Operation Navy Help Darwin
Encyclopedia
Operation Navy Help Darwin was a disaster relief operation initiated by the Royal Australian Navy
(RAN) following the destruction of Darwin, Northern Territory
by Cyclone Tracy
during the night of 24-25 December 1974. 13 ships, 11 aircraft, and 3,000 personnel were sent to Darwin in the largest disaster relief operation undertaken by the RAN in its history. The RAN task force was present from 31 December 1974 to 31 January 1975.
Of the RAN assets in Darwin, the Naval Headquarters was destroyed, as were large sections of the patrol boat base and the married quarters. The oil fuel supply installation and naval communications station at HMAS Coonawarra
were also damaged. Four Attack class
patrol boats were based in Darwin; and were able to weather the cyclone with minor damage, but was forced aground, and sank after colliding with Stokes Hill Wharf, killing two personnel and bringing the death toll to 65.
The first RAN units to arrive in Darwin were two HS 748 aircraft from 851 Squadron RAN
on 26 December; one carrying Red Cross
members and blood transfusion
equipment, the other transporting Clearance Diving Team 1
(CDT1). That day, HMA Ships and departed from Brisbane, sailed from Cairns, while (with Rear Admiral Wells aboard), , and left Sydney. On 27 December, , , , and left Sydney, while and sailed from Brisbane. The last ship, , left Brisbane on 2 January. Between the 13 ships, 3,000 personnel were deployed on the operation.
The survey ship Flinders and the destroyer Brisbane were the first ships to arrive in Darwin, on 31 December. Flinders was tasked with surveying
the harbour to work out the position of wrecks and the safest areas for the other RAN ships to anchor, while Brisbane established contact with the Emergency Services Organisation Committee running relief efforts in Darwin. A further eight ships arrived between 1 and 4 January, and Brunei, Tarakan, and Wewak reached Darwin on 13 January.
Four S-2 Tracker aircraft were placed on standby to fly to Darwin, but were later stood down. It was also planned to send the British submarine , which was on loan to the RAN Submarine Squadron
, for use as a power station, but there were no power adaption facilities in Darwin suitable for connecting Odins two diesel generators to the electricity grid.
As the ships of the task force arrived, naval working parties were assigned to clear the suburbs of Nightcliff
, Rapid Creek
, and Casurina
. From 1 to 30 January, naval personnel spent 17,979 man days ashore, with up to 1,200 personnel ashore at any time. They cleared and restored 1,593 properties, along with schools and government buildings, disposed of spoiled food, installed generators, and repaired electrical networks. Other sailors were involved in more unusual jobs, some working parties were tasked with saving rare plants from the Darwin Botanic Gardens, while one sailor filled in at a radio station as a disk jockey.
CDT1 inspected vessels in the harbour for damage, searched for sunken ships, and cleared the waters around the wharves at Stokes Hill and Fort Hill wharves. After the main task force arrived, the divers focused on recovering the wrecked patrol boat Arrow.
Nine Westland Wessex
helicopters embarked aboard Melbourne and Stalwart transported 7,832 passengers and 110912 kilograms (244,519.1 lb) of supplies. The two HS 748s were used to shuttle supplies north and survivors south. During their 14 return flights to Darwin, they carried 485 passengers and 22680 kilograms (50,000.8 lb) of freight. Some of the evacuees were temporarily housed in naval bases around Sydney and Brisbane.
's 7th Military District with Brisbane and Stalwart sailing for home the next day.
During May and June 1975, the minehunters , , and undertook a detailed survey of Darwin Harbour to pinpoint all of the vessels sunk by the cyclone.
, who was the Naval Officer Commanding Northern Australia at the time of the cyclone, recounting the naval relief efforts.
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
(RAN) following the destruction of Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
by Cyclone Tracy
Cyclone Tracy
Cyclone Tracy was a tropical cyclone that devastated the city of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, from Christmas Eve to Christmas Day, 1974...
during the night of 24-25 December 1974. 13 ships, 11 aircraft, and 3,000 personnel were sent to Darwin in the largest disaster relief operation undertaken by the RAN in its history. The RAN task force was present from 31 December 1974 to 31 January 1975.
Cyclone Tracy
Cyclone Tracy made landfall in the early hours of 25 December 1974. Darwin was destroyed: just over 400 of the city's 10,000 structures were damaged or destroyed. 49 people ashore were killed, along with 14 civilians on vessels in the harbour and nearby waters.Of the RAN assets in Darwin, the Naval Headquarters was destroyed, as were large sections of the patrol boat base and the married quarters. The oil fuel supply installation and naval communications station at HMAS Coonawarra
HMAS Coonawarra
HMAS Coonawarra is a Royal Australian Navy base located in the city of Darwin and is home to twelve fleet units of the Royal Australian Navy.-History:...
were also damaged. Four Attack class
Attack class patrol boat
The Attack class patrol boats were small coastal defence vessels built for the Royal Australian Navy and operated between 1967 and 1985...
patrol boats were based in Darwin; and were able to weather the cyclone with minor damage, but was forced aground, and sank after colliding with Stokes Hill Wharf, killing two personnel and bringing the death toll to 65.
Deployment
As the scope of the disaster became known, the RAN began to assemble a task force under the command of Flag Officer Commanding Australian Fleet, Rear Admiral David Wells. All personnel on annual leave were recalled; the vast majority responding before their ship sailed, while ships' companies were filled out by volunteers from shore bases and the ships unable to sail. Hundreds of tons of relief stores were embarked for transport.The first RAN units to arrive in Darwin were two HS 748 aircraft from 851 Squadron RAN
851 Squadron RAN
-History:851 Squadron was formed at HMAS Albatross as a land-based training and fleet support squadron on 3 August 1954. While the squadron was disbanded on 13 January 1958 it was re-formed as a training and transport unit on 2 September 1968...
on 26 December; one carrying Red Cross
Australian Red Cross
The Australian Red Cross is one of the many national Red Cross societies around the world. The Australian organisation was established in 1914, nine days after the commencement of World War I, by Karen Tenenbaum, when she formed a branch of the British Red Cross.the organisation grew at a rapid rate...
members and blood transfusion
Blood transfusion
Blood transfusion is the process of receiving blood products into one's circulation intravenously. Transfusions are used in a variety of medical conditions to replace lost components of the blood...
equipment, the other transporting Clearance Diving Team 1
Clearance Diving Team (RAN)
The Clearance Diving Teams of the Royal Australian Navy also act as commando frogmen: they consist of naval personnel who are qualified in diving, demolitions, underwater repairs, and reconnaissance...
(CDT1). That day, HMA Ships and departed from Brisbane, sailed from Cairns, while (with Rear Admiral Wells aboard), , and left Sydney. On 27 December, , , , and left Sydney, while and sailed from Brisbane. The last ship, , left Brisbane on 2 January. Between the 13 ships, 3,000 personnel were deployed on the operation.
The survey ship Flinders and the destroyer Brisbane were the first ships to arrive in Darwin, on 31 December. Flinders was tasked with surveying
Hydrographic survey
Hydrographic survey is the science of measurement and description of features which affect maritime navigation, marine construction, dredging, offshore oil exploration/drilling and related disciplines. Strong emphasis is placed on soundings, shorelines, tides, currents, sea floor and submerged...
the harbour to work out the position of wrecks and the safest areas for the other RAN ships to anchor, while Brisbane established contact with the Emergency Services Organisation Committee running relief efforts in Darwin. A further eight ships arrived between 1 and 4 January, and Brunei, Tarakan, and Wewak reached Darwin on 13 January.
Four S-2 Tracker aircraft were placed on standby to fly to Darwin, but were later stood down. It was also planned to send the British submarine , which was on loan to the RAN Submarine Squadron
Royal Australian Navy Submarine Service
The Royal Australian Navy Submarine Service is the collective name of the submarine element of the Royal Australian Navy. The service currently forms the Navy's Submarine Force Element Group and consists of six Collins class submarines....
, for use as a power station, but there were no power adaption facilities in Darwin suitable for connecting Odins two diesel generators to the electricity grid.
Work performed
The initial RAN relief which was limited to search and rescue in the area of Darwin Harbour and Melville Island, which was hindered by the lack of reliable communications.As the ships of the task force arrived, naval working parties were assigned to clear the suburbs of Nightcliff
Nightcliff, Northern Territory
Nightcliff is a northern suburb of the city of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.-History:Although the origin of the name Nightcliff has always been surrounded by conjecture and controversy, the naming can be tracked back to 8 September 1839...
, Rapid Creek
Rapid Creek, Northern Territory
Rapid Creek is a northern suburb of the city of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.- History :Although the precise circumstances of the naming of Rapid Creek remain obscure, the name must have been applied by Surveyor-General George W. Goyder's surveyors not long after the arrival of the 1869...
, and Casurina
Casuarina, Northern Territory
Casuarina is one of the northern suburbs of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.It is home to the largest shopping centre in the Northern Territory, called Casuarina Square...
. From 1 to 30 January, naval personnel spent 17,979 man days ashore, with up to 1,200 personnel ashore at any time. They cleared and restored 1,593 properties, along with schools and government buildings, disposed of spoiled food, installed generators, and repaired electrical networks. Other sailors were involved in more unusual jobs, some working parties were tasked with saving rare plants from the Darwin Botanic Gardens, while one sailor filled in at a radio station as a disk jockey.
CDT1 inspected vessels in the harbour for damage, searched for sunken ships, and cleared the waters around the wharves at Stokes Hill and Fort Hill wharves. After the main task force arrived, the divers focused on recovering the wrecked patrol boat Arrow.
Nine Westland Wessex
Westland Wessex
The Westland Wessex is a British turbine-powered version of the Sikorsky S-58 "Choctaw", developed under license by Westland Aircraft , initially for the Royal Navy, and later for the Royal Air Force...
helicopters embarked aboard Melbourne and Stalwart transported 7,832 passengers and 110912 kilograms (244,519.1 lb) of supplies. The two HS 748s were used to shuttle supplies north and survivors south. During their 14 return flights to Darwin, they carried 485 passengers and 22680 kilograms (50,000.8 lb) of freight. Some of the evacuees were temporarily housed in naval bases around Sydney and Brisbane.
Departure
The RAN ships began a staggered withdrawal from 7 January. Operation Navy Help Darwin was concluded on 30 January 1975, when command of the relief effort was handed over to the Commandant of the Australian ArmyAustralian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
's 7th Military District with Brisbane and Stalwart sailing for home the next day.
Aftermath
Navy Help Darwin was the largest disaster relief operation ever undertaken by the RAN.During May and June 1975, the minehunters , , and undertook a detailed survey of Darwin Harbour to pinpoint all of the vessels sunk by the cyclone.
Further reading
- A speech by Eric JohnstonEric Johnston (NT Administrator)
Commodore Eric Eugene Johnston AO, OBE, RAN was Administrator of the Northern Territory from 1 January 1981 to 1 July 1989. Earlier he was a serving officer in the Royal Australian Navy and commanded HMAS Perth in action during the Vietnam War...
, who was the Naval Officer Commanding Northern Australia at the time of the cyclone, recounting the naval relief efforts.