HMAS Hobart ( D 39 ) HMAS " Hobart " ( D 39 ) was a " Perth " class guided missile destroyer of the Royal Australian Navy ( RAN ) . Built in the United States of America to a slight variant of the United States Navy ( USN ) " Charles F . Adams " class , she was commissioned into the RAN in 1965 . In March 1967 , " Hobart " became the first RAN combat ship deployed to fight in the Vietnam War . This marked the start of consistent six - month deployments to the warzone , which continued until late 1971 ; " Hobart " was redeployed in 1969 and 1970 . During the 1968 tour , the destroyer was attacked by a United States Air Force aircraft . After the Vietnam War , " Hobart " saw service during Operation Navy Help Darwin ; the RAN disaster relief effort following Cyclone Tracy , was the first RAN ship to dock at in Western Australia , and completed a round - the - world voyage in 1975 . The ship was modernised during the late 1970s . " Hobart " was decommissioned in 2000 , and sunk as a dive wreck off South Australia . Design and construction . " Hobart " was one of three " Perth " class guided missile destroyers built for the RAN . Based on the United States Navy ' s " Charles F . Adams " class , " Hobart " had a displacement of 3 , 370 tons at standard load , and 4 , 618 tons at full load , a length of overall and between perpendiculars , a beam of , and a maximum draught of . Propulsion was provided by two General Electric turbines , which provided to the destroyer ' s two propeller shafts . " Hobart " could achieve speeds of . The ship ' s company consisted of 20 officers and 312 sailors . As a guided missile destroyer , " Hobart " s main armament consisted of a Mark 13 missile launcher firing Tartar missiles and two Ikara anti - submarine missile launchers . This was supplemented by two 5 " / 54 caliber Mark 42 gun s and two Mark 32 triple torpedo tube sets . Over the course of the ship ' s career , the Mark 13 launcher was modified to fire Standard missiles , the Ikara launchers were stripped out in 1989 , and two Phalanx CIWS units were installed in 1991 . " Hobart " was laid down by the Defoe Shipbuilding Company at Bay City , Michigan on 26 October 1962 . The ship was launched on 9 January 1964 by the wife of David Hay , the Australian ambassador to the United Nations . " Hobart " was commissioned into the RAN on 18 December 1965 . The cost of the destroyer was approximately A $ 45 million , including the initial load of supplies and ammunition . During construction , the ship was assigned the United States Navy hull number DDG - 26 . After commissioning , " Hobart " remained in American waters for eight months on trials and training exercises . She left the US on 3 August 1966 , and sailed via Hawaii and Fiji before reaching her namesake city on 1 September . The ship spent very little time in Australian waters before she was deployed to fight in the Vietnam War in March 1967 . Operational history . Vietnam deployments . During the mid - 1960s , the United States government pressured Australia to increase the resources it was committing to the Vietnam War ; one of the requests was for a combat vessel to help the USN meet the demand for naval gunfire support operations . The idea of deploying a RAN combat ship to the Vietnam War was initially hampered by the number of ships available , particularly with commitments to the Far East Strategic Reserve and involvement in the Indonesia - Malaysia Confrontation , along with the difficulty of operating and maintaining British - designed ships with USN resources . On 14 December 1966 , the Australian Cabinet approved the deployment of " Hobart " as part of increases to Australian military commitment to the conflict . Destroyers deployed to the Vietnam theatre generally operated in one of four roles : Although RAN ships on deployment were expected to fulfil all duties of an equivalent American destroyer , they were forbidden by the Australian government from operating outside the Vietnam theatre on unrelated Seventh Fleet duties ( such as the Taiwan Patrol Force , guard ship duties at Hong Kong , or the Space Recovery Program ) . After the invasion of Cambodia in 1970 , RAN ships were also prohibited from entering Cambodian waters . While deployed to Vietnam , the destroyer ' s were placed under the administrative control of Commander Australian Forces Vietnam in addition to that of the Flag Officer Commanding Australian Fleet . Operationally , the RAN vessels were under the command of the United States Seventh Fleet . Arrangements were made to provide logistic support through the United States Pacific Fleet . A USN lieutenant was assigned to each ship during deployments to act as a liaison with the Seventh Fleet . The deployment of " Hobart " in March 1967 began a pattern of six - month deployments for RAN destroyers , with a constant RAN presence with the Seventh Fleet . Australia was the only allied nation to provide naval support to the United States Navy during the Vietnam War . First deployment . On 15 March 1967 , " Hobart " arrived at Subic to join the Seventh Fleet . After a comprehensive familiarisation period , " Hobart " replaced on 31 March , taking over the US destroyer ' s gunfire support duties . By 04 : 45 the next morning , the Australian ship had already fired 100 rounds . On 3 April , the forward 5 - inch gun mount became unserviceable , a state which remained for four - and - a - half - days . " Hobart " remained on the gunline until 15 April , during which she fired 1 , 651 shells . She was then rotated to Sea Dragon operations . The destroyer was fired on by shore batteries several times , and on one occasion took minor shrapnel damage . Several explosions in 5 - inch / 54 gun mounts during the later weeks of April saw all equipped destroyers ( including " Hobart " ) reassigned to other duties while investigations into the cause ( believed to be a bad batch of ammunition ) were explored . " Hobart " was attached to the carrier escort group for on 23 April . On 29 April , the destroyer sailed to Subic , underwent self - maintenance , then returned to Sea Dragon operations . Over the next week , " Hobart " and cooperated on the interdiction of coastal shipping during a period of heavy activity ; previous successes saw the North Vietnamese begin to increase retaliation with coastal artillery in an attempt to dissuade American operations . Apart from a brief stint on the gunline , " Hobart " remained assigned to Sea Dragon until 26 May , when sailed to Subic for maintenance , with both 5 - inch gun barrels replaced . After delays caused by monsoonal conditions , the Australian warship returned to the gunline on 18 June . During this period , the destroyer was also called on to escort the amphibious warfare ships involved in the Beacon Torch landings . After mid - June , the number of fire missions undertaken by " Hobart " dropped because of a need to conserve 5 - inch / 54 ammunition across the Seventh Fleet , and the fact that Marines in the area had successfully established their own artillery units in the area and were less reliant on naval gunfire . On 23 June , " Hobart " rotated to Sea Dragon . A reduction in the number of seaborne infiltration attempts and the increasing availability of spotter aircraft meant that most gunfire missions were against inland targets like truck convoys . On 10 July , the destroyer left the operational area and sailed to Subic via Hong Kong , and underwent self - maintenance . This was completed on 24 July , and " Hobart " sailed for the operational area . The ship was double tasked to the escort group and Sea Dragon operations ; three destroyers were required to escort the carrier at any time , with any additional ships operating on Sea Dragon duties . On 29 July , a fire aboard the carrier necessitated her removal from the operational area ; " Hobart " was one of the ships assigned to escort and assist with casualties . The Australian ship returned to Sea Dragon operations on 31 July . This continued until 16 August , and after maintenance at Subic , " Hobart " was attached to the gunline on 6 September . On 14 September , " Hobart " arrived in Subic , handed over responsibility to , and sailed for home . During this deployment , " Hobart " fired over 10 , 000 rounds at 1 , 050 targets during 160 days at sea , and was fired on ten times , with no casualties . " Hobart " was awarded the United States Navy Unit Commendation for this tour of duty . Personnel awards included a Distinguished Service Order , a British Empire Medal , a Mention in Despatches , and 25 Naval Board commendations . Second deployment . " Hobart " was deployed to Vietnam for the second time in 1968 , relieving " Perth " on 31 March . On 13 April , the destroyer arrived on the gunline to relieve . Five days later , she began Sea Dragon operations with . The ships were unsuccessfully shelled by coastal artillery on 22 and 23 April , then spent the next three days attempting to attract attention from shore batteries so they could be bombed by aircraft . " Hobart " s participation in Sea Dragon ended in late April , and after maintenance in Hong Kong and Taiwan from 1 May to 20 May , she resumed gunline duties . This continued until 2 June , when the destroyer ' s guns required new barrels . On 11 June , the destroyer returned to the Sea Dragon area of operations , joining . During this deployment , boat traffic between the mainland and Tiger Island was seen as a priority , with gunline ships also granted approval to operate against targets in this area . Early in the month , problems with the 5 - inch / 54 guns aboard " Hobart " and several US destroyers appeared ; " Hobart " s captain decided to only fire the guns in emergencies until the problem was clearly identified . The destroyer joined " Hobart " and " Chandler " to make up for the lack of firepower . During the evening of 16 – 17 June , the three destroyers were ordered to undertake surveillance missions around Tiger Island , because of reports of North Vietnamese helicopter activity in the area . At 03 : 09 , " Hobart " s radar picked up an aircraft approaching with no IFF transponder active . At 03 : 14 , the aircraft fired a single missile at the ship , which killed one sailor , wounded two others , and damaged the chief petty officer ' s mess , air search radar and missile control compartments , and the ship ' s funnels . Two minutes later , the aircraft made a second pass and fired two missiles . The missiles hit simultaneously : one penetrated the superstructure and damaged the gunners ' store , engineers workshop , and aft seamans ' mess , while the other hit close to the original missile , causing further damage to the mess and missile control room , while also damaging the Tartar checkout room , killing another sailor , and wounded six others . These was also major damage around the destroyer ' s Ikara magazine , but as " Hobart " was not carrying any Ikara missiles at the time , the potential magazine fire did not occur . The aircraft came around for a third attack run , but was scared off when " Hobart " s forward gun turret , under independent control , fired five rounds at the aircraft . At 03 : 30 , " Edson " reported coming under fire , and " Hobart " captain ordered the three destroyers to take up anti - aircraft formation . At 05 : 15 , the three destroyers linked up with the cruiser USS Chicago ( which had been hit by a missile from another aircraft ) and the escorting destroyer , and continued anti - aircraft manoeuvring . After being relieved , " Hobart " sailed for Subic Bay , where the damage was inspected by RAN and USN personnel , including three admirals . Debris collected from " Hobart " and the other ships indicated that the missiles were of United States Air Force ( USAF ) origin . The attacks on " Hobart " and the other ships were the capstone of a series of firing incidents between 15 and 17 June , and an inquiry was held by the USN into the incidents , with three RAN personnel attending as technical advisors . The inquiry found that a few hours before the attack on " Hobart " , Swift Boats PCF - 12 and PCF - 19 , along with , were attacked by what they identified at the time as hovering enemy aircraft , but were believed to be friendly planes ; PCF - 19 was sunk in the attack . F - 4 Phantom s of the USAF Seventh Air Force , responding several hours after the attack on the Swift Boats , were unable to distinguish between the radar signature of surface ships and airborne helicopters , and instead opened fire on " Hobart " , " Boston " , and " Edson " . " Hobart " underwent repairs in Subic Bay , and returned to duty on the gunline on 25 July . During the evening of 27 July , " Hobart " was involved in another friendly fire incident ; this time , shells from the ship fell close to a marine unit ' s command post and injured three marines . The fault was found to be with the marine unit ' s spotter , who was inexperienced , failed to signal the close proximity of friendy units to the target , and failed to fully identify the target before calling for five rounds of shellfire . Although " Hobart " was asked to rotate Sea Dragon duties on 2 August to relieve a destroyer experiencing gunnery faults , nine days early , the destroyer ' s captain refused , as he wanted more time to prepare the ship after the repairs , particularly as the air warning radars were yet to become operational , and the gun mounts were experiencing minor problems . The Sea Dragon deployment did not eventuate , and after operating near the Demilitarized Zone , " Hobart " was reassigned to gunfire support duties around southern Vietnam on 12 August . On 22 August , the destroyer fired to support the 1st Australian Task Force in Phuc Toy : the first time a RAN destroyer provided naval gunfire support for Australian soldiers in the war . On 29 September , " Perth " relieved " Hobart " at Subic , and " Hobart " sailed for home . One sailor was awarded a Distinguished Service Medal for his actions during the 17 June attack ( the government received advice that as it was a friendly fire incident , a non - combat medal like the British Empire Medal should be awarded instead , but this was ignored ) , while two Mentions in Despatches and 23 Naval Board commendations were also issued . Third deployment . " Hobart " returned to Vietnam for her third tour on 28 March 1970 , taking over from the " Daring " class destroyer . After working up , the destroyer relieved from gunline duties on 6 April . On 21 April , the ship moved north to near the Demilitarized Zone . Three days later , the destroyer rammed and sank a South Vietnamese fishing craft , but rescued the five crew and transported them to shore . At the end of April , the ship sailed to Subic for maintenance . After this was completed , " Hobart " returned to gunline duties on 11 May , and remained on station until 24 May , when the destroyer sailed to Singapore for maintenance . " Hobart " resumed gunline operations on 6 June ; these continued until 28 June , when she sailed to Subic for rebarrelling . She returned to the gunline on 9 July , and operated until 29 August , when she sailed to Singapore for maintenance , then Bangkok for naval exercises . Returning on 13 September , " Hobart " was called to relieve on the gunline after an explosion in one of the American destroyer ' s gun mounts . On 22 September , " Hobart " sailed to Subic . The destroyer was relieved by " Perth " on 26 September . Two personnel were mentioned in despatches , and 23 Naval Board commendations were issued for the deployment . During 1971 , the Australian government decided to withdraw all forces from Vietnam by the end of the year . " Hobart " made no further deployments to Vietnam , and after completed her assigned operations in September 1971 , no further RAN ships were deployed to the warzone for combat operations . " Hobart " received the battle honour " Vietnam 1967 – 70 " for her wartime service , adding to the eight honours inherited from the previous ship of the name . 1970s – 1980s . In 1972 , " Hobart " underwent modernisation in the US . In June 1974 , the destroyer was involved in the exercise Kangaroo One . On 15 October , " Hobart " departed from Sydney with for a five - week tour of Australian and New Zealand ports . While in her namesake city , " Hobart " was visited by Charles , Prince of Wales ; the first time the royal had boarded an Australian warship . On 27 December 1974 , " Hobart " sailed from Sydney as one of thirteen RAN ships involved in Operation Navy Help Darwin ; the RAN disaster relief effort following the destruction of Darwin by Cyclone Tracy on 24 – 25 December 1974 . Later in the year , the destroyer participated in the multinational exercise RIMPAC 75 , then embarked on a three - month deployment in the Indian Ocean , during which " Hobart " became the first RAN ship to visit Malé in the Maldives , and the first warship to dock at , the new naval base in Western Australia . In 1975 , " Hobart " sailed on a round - the - world voyage ; the 109 - day deployment was named Exercise Phineas Fogg after the main character from " Around the World in Eighty Days " . During this voyage , the ship visited nineteen ports in twelve countries , and represented Australia at the fleet review off New York commemorating the United States Bicentennial . During 1977 and 1978 , " Hobart " underwent a half - life modernisation , during which the propulsion system was converted from furnace oil to diesel fuel , and a Naval Combat Data System was installed . In July 1979 , " Hobart " and the Antarctic Support Vessel " Thala Dan " were sent to Macquarie Island to retrieve a badly injured researcher and return him to Australia . In order to transfer the researcher to the ship , " Hobart " s personnel constructed a makeshift helipad , which was used by " Thala Dan " s helicopter to deliver the injured man to the destroyer . " Hobart " remained in Australian waters during the early 1980s , with the exception of deployments to Hawaii for RIMPAC and participation in Kangaroo exercises . The destroyer underwent refit in 1984 . In 1985 , " Hobart " sailed to Canada to represent Australia at a naval review recognising the 75th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Navy ' s founding . During 1986 , the ship was deployed to South - east Asia , which was repeated in 1987 . During early 1988 , the destroyer participated in activities celebrating Australia ' s Bicentenary , then later in the year sailed to join the RIMPAC exercise . In 1989 , the destroyer ' s Ikara launchers were removed during a refit . 1990s – 2000 . " Hobart " visited New Zealand in 1991 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Royal New Zealand Navy . During 1992 , the destroyer participated in RIMPAC . In 1993 , " Hobart " visited South - east Asia , then participated in the first Exercise Kakadu . The ship returned to Hawaii for RIMPAC 94 , and was assigned command of one of the exercise task groups . In 1995 , the ship was again deployed to South - east Asia , participated in celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the Pacific War ' s end , and visited New Zealand . " Hobart " won the Gloucester Cup for 1995 , a trophy awarded to the most efficient ship of the RAN during a calendar year ; this was the eighth time the Cup was won by the destroyer . The ship was docked for refit for most of 1996 , with post - refit trials extending into 1997 . During early 1998 , " Hobart " was deployed to exercises in New Zealand , then sailed to Queensland in May . From August until December , the ship , accompanied by HMA Ships , , and , visited ports in Indonesia and South - east Asia . " Hobart " spent most of 1999 either alongside in Sydney , or on exercises in Jervis Bay . Decommissioning and fate . " Hobart " paid off on 12 May 2000 . The ship was sunk as a dive wreck on 5 November 2002 in Yankalilla Bay , South Australia at which is about west - north - west of Marina St . Vincent . The wreck site is officially known as the " Fleurieu Artificial Reef " . The scuttled ship is scheduled as a historic shipwreck as per the South Australian " Historic Shipwrecks Act 1981 " and has a protected zone of 550 metre radius which prohibits boating activity unless the operator has a permit .