HMAS Vendetta (D08)

HMAS ''Vendetta'' was one of three destroyers built for and operated by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). The destroyer was built by Williamstown Naval Dockyard and entered service in 1958. During her early career, ''Vendetta'' was deployed to the Far East Strategic Reserve on multiple occasions. In 1965 and 1966, the destroyer undertook deterrence patrols during the Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation. Along with several runs escorting the troop transport to South Vietnam, from late 1969 to early 1970 ''Vendetta'' was assigned to combat operations and became the only Australian-built warship to serve in a shore bombardment role during the Vietnam War.

The ship underwent a two-year modernisation from 1971 to 1973, and in December 1974 was one of thirteen RAN warships involved in Operation Navy Help Darwin after Cyclone Tracy devastated Darwin. Several more deployments were made to the Far East, up until 1978. In October 1979, the destroyer was decommissioned, and served as a parts hulk for sister ship . ''Vendetta'' was sold for ship breaking in January 1987.

Design and construction

The Royal Australian Navy initially ordered four s, which were to be named after the ships of the " Scrap Iron Flotilla" of World War II. The ships were modified during construction: most changes were made to improve habitability, including the installation of air-conditioning.Cooper, in Stevens, ''The Royal Australian Navy'', p. 167 ''Vendetta'' and her sister ships were the first all-welded ships to be constructed in Australia.Cooper, in Stevens, ''The Royal Australian Navy'', p. 168

The ''Daring''s had a standard displacement of 2,800 tons, which increased to 3,600 tons at full load.Bastock, ''Australia's Ships of War'', p. 320 ''Vendetta'' and her sisters were long, with a beam of , and a draught of at mean, and at full or deep load. Her propulsion system consisted of two Foster Wheeler boilers, feeding two English Electric geared turbines, which provided to two propeller shafts. ''Vendetta'' could sail at over , and had a range of at . Her standard ship's company consisted of 20 officers and 300 sailors.

''Vendetta''s main armament consisted of six 4.5-inch guns mounted in three twin turrets, two forward and one aft with a maximum rate of fire of 16 rounds per minute per barrel or 96 rounds per minute overall. Her anti-aircraft outfit consisted of six 40 mm Bofors; two single mountings on the forward superstructure, and two twin mountings on the aft superstructure. Five 21-inch torpedo tubes were fitted to a single pentad mount on the deck between the forward and aft superstructures. For anti-submarine warfare, a Limbo anti-submarine mortar was carried on the aft deck, offset to port.

''Vendetta'' was laid down at Williamstown Naval Dockyard, Melbourne on 4 July 1949.Bastock, ''Australia's Ships of War'', p. 324 By 1950, it was already apparent that the Australian ''Daring''s would not be completed on time, as the Australian dockyards were experiencing difficulty in keeping up with the construction schedule. The destroyer was launched on 3 May 1954 by the widow of Hector Waller, who commanded the Scrap Iron Flotilla (including the original ) during World War II. On 18 July 1958, on the first occasion ''Vendetta'' engaged her engines during builder's trials, the destroyer accidentally rammed the Alfred Dock caisson.Frame, ''Where fate calls'', p. 36 The collision was caused when the sailor manning the engine telegraph incorrectly relayed an order of "half astern" as "half ahead", then repeated the mistake when the order was repeated to compensate for the first error.Cassells, ''The Destroyers'', p. 160 ''Vendetta''s bow breached the caisson, and threatened to flood the dock with inside. A controlled flooding kept the caisson from failing and prevented damage to ''Quickmatch'' or further damage to ''Vendetta'', but the repairs to the destroyer's bow set completion back by three months.

''Vendetta'' was commissioned on 26 November 1958. By the time she was commissioned, the ship's cost increased from A£2.6 million to A£7 million. Only three ships, , ''Vendetta'', and , were completed; the fourth was cancelled to save money. Like the preceding destroyer, ''Vendetta'' took her name from the concept of vendetta, with the ship's badge depicting a stiletto dagger clenched in a fist, and the ship carrying the motto "''Vindico''", Latin for "I Avenge".

Operational history

1959–1969

In April 1959, ''Vendetta'' operated in New Zealand waters, before visiting New Guinea in June. After a refit, ''Vendetta'' and the frigate ''Quickmatch'' sailed to Singapore in October for a deployment to the Far East Strategic Reserve (FESR), which lasted until July 1960.Cassells, ''The Destroyers'', p. 161 ''Vendetta'' and the sloop visited Tasmania in February 1961 for the Royal Hobart Regatta. On 19 February, ''Vendetta'' rescued passengers from the Shaw Savill vessel ''Runic'', which had run aground on Middleton Reef. The destroyer sailed for her second FESR deployment in April. During the six-month deployment, ''Vendetta'' operated on South East Asia Treaty Organisation exercises, visited ports in Borneo, Japan and Malaysia, and represented Australia at the Philippines independence celebrations. On her return, the destroyer underwent a refit at Williamstown.

''Vendetta'' was deployed to the Far East in March 1962, and returned to Sydney in late June. The destroyer visited Noumea in August, then participated in Exercise Tuckerbox off North Queensland. In November, ''Vendetta'' visited Fremantle for the 1962 Commonwealth Games. After another refit, the destroyer's fourth FESR deployment commenced on 9 July 1963, when she left Sydney with .Bastock, ''Australia's Ships of War'', p. 325 While in the Far East, the two ships participated in SEATO Exercise Sea Dovetail, visited Japan, and assisted a disabled United States-flagged freighter. ''Vendetta'' and ''Quiberon'' returned home via Guam and Manus Island on 20 February, after which ''Vendetta'' proceeded to Williamstown for refit.

''Vendetta'' returned to the FESR in mid-1964, this time escorting the aircraft carrier , and remained in Southeast Asian waters until December. She remained in dock for the first half of 1965 undergoing refits, and on 11 August, sailed for her sixth Far East assignment, in company with . On 20 September, ''Vendetta'' and ''Duchess'' met the troop transport off Manus Island; ''Sydney'' was on her second troop transport voyage to South Vietnam.Nott & Payne, ''The Vung Tau Ferry'', p. 170Grey, ''Up Top'', p. 106 The two destroyers accompanied ''Sydney'' to Vung Tau, where they arrived on 28 September, then escorted the troopship clear of the Operation Market Time area before breaking off for Hong Kong. In October, ''Vendetta'' operated as plane guard destroyer for . During late 1965 and early 1966, the destroyer was assigned to deterrence patrols off Malaysian Borneo and the Singapore Straits as part of the Commonwealth involvement in the Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation.

''Vendetta'' and ''Duchess returned to Australia in March. On 20 May, the destroyer sailed to Jervis Bay following the sinking of the dredger ''W. D. Atlas'', and spent the next two days searching for survivors and bodies. ''Vendetta'' was again involved as a ''Sydney'' escort in May and June 1966, during the troopship's fourth voyage.Nott & Payne, ''The Vung Tau Ferry'', p. 171 This run ended on 11 June, when ''Vendetta'' and ''Sydney'' reached Hong Kong. On 3 November, the ship came to the aid of the United States Navy (USN) submarine , which had run aground on Frederick Reef. After the submarine was refloated, ''Vendetta'' escorted her to Brisbane for repairs. On 5 March 1968, ''Vendetta'' and sailed for six months in the Far East; ''Vendetta''s seventh FESR deployment. The destroyer returned to Australia in October. The destroyer visited Newcastle, New South Wales for Australia Day (26 January) 1969, and operated in New Zealand waters during May.

Vietnam deployment

In 1968, it was realised that the combination of maintenance requirements and other operational deployments meant that none of the RAN's three US-built destroyers would be available to serve in the Vietnam War once completed her deployment in late 1969.Frame, ''No Pleasure Cruise'', p. 235 They started investigating the possibility of deploying a ''Daring''-class destroyer, with the main concern being the supply of shells, as the USN destroyers were standardised to shells. After receiving reassurance from the USN that any logistical issues regarding Australian supplies, including ammunition, were "merely a problem to be overcome", ''Vendetta'' was marked for the deployment in November 1968, as she was the only available ''Daring'' or vessel available.Grey, ''Up Top'', p. 207 The decision to send ''Vendetta'' meant that the consistent deployment of an Australian warship with the United States Seventh Fleet since March 1967 would continue, and steps towards breaking a 'two-tier' culture within the RAN favouring the ''Perth''-class ships would be made, with associated benefits to morale.Cooper, in Stevens, ''The Royal Australian Navy'', p. 204

On 15 September 1969, ''Vendetta'' left Australia for South Vietnam, and relieved ''Brisbane'' at Subic on 26 September.Grey, ''Up Top'', p. 208 While deployed to Vietnam, the destroyer was placed under the administrative control of Commander Australian Forces Vietnam in addition to that of the Flag Officer Commanding Australian Fleet, while operationally, she was under the command of the Seventh Fleet. A USN lieutenant was assigned to ''Vendetta'' to serve as a liaison.Grey, ''Up Top'', p. 144 Australia was the only allied nation to provide naval support to the United States Navy during the Vietnam War. The destroyer's main activities were the provision of naval gunfire support to assist ground forces, particularly the United States Marine Corps units operating closest to the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone. Seven ships were usually stationed on the 'gunline', and attacks fell into two categories: 'unspotted' shelling of areas where People's Army of Vietnam or Viet Cong (VC) forces and facilities were known or believed to be, and 'spotted' fire missions in direct support of ground troops. In this role, ''Vendetta'' was assigned the callsign "Premier".

''Vendetta'' sailed for a gunline assignment at Danang on 30 September. While en route, the destroyer was replenished by a USN oiler, but there were problems because of the incompatibility between American fuel lines and British intakes, along with the standard pumping pressure being too high for ''Vendetta''s system to handle; the first of numerous difficulties experienced by the British-designed ship operating with an American force. Poor weather meant the ship did not arrive in Danang Harbour until 2 October, and she commenced naval gunfire support missions a day later. After time at Danang, the ship sailed to the II Corps operating area, and continued gunline duties until 24 October. ''Vendetta'' sailed to Singapore for maintenance, then resumed gunline duties on 9 November, assigned to the III Corps area.Grey, ''Up Top'', p. 209 ''Vendetta'' moved north to the I Corps area two days later, then down to II Corps on 16 November. At the end of November, the destroyer sailed to Taiwan for rebarrelling and other maintenance.Grey, ''Up Top'', p. 211 ''Vendetta'' returned to the gunline on 21 December, and on 1 January 1970, was called on to assist Market Time operations by firing on two small craft suspected to be on a supply run to VC positions.

On 17 January, ''Vendetta'' was forced to sail to Hong Kong for boiler repairs.Grey, ''Up Top'', p. 212 Returning on 17 February, the destroyer was assigned to III Corps, and operated off Vung Tau in support of Australian and South Vietnamese units. Four days later, ''Vendetta'' was reassigned to II Corps. On 6 March, the ship left the gunline to have two of her turrets rebarrelled at Subic, then returned to duty on 13 March. The destroyer sailed to Subic on 23 March, and was relieved by on 30 March, after having fired 13,295 4.5-inch shells at 751 targets over five deployments.Bastock, ''Australia's Ships of War'', p. 326Cassells, ''The Destroyers'', p. 162

The destroyer was the only Australian-built warship to serve as a combatant in Vietnam, and the only ''Daring''-class destroyer to be operationally deployed in the shore bombardment role. ''Vendetta''s deployment to Vietnam under the new Australian White Ensign, and patrols during the Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation under the old ensign (identical to the British White Ensign), made the destroyer one of only two RAN vessels to deploy operationally under both ensigns. Personnel awards for the deployment included one appointment as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, two Mentions in Despatches, and 16 Naval Board commendations.

1970–1979

''Vendetta'' sailed for a FESR deployment in September 1970. She escorted the troopship ''Sydney'' for the third and final time during the former carrier's seventeenth voyage: ''Vendetta'' met the transport off Manila in late October, with the two ships in Vietnam during 31 October and 1 November.Grey, ''Up Top'', p. 108Nott & Payne, ''The Vung Tau Ferry'', p. 175 During November, the destroyer visited ports in India, before returning to Hong Kong for Christmas. She returned to Sydney in April 1971, and after participating in training exercises and a cruise in northern Australian waters, arrived in Williamstown on 29 September for her half-life modernisation refit. The modernisation cost US$20 million.Jones, in Stevens, ''The Royal Australian Navy'', p. 218 The fire-control system was replaced, a long-range air radar was installed, and the superstructure was modified, including a roof for the bridge. ''Vendetta'' re-entered service on 2 May 1973.

From March until July 1974, ''Vendetta'' was again deployed to the Far East. In October, the destroyer represented the RAN at celebrations of the centenary of Fiji's cession to Britain. Following the destruction of Darwin by Cyclone Tracy in December 1974, ''Vendetta'' was one of thirteen RAN ships deployed as part of the humanitarian aid mission Operation Navy Help Darwin.Jones, in Stevens, ''The Royal Australian Navy'', p. 234 The destroyer sailed on 27 December from Sydney, and arrived on 3 January, with shore parties primarily assigned to the Nightcliff area. The destroyer remained in the area until late January. During mid-1975, ''Vendetta'' operated in the Far East. In August 1975, following tensions between Indonesia and the former Portuguese colony of East Timor (which cumulated in the Indonesian invasion in December), ''Vendetta'', ''Vampire'', and the supply ship were pre-positioned in Darwin in case they were needed for evacuations of Australian citizens or Timorese refugees.Jones, in Stevens, ''The Royal Australian Navy'', p. 231 Action by the ships was not required.

Most of 1976 was spent undergoing maintenance at Williamstown. In 1977, ''Vendetta'' was deployed to the Far East. Another deployment was made in 1978, starting in July. While en route, the destroyer visited Honiara to participate in celebrations of Solomon Islands independence from Australia.

Decommissioning and fate

''Vendetta'' paid off on 9 October 1979. After spending time moored near Bradleys Head, during which she was used as a parts hulk for sister ship ''Vampire'', the destroyer was sold for ship breaking. ''Vendetta'' was towed to her fate in January 1987.

Following an overhaul of the RAN battle honours system, completed in March 2010, ''Vendetta''s service was recognised with the honours "Malaysia 1964–66" and "Vietnam 1969–70".Royal Australian Navy, ''Navy Marks 109th Birthday With Historic Changes To Battle Honours''Royal Australian Navy, ''Royal Australian Navy Ship/Unit Battle Honours''

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Vendetta (D08)
Daring-class destroyers (1949) of the Royal Australian Navy
Ships built in Victoria (state)
1954 ships
Vietnam War destroyers of Australia