commence leave . In his haste to shut down the carrier , he failed to deactivate the water pumps , and over 180 tons of fresh water were pumped in before a maintenance party discovered the flooding the next day . " Melbourne " remained in dock at the start of 1982 , and did not leave before the decision regarding her replacement was made . Replacement . A replacement for " Melbourne " was under consideration as early as 1956 , and the question was revisited on several occasions until the 1980s . In every situation , a new aircraft carrier was turned down due to the increases in manpower and operating costs required to operate the ship when compared to " Melbourne " . Between 1956 and 1959 , the RAN considered acquiring a larger carrier to replace " Melbourne " , as the Fleet Air Arm was becoming obsolete and the RAN did not believe the ship could be modified to operate newer , heavier aircraft . Under consideration were British carrier and a ship of the United States ' " Essex " class . Both options were turned down , and it was instead proposed to operate " Melbourne " as a helicopter carrier . In 1960 , the United States Navy offered an " Essex " class carrier to the Australian government , in the interest of improving relations between the two nations and their navies . The only cost to the RAN would have been the modifications required to make the carrier operationally compatible with the RAN ' s primarily British - designed fleet . In the late 1960s , the British made a similar offer , following a 1966 review indicating that was a superfluous naval unit . In 1968 , " Hermes " took part in a combined exercise with the RAN , during which the carrier was visited by RAN and Australian government officials , while RAN Skyhawks and Trackers practised landings on the larger carrier . Both offers were turned down due to operating and manpower costs . The need to secure a replacement for " Melbourne " grew as the carrier ' s age caused the operating costs to increase to over A $ 25 million per year . In June 1977 , the Defence Force Development Committee approved an investigation into acquiring a STOVL / helicopter carrier . By August 1979 , the decision was limited to three ships : a modified American " Iwo Jima " class amphibious assault ship , an Italian " Giuseppe Garibaldi " class carrier , and a Sea Control Ship design that later became the Spanish Navy ' s " Principe de Asturias " . By February 1981 , the " Iwo Jima " class was the preferred option . HMS " Invincible " . Plans to replace " Melbourne " changed in July 1981 ; the British 1981 Defence White Paper had marked the recently commissioned as surplus to requirements , and she was offered to the RAN for the ' bargain ' price of GB£175 million ( A $ 285 million ) . The " Invincible " class had been considered and discarded during the investigation , but the decreased price and the fact the already - constructed carrier would be ready for RAN service in 1983 prompted the Australian government to announce its intention to purchase " Invincible " on 25 February 1982 and close the carrier acquisition program . The government also announced that the ship would be renamed HMAS " Australia " and operated as a helicopter carrier , and that a decision on the purchase of Sea Harriers would be made after acquisition . The deal was put on hold in April 1982 , following the outbreak of the Falklands War . The performance of " Invincible " and other Royal Navy aircraft carriers during the conflict showed that the report which suggested reductions in the size of Britain ' s carrier fleet — with the flow - on effect of making " Invincible " available for sale — was flawed , and both sides withdrew from the deal in July . The RAN was again offered HMS " Hermes " , and again declined due to the carrier ' s age and manpower requirements . The Australian government began to reconsider the previous contenders for replacement , as well as considering requesting the United Kingdom or United States to build a simple carrier capable of operating F / A - 18 Hornet strike fighters , but the issue was suspended at the commencement of the 1983 Australian Federal Election . On 14 March , following the election of Bob Hawke ' s Labor Government , the announcement was made that " Melbourne " would not be replaced . Decommissioning and fate . Following the decision to replace " Melbourne " with HMS " Invincible " , the postponed refit was cancelled outright . The Australian carrier was prepared for disposal , and was decommissioned and placed in reserve on 30 June 1982 . She was towed to the mooring dolphins near Bradley ' s Head , where she remained until 1985 . " Melbourne " was capable of being reactivated as a helicopter - equipped anti - submarine warfare carrier within 26 weeks , but was never required to do so . A Sydney - based group proposed in 1984 to purchase " Melbourne " and operate her as a floating casino moored in international waters off Eden , New South Wales , but nothing came of this . " Melbourne " s air wing was disbanded at HMAS " Albatross " on 2 July 1982 , with the transfer of 805 Squadron ' s Skyhawks to 724 Squadron and 816 Squadron being absorbed into 851 Squadron . The Skyhawks remained in service as fleet support aircraft until 30 June 1984 , while the Trackers were withdrawn from service on 31 August 1984 after being used as land - based maritime patrol aircraft . The carrier was initially sold for breaking up as scrap metal for A $ 1 . 7 million , although the sale fell through in June 1984 . She was sold again in February 1985 to the China United Shipbuilding Company for A $ 1 . 4 million , with the intention that she be towed to China and broken up for scrap . Prior to the ship ' s departure for China , the RAN stripped " Melbourne " of all electronic equipment and weapons , and welded her rudders into a fixed position so that she could not be reactivated . However , her steam catapult , arresting equipment and mirror landing system were not removed . At this time , few western experts expected that the Chinese Government would attempt to develop aircraft carriers in the future . The carrier departed Sydney on 27 April 1985 , heading for Guangzhou , China , under the tow of tug " De Ping " . The journey was delayed when the towing line began to part , requiring the carrier and tug to shelter in Moreton Bay , Queensland , on 30 April . The towing gear broke a day later , requiring a second tug to secure the carrier while repairs were made to " De Ping " . Three days later , " Melbourne " ran aground while still in Moreton Bay . " Melbourne " finally arrived in China on 13 June . The Australian government received a telex on this day , reading : The ship was not scrapped immediately ; instead she was studied by Chinese naval architects and engineers as part of the nation ' s top - secret carrier development program . However , it is unclear whether the People ' s Liberation Army Navy ( PLAN ) orchestrated the acquisition of " Melbourne " or simply took advantage of the situation ; Rear Admiral Zhang Zhaozhong , who is both the son of PLAN founder Zhang Aiping and a staff member at the National Defence College , has stated that the Navy was unaware of the purchase until " Melbourne " first arrived at Guangzhou . " Melbourne " was the largest warship any of the Chinese experts had seen , and they were surprised by the amount of equipment which was still in place . The PLAN subsequently arranged for the ship ' s flight deck and all the equipment associated with flying operations to be removed so that they could be studied in depth . Reports have circulated that either a replica of the flight deck , or the deck itself , was used for clandestine training of People ' s Liberation Army Navy pilots in carrier flight operations . It has also been claimed that the Royal Australian Navy received and " politely rejected " a request from the PLAN for blueprints of the ship ' s steam catapult . The carrier was not dismantled for many years ; according to some rumours she was not completely broken up until 2002 . A 2012 article in " Jane ' s Navy International " stated that the large quantity of equipment recovered from " Melbourne " " undoubtedly helped " Admiral Liu Hua - qing secure the Chinese Government ' s support for his proposal to initiate a program to develop aircraft carriers for the Navy . " Melbourne " s service is commemorated with a stained - glass window at the Garden Island Naval Chapel . One of the ship ' s anchors is incorporated into a memorial to naval aviation at Nowra , New South Wales . Another anchor and the starboard side ship ' s bell are on display at the RAN Heritage Centre at Garden Island . Memorabilia from " Melbourne " s voyages with the Fleet Air Arm embarked , and examples of all the types of aircraft deployed on " Melbourne " , are on permanent static display in the Fleet Air Arm Museum at HMAS Albatross . Following an overhaul of the RAN battle honour s system completed in 2010 , " Melbourne " was retroactively awarded the honour " Malaysia 1965 – 66 " for her service during the Indonesia - Malaysia Confrontation . Footnotes . For the purpose of this article , a conventional aircraft carrier is defined as a ship designed primarily to launch and recover multiple fixed - wing aircraft from a flight deck , and operated as such . This definition does not include seaplane tender , or the " Canberra " class amphibious warfare ships .