- Yes - In the Tech Tree.
- Yes - Event/BP.
- Yes - Premium.
- No - I would not like to see HMAS Stuart in game.
Description:
HMAS Stuart was the fourth of six River-class Destroyer Escorts built for the Royal Australian Navy in the Cold War period, and the second vessel of the name ‘Stuart’ in the RAN.
The design for the River-class were based on that of the Royal Navies Type 12M Rothesay design, however they incorporated many improvements over the base design. Ordered in three pairs of slightly different batches, with the first ship commissioned in 1961, and the final a decade later in 1971. The first batch incorporated minor changes, while the final batch was more similar to the Leander Type 12I than the Rothesay Type 12M
The River-class itself were to replace the aging Type 15 frigates then in RAN service. The RAN Type 15’s were based on their old Q-class destroyers from the Second World War, and as such had significant hull wear. The provided a smaller and cheaper, yet more deadly ASW platform compared to the Type 15s. They were the backbone ASW platform of the RAN at the time.
Compared to the first pair of vessels, the Stuart and Derwent were fitted with the Sea-Cat missile system from fitting out, never mounting the twin Bofors in that position that the first ships had. The later four ships also replaced the Limbo Mortar with Ikara.
History:
HMAS Stuart was laid down by the Cockatoo Docks and Engineering company on Cockatoo Island, Sydney, on the 20th of March 1959. She would launch on the 8th of April 1961, and commission on the 28th of June 1963.
Being the first ship to mount Ikara, Stuart would undergo various trials for the system after her commissioning, this continued through to 1965, then from August to December she was in refit. After which she would leave Sydney for Pearl Harbour, to participate in exercises withe the USN. She returned to Sydney on the 17th of January 1967.
In May of 1967, she would escort HMAS Sydney into Vung Tau, South Vietnam, then would return home with her. Once she arrived back in Australia on the 4th of September, she would serve a tour with the Far East Strategic Reserve. She was again in refit on the 2nd of October 1968, then engaged in more trails and exercises with her systems. She would have another tour with the Far East Strategic Reserve on the 22nd of March 1969, returning on the 13th of October the same year.
In early 1970 she would participate in more exercises within Sydney, however in April, she would serve as escort to the Royal Yacht Britannia for the Queen’s visit. She had yet another tour with the Far East Strategic Reserve from the 11th of May until the 15th of October.
She would remain around Sydney until ~ August 1973 for RIMPAC, returning in October, then in November she would participate in exercise SANDGROPER. She would deploy to the SEA region in June 1974, remaining there until November. In December through to January 1975 she would assists in the relief of Darwin following Cyclone Tracy, then spending the rest of the year in refit.
In June 1976, she would sail to the West Coast of the US and Canada as part of American Bicentenary celebrations, visiting Pago Pago, Pearl Harbour, San Diego, San Francisco, and Esquimalt. On the return voyage she took part in exercise KANGAROO II, then circumnavigated Australia with HMAS Supply, Stalwart, and Torrens.
Until July 1976 she would operate in the Eastern Australia Exercise area for training, trials and ASW exercises. She would then again visit the SEA region, visiting Surabaya, Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Manila, and Penang, then onto the Christmas Islands. She would return on the 17th of December 1976.
By 1978, she was confined to Australian waters, with the exception of a visit to Fiji in may, however, on the 2nd of March 1979 she was decommission in preparation for extensive refit at Williamstown. This included the fitting of the Mulloka Sonar system, which had been developed in Australia. The original steam generators were replaced, the electrical system upgraded, new masts and funnel, including a new ‘golfball’ radome for the LW02 radar. She also received the SPS-55 navigation radar, the M22 fire control system, and the ELT-901 electronic warfare system. These works were extensive, and as such she did not return to service until the 29th of July 1983.
She would remain working up until May 1984, where she would start the first of three visits to SEA, returning from the final one in September 1986. On the 19th of January 1987 she would conduct full power trials and would break 30kt, reaching 31.9kt before steam pressure was ordered to be reduced. She would undergo another refit in the same month, finishing on the 23rd of October 1987.
She would participate in the Fleet Concentration Period in Jervis Bay from January until at least Febuary. Later she would partake in exercise FLYING FISH 88, with HMAS Hobart, Success, Darwin, Adelaide, Parramatta, Canberra, Torrens, Otama, Onslow, and two French vessels. She was assigned duties as part of a training squadron along with HMAS Stalwart and Jervis Bay. She would also take part in exercise TASMAN LINK in the Shoalwater Bay Area.
In July 1988 she would deploy on a training cruiser to the SEA region, visiting Singapore, the Philippines, and Papua New Guinea. By September she was back in Australian Waters, however on the 5th she suffered a severe fault in her main turbine gearbox, and had to return back to Sydney for repairs. On the 4th of October 1988, she would leave Sydney for Western Australia, to be based at Fleet Base West. She would depart for Fremantle on the 3rd of November.
On the 13th of January 1989 she would conduct more sea trials in preparation for another SEA deployment, arriving in Jakarta on the 21st. During this trip she visited Lumut, and Bangkok. By February she was in Singapore. In March she was in the Bay of Bengal bound for Madras, she would return to Penang on the 21st of March. While in Malaysia she would partake in an Integrated Air Defense System exercise. She would arrive back home at the base, HMAS Stirling, on the 19th of April 1989. During this time she would take part in exercise KANGAROO 89.
She would again take more visits to the SEA region, visiting Singapore, Manila, Indonesia, Hong kong, Bangkok, Kuantan, Kota Kinabalu, finally returning on the 22nd of February 1990. During this time she exercised with the RN, RMN, and other friendly units in the area. She suffered an electrical fire on the 4th of February.
Her paying off was delayed by the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, which saw Australia commit several Adelaide-class FFGs, which saw her need to cover their previous duties. This lasted until July 1991 when she was finally paid off, being sold for scrap.
| General Characteristics: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name: HMAS Stuart | |||||
| Country: Australia | |||||
| Type: Frigate | |||||
| Class name: River (Type 12M) | |||||
| Year of commission: 1963 | |||||
| Refit: 1963 | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Dimensions: | |||||
| Length: 370 ft (112.8m) | |||||
| Beam: 41 ft (12.49m) | |||||
| Draught:17 ft (5.18m) | |||||
| Displacement: 2,750t | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Propulsion: | |||||
| Powerplant: 2x oil fired double reduction geared steam turbines @ 15,000 hp (11185 kW) ea | |||||
| Speed: 31.9kt | |||||
| Endurance: 3,400nmi @ 12kt | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Armament & sensors: | |||||
| Compliment: 250 | |||||
| Primary armament: 1x2 QF 4.5 inch Mk 6 | |||||
| Secondary armament: 1x4 Sea-Cat AA Missile | |||||
| Tertiary armament:2x3 Limbo AS mortar, 1x Ikara ASW missile | |||||
| Sensors: Mulloka Sonar, SPS-55 surface-search/navigation radar, M22 gun fire control system, | |||||
| ELT-901 Electronic Warfare system, LW02 long range air warning radar |
Sources:
B.E. Dunn, (1986). Royal Australian Navy 75th anniversary, 1911-1986. (pp.40-43)
D.K. Brown, (2003). Rebuilding the Royal Navy. (155-159, 176)
HMAS Stuart (DE 48) - Wikipedia
PORT BOW VIEW OF THE DESTROYER ESCORT, (FORMERLY FRIGATE) HMAS STUART (II) (48). HER ...
River Class Frigates in the RAN - a Brief History - Naval Historical Society of Australia