HMAS Manoora (L-52)
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HMAS ''Manoora'' (L 52) was a ship operated by the
Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the navy, naval branch of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (Australia), Chief of Navy (CN) Vice admiral (Australia), Vice Admiral Mark Hammond (admiral), Ma ...
(RAN). Originally built for the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
(USN) as the , the ship was decommissioned in 1994 and sold to the RAN. Although commissioned into Australian service in that year, the vessel was heavily modified from her original design, and did not begin operations until the end of the decade. During her Australian career, ''Manoora'' saw wartime service during the
War in Afghanistan War in Afghanistan, Afghan war, or Afghan civil war may refer to: *Conquest of Afghanistan by Alexander the Great (330 BC – 327 BC), the conquest of Afghanistan by the Macedonian Empire * Muslim conquests of Afghanistan, a series of campaigns in ...
, and non-combat service in the
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands, also known simply as the Solomons,John Prados, ''Islands of Destiny'', Dutton Caliber, 2012, p,20 and passim is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 1000 smaller islands in Melanesia, part of Oceania, t ...
and
East Timor Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor, officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is a country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the coastal exclave of Oecusse in the island's northwest, and ...
. In 2001, the ship was involved in the ''Tampa'' affair, a diplomatic incident involving a Norwegian cargo ship and a group of asylum seekers. In late 2010, ''Manoora'' and
sister ship A sister ship is a ship of the same Ship class, class or of virtually identical design to another ship. Such vessels share a nearly identical hull and superstructure layout, similar size, and roughly comparable features and equipment. They o ...
were placed in an 'operational pause' after several problems were identified with the ships. In early 2011, it was announced that repairing ''Manoora'' was cost-prohibitive, and she was decommissioned on 27 May 2011. The ship was sold for breaking in 2013.


Construction

The ship was constructed for the USN as a by the National Steel & Shipbuilding Company at
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,
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
.


USN operational history


Transfer and conversion

In the early 1990s, the RAN initiated a procurement project to replace with a dedicated training and helicopter support ship.Spurling, in Stevens, ''The Royal Australian Navy'', p. 275 Meeting the vague specifications of the project required a purpose-built vessel at an approximate cost of A$500 million. The high cost of the project led to its cancellation by the
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in 1993, with the instructions to find a cheaper alternative. At around the same time, the USN began plans to decommission fifteen of their twenty ''Newport''-class tank landing ships, including ''Fairfax County'', and offering them for purchase by various countries. In 1994, the RAN elected to purchase two ''Newport''s: ''Fairfax County'' and for the combined price of A$61 million (US$40 million), with the intention of converting each into a combined pocket
helicopter carrier A helicopter carrier is a type of aircraft carrier whose primary purpose is to operate helicopters. It has a large flight deck that occupies a substantial part of the deck, which can extend the full length of the ship like of the Royal Navy (RN ...
and
amphibious warfare Amphibious warfare is a type of offensive military operation that today uses naval ships to project ground and air power onto a hostile or potentially hostile shore at a designated landing beach. Through history the operations were conduc ...
transport.Scherer, ''Senate hampers sale of Navy ships to eager nations''''Contract puts Forgacs part of naval history'', in ''Newcastle Herald'' ''Fairfax County'' was to travel to Australia with a USN crew before decommissioning and recommissioning as HMAS ''Manoora''.''Put in our place'', in ''Australia and World Affairs'', p. 43 On 28 June 1994, when ''Saginaw'' was due to decommission and recommission as , it was announced that the
United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...
had decided not to release any of the fifteen ''Newport''s into foreign service as the
United States Senate Committee on Armed Services The Committee on Armed Services, sometimes abbreviated SASC for Senate Armed Services Committee, is a committee of the United States Senate empowered with Congressional oversight, legislative oversight of the Military of the United States, ...
was attempting to pressure US President
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on the perceived running-down of the USN's amphibious warfare capability, while an unrelated Senator had expressed concern over
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(one of the other eight nations slated to acquire a ship). The sale to Australia was not approved until the start of August, with ''Fairfax County'' arriving in Sydney in September and handed over to the RAN on 27 September 1994.''US OKs sale of 2 ships'', in ''Sun Herald'' She was commissioned into the RAN on 25 November 1994.''Dispatch: HMAS Manoora Retired'', in ''The Navy'' After both ships had arrived in Australia and were commissioned, ''Kanimbla'' and ''Manoora'' spent two years docked at
Fleet Base East Fleet Base East is a Royal Australian Navy (RAN) major fleet base that comprises several naval establishments and facilities clustered around Sydney Harbour, centred on HMAS ''Kuttabul''. Fleet Base East extends beyond the borders of ''Kuttabu ...
before they were moved to
Forgacs Shipyard Forgacs Shipyard is a shipbuilding company located at Tomago, New South Wales on the Hunter River Hunter River may refer to: *Hunter River (New South Wales), Australia *Hunter River (Western Australia) *Hunter River, New Zealand *Hunter Rive ...
,
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in June 1996, where they underwent conversion from tank landing ships to
amphibious warfare Amphibious warfare is a type of offensive military operation that today uses naval ships to project ground and air power onto a hostile or potentially hostile shore at a designated landing beach. Through history the operations were conduc ...
transports.Williams, ''$280m rust buckets – the true cost of Navy's $61m bargain buy'' The conversion required the main features of the ''Newport'' class, the bow doors, derrick, and tank ramp, to be removed.Macey, ''Navy in $70M Copter Carrier deal'' A hangar for three Sea King or four
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helicopters was added, while the aft helicopter deck was reinforced.Sharpe (ed.), ''Jane's Fighting Ships (1997–1998)'', p. 30
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helicopters are able to land and take off from the aft deck, but cannot be carried for prolonged periods. The deck forward of the superstructure was converted to carry two
LCM-8 The LCM-8 ("Mike Boat") is a river boat and mechanized landing craft used by the United States Navy and Army during the Vietnam War and subsequent operations. They are currently used by governments and private organizations throughout the worl ...
landing craft, which are launched and recovered by a single 70-ton crane. When the LCM-8s are deployed, the area functions as a third helicopter landing spot. Accommodation was provided for up to 450 soldiers, while improved medical facilities and an upgraded galley were also installed.Spurling, in Stevens, ''The Royal Australian Navy'', p. 276 The refit was planned to last from 1995 to 1996, with ''Manoora'' upgraded first. However, extensive corrosion was discovered in both ships. The now controversial refit cost for the two ships increased A$400 million, with half of the funding taken from repair and refit allocations for other ships.


Operational history

In April 1999, while the modification was being completed, personnel from ''Manoora'', ''Kanimbla'', and Sydney bases assisted the New South Wales Department of Agriculture in containing an outbreak of
Newcastle disease Virulent Newcastle disease (VND), formerly exotic Newcastle disease, is a contagious viral avian disease affecting many domestic and wild bird species; it is transmissible to humans. Though it can infect humans, most cases are non-symptomati ...
in Mangrove Mountain poultry farms. ''Manoora'' entered service in January 2000. ''Manoora'' and were deployed to the Solomon Islands in June 2000, to rescue civilians following a coup d'état. During September and October, ''Manoora'' was involved in security operations for the
2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, officially branded as Sydney 2000, and also known as the Games of the New Millennium, were an international multi-sport event held from 15 September to 1 October ...
. In November, she returned to the Solomon Islands to support the
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following the signing of the
Townsville Peace Agreement The Townsville Peace Agreement was signed in Townsville, Australia on 15 October 2000 between the Malaita Eagle Force and the Isatabu Freedom Movement. The Agreement successfully calmed the situation in Honiara Honiara () is the capital and l ...
, remained in the region until late December, then returned for a second deployment between March and June 2001. In late August 2001, ''Manoora'' became involved in the '
Tampa Affair In late August 2001, the Howard government of Australia refused permission for the Norwegian freighter MV ''Tampa'', carrying 433 rescued refugees (predominantly Hazaras of Afghanistan from a distressed fishing vessel in international waters ...
', a political incident caused when the Australian government forbade the Norwegian cargo ship , carrying asylum seekers rescued from a damaged vessel in the Timor Sea, from entering Australian waters.Frame, ''No Pleasure Cruise'', p. 292 The 438 asylum seekers were transferred from ''Tampa'' to ''Manoora'', which then delivered them to detention centres on Nauru. From 28 February to 24 June 2002, the ship operated in the Persian Gulf as part of
Operation Slipper The Australian contribution to the War in Afghanistan (2001-present), war in Afghanistan has been known as Operation Slipper (2001–2014) and Operation Highroad (2015–2021). Australian Defence Force (ADF) operations and the size of the force ...
, the Australian involvement in the
War in Afghanistan War in Afghanistan, Afghan war, or Afghan civil war may refer to: *Conquest of Afghanistan by Alexander the Great (330 BC – 327 BC), the conquest of Afghanistan by the Macedonian Empire * Muslim conquests of Afghanistan, a series of campaigns in ...
. For most of the deployment, ''Manoora'' was assigned as the Khwar Abd Allah gatekeeper vessel, and was the primary source of boarding parties for ship inspections in the area, with 27 compliant and 4 forced boardings performed. The ship returned to the Gulf in May 2003 under
Operation Falconer Falconer may refer to: * A person skilled in the art of falconry Falconry is the hunting of wild animals in their natural state and habitat by means of a trained bird of prey. Small animals are hunted; squirrels and rabbits often fall prey ...
, the Australian commitment to the
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, and spent a month in the region before sailing home with Australian personnel and equipment embarked.Bendle et al., ''Database of Royal Australian Navy Operations, 1990-2005'', p. 49 During the return voyage, the ship rescued eight Iraqi fishermen from the middle of the Gulf. During late June, ''Manoora'' provided medical assistance to the fishing vessel ''Golden Sun ''. In July 2003, ''Manoora'' sailed to the Solomon Islands with 300 personnel from
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; the start of the
Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands The Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI), also known as Operation Helpem Fren, Operation Anode and Operation Rata (by New Zealand), began in 2003 in response to a request for international aid by the Governor-General of Solom ...
. The ship remained in the region until late October, serving as a logistic and medical support base, and as a venue for meetings. In September, ''Manoora'' was used to recover an
Iroquois helicopter The Bell UH-1 Iroquois (nicknamed "Huey") is a utility military helicopter designed and produced by the American aerospace company Bell Helicopter. It is the first member of the prolific Huey family, as well as the first turbine-powered helico ...
of the
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downed off
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. ''Manoora'' undertook an extensive refit during April and May 2004. During May 2006, the ship was deployed to East Timor under
Operation Astute Operation Astute was an Australian Defence Force, Australian-led military deployment to East Timor to quell unrest and return stability in the 2006 East Timor crisis. It was headed by Brigadier Bill Sowry, and commenced on 25 May 2006 under the ...
. On the morning of 13 March 2009, ''Manoora'' was one of seventeen warships involved in a ceremonial fleet entry and fleet review in Sydney Harbour, the largest collection of RAN ships since the
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in 1988. ''Manoora'' was one of the thirteen ships involved in the ceremonial entry through Sydney Heads, and anchored in the harbour for the review. Following a review of the RAN
battle honour A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or Military operation, operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible. In ...
s system, completed in March 2010, ''Manoora'' was retroactively awarded the honour "Persian Gulf 2002", in addition to the six honours inherited from the previous ship of the name.


Decommissioning and fate

In late September 2010, ''Manoora'' and sister ship ''Kanimbla'' were brought to Fleet Base East for an 'operational pause' after several problems were identified with the ships.McPhedran, ''The rust never sleeps on pride of navy fleet''Kerr, ''Operational tempo and neglect spell problems for ageing Australian amphibs'' These included large quantities of ongoing corrosion, faults with the deck crane and alarm system, overhauls of the propulsion, power generators, and air-conditioning, and upgrades to the communication suite. The ships were to be confined to base until after the ships complete a dry-docking initially valued at A$17 million: as of October 2010, tenders for the work were yet to be released. The problems have been attributed to the ship's high operational tempo, delays in maintenance, and the age of the ships. On 1 February 2011, the
Minister for Defence Minister may refer to: * Minister (Christianity), a Christian cleric ** Minister (Catholic Church) * Minister (government), a member of government who heads a ministry (government department) ** Minister without portfolio, a member of government w ...
announced that repairing ''Manoora'' would not be cost effective given that this would cost A$20 million, and not be complete until mid-2012. As the ship was scheduled to retire at the end of 2012, it was instead decided to decommission her during 2011 without returning her to service.Smith, ''Transition plan to Landing Helicopter Dock'' ress release/ref> ''Manoora'' was decommissioned at Fleet Base East on 27 May 2011.Australian Associated Press, ''Rusting HMAS Manoora decommissioned'' Personnel from ''Manoora'' were transferred to the former British
Royal Fleet Auxiliary The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) is a naval auxiliary fleet owned by the UK's Ministry of Defence. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service and provides logistical and operational support to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. The RF ...
ship when she arrived in Australia in late 2011, and the amphibious assault ships when they entered service from 2014. In June 2012, the federal government offered ''Manoora'' and ''Kanimbla'' to the Queensland state government for
scuttling Scuttling is the act of deliberately sinking a ship by allowing water to flow into the hull, typically by its crew opening holes in its hull. Scuttling may be performed to dispose of an abandoned, old, or captured vessel; to prevent the vessel ...
as
dive wreck Wreck diving is recreational diving where the wreckage of ships, aircraft and other artificial structures are explored. The term is used mainly by recreational and technical divers. Professional divers, when diving on a shipwreck, generally ref ...
s off the Queensland coast.Marshall, ''Naval ships offered as dive sites for coast'' However, the government chose not to go ahead with this, as it would cost $4 million each to prepare them for scuttling, and could provoke similar reactions to the contested sinking of the frigate .McPhedran, ''Navy workhorses HMAS Manoora and HMAS Kanimbla to end careers as scrap'' Instead, ''Manoora'' was to be
broken up Ship breaking (also known as ship recycling, ship demolition, ship scrapping, ship dismantling, or ship cracking) is a type of ship disposal involving the breaking up of ships either as a source of Interchangeable parts, parts, which can be sol ...
, with an estimated scrap metal value of $2.5 million. Because the two vessels were originally owned by the United States and were sold to Australia, their disposal had to receive US government approval and comply with
International Traffic in Arms Regulations International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) is a set of U.S. Department of State regulations that control the export of defense and military technologies to safeguard national security and further its foreign policy objectives. Overvi ...
.Australian Defence Magazine, ''Sale of decommissioned ships Manoora and Kanimbla'' Tendering for the disposal of the vessels began in June 2012, with the contract awarded to Southern Scrap Recycling on 20 May 2013. The two vessels were returned to the United States, and broken up in
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.


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{{DEFAULTSORT:Manoora (L 52) Kanimbla-class landing platforms amphibious 1970 ships