HMAS Kanimbla (L 51)

HMAS "Kanimbla" (L 51) (formerly USS "Saginaw" (LST-1188)) is the lead ship of the "Kanimbla" class Landing Platform Amphibious. Laid down in 1969 for the United States Navy (USN) as "Newport" class tank landing ship USS "Saginaw"...

The ship was acquired by the Royal Australian Navy in 1994 for conversion into a amphibious warfare transport ship.

Since entering RAN service, "Kanimbla" has participated in numerous worldwide deployments, and has lost two helicopters in crashes.

Design and construction

The ship was laid down by National Steel and Shipbuilding Company at San Diego, California for the USN on 24 May 1969 as "Newport" class tank landing ship USS "Saginaw".cite web |url=http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/s2/saginaw-ii.htm |title=Saginaw-II |accessdate=2008-02-22 |work=Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships |publisher=Naval Historical Center - United States Navy] She was launched on 7 February 1970, sponsored by the wife of R. James Harvey, a Congressman and former mayor of Saginaw, Michigan, and commissioned into the United States Navy on 23 January 1971.

Name

The ship was originally named after the city of Saginaw, Michigan.

Upon entering RAN service, the ship was renamed after the Kanimbla Valley, west of Blackheath in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales. The name was previously used by the passenger ship "Kanimbla", which was commissioned into the Royal Navy and later the Royal Australian Navy during World War II, serving as a troopship. The ship's full motto is "And Caesar's spirit ranging for revenge, with 'ate by his side come hot from hell, shall in these confines with a monarch's voice, cry "Havoc!" and let slip the Dogs of War", a quote from William Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar".

USN operational history

Transfer and conversion

In the early 1990s, the RAN initiated a procurement project to replace HMAS "Jervis Bay" with a dedicated training and helicopter support ship.cite book |last=Spurling |first=Kathryn |editor=Stevens, David |title=The Royal Australian Navy |series=The Australian Centenary History of Defence |volume=III |year=2001 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=South Melbourne, VIC |isbn=0-195-54116-2 |oclc=50418095 |pages=pg 275 |chapter=The Era of Forward Defence] Meeting the vague specifications of the project required a purpose built vessel at an approximate cost of AU$500 million. The high cost of the project led to its cancellation by the Minister for Defence in 1993, with the instructions to find a cheaper alternative.

In 1994, the RAN was able to acquire the surplus "Saginaw" and her sister ship "Fairfax County" for the combined price of AU$61 million (US$40 million).cite news |first=Ron |last=Scherer |title=Senate hampers sale of Navy ships to eager nations |url= |format= |work=The Christian Science Monitor |publisher= |location= |id= |pages= |page=7 |date=1994-07-18 |accessdate=2008-04-20] "Saginaw" was to be renamed "Kanimbla". Prior to "Saginaw"’s decommissioning and transfer, a RAN crew was sent to Norfolk, Virginia, for several weeks training aboard the vessel, as they were to sail her to Australia after she was commissioned into the RAN.cite journal |year=1994 |month=Spring |title=Put in our place |journal=Australia and World Affairs |volume=22 |issue=Spring |pages=43-45 |issn=1033-6192] "Saginaw" was decommissioned on 28 June 1994, but instead of being immediately recommissioned as HMAS "Kanimbla", it was announced at the decommissioning ceremony that the United States Congress had decided not to release the ships into foregin service. ["Put in our place" (1994). pp. 43-44] The last minute move was part of a sale blockage for fifteen surplus "Newport"s to nine nations, and was caused by the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services in an attempt to pressure US President Bill Clinton on the perceived running-down of the USN's amphibious warfare capability, as well as the concerns of one Senator over human rights in Morocco (one of the other nations slated to acquire a "Newport" class ship)."Put in our place" (1994). pg. 44] The sale was not approved until the start of August, with the ship commissioned as HMAS "Kanimbla" on 29 August 1994.cite news |title=US OKs sale of 2 ships |url= |work=Sun Herald |page=26 |date=1994-08-07 |accessdate=2008-04-20] cite web |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/HMAS_Kanimbla |title=HMAS Kanimbla |accessdate=2008-09-11 |publisher=Royal Australian Navy ]

"Kanimbla" sailed to Australia in October, after training and maintenance checks were completed. "Kanimbla" and "Manoora" were docked at Forgacs Dockyard in Newcastle, New South Wales, where they underwent conversion from tank landing ships to amphibious warfare transports.cite news |title=Contract puts Forgacs part of naval history |url= |format= |work=Newcastle Herald |publisher=Fairfax Media |page=pg 8 |date=1998-05-13 |accessdate=2008-04-25 ] The conversion required the bow ramp to be removed and the bow doors welded shut.cite news |first=Richard |last=Macey |title=Navy in $70M Copter Carrier deal |url= |work=Sydney Morning Herald |page=6 |date=1994-06-27 |accessdate=2008-04-20 ] A hangar for three Sea King or four Blackhawk helicopters was added, while the aft helicopter deck was reinforced.cite book |editor=Sharpe, Richard |title=Jane's Fighting Ships |edition=110th edition (1997-1998) |series=Jane's Fighting Ships |year=1997 |publisher=Jane's Information Group |location=Surrey, UK |isbn=0-7106-1546-9 ] Chinook helicopters are able to land and take off from the aft deck, but cannot be carried long-term. The deck forward of the superstructure was converted to carry two LCM-8 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.Kathryn Spurling (2001). "The Royal Australian Navy", pg 276]

The refit was planned to last from 1995 to 1996, but did not conclude until late 1999, after extensive corrosion was discovered in both ships. The refit cost for the two ships increased AU$400 million, with half of the funding taken from repair and refit allocations for other ships.

During "Kanimbla"’s conversion, a small fire started aboard, when a cigarette butt was dropped on piping insulation.cite news |author=Australian Associated Press |title=Small fire on board Navy vessel |url= |work=Australian Associated Press |publisher=AAP Information Services |date=1999-02-08 |accessdate=2008-04-25 |language= |quote= |archiveurl= |archivedate= ] The fire, which occurred on 8 February 1999, was extinguished quickly, and only caused superficial damage.

RAN operational history

Persian Gulf deployment

"Kanimbla" was deployed to the Persian Gulf from February to May 2003, during the invasion of Iraq.cite web |url=http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=1055904&search_type=simple&showInd=true |title=It's An Honour - Honours |accessdate=2008-02-22 |quote=Citation: For meritorious service in warlike operations in the war against weapons of mass destruction, IRAQ, during Operations BASTILLE and FALCONER between February and May 2003.] "Kanimbla"'s role was to provide a command and control platform to the Australian Navy Task Group and specialised capabilities to the greater multinational fleet in the invasion of Iraq. "Kanimbla" also carried 12 extra boarding parties from the Royal Navy and United States Navy, enabling her to carry out round the clock boardings and patrols within the K.A.A.Clarifyme|date=August 2008Fact|date=August 2008

On the morning of 19 March 2003, two RHIBs from "Kanimbla" intercepted and boarded two Iraqi minelaying vessels attempting to block Coalition access to Iraqi waters.Fact|date=August 2008 The vessels were carrying 26 luggam World War One-era drift mines and 60 Italian Manta state of the art acoustic mines.Fact|date=April 2007

"Kanimbla" was awarded the Meritorious Unit Citation on 27 November 2003 for her service during this deployment.

Operation Sumatra Assist

"Kanimbla" was part of Operation Sumatra Assist, the Australian Defence Force humanitarian aid to victims of the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia. During its subsequent return voyage to Australia, she was recalled for Operation Sumatra Assist Phase II to help victims of the 2005 Sumatran earthquake.

During this operation, at about 09:30 UTC on 2 April 2005, Shark 02, one of the ship's Sea King helicopters crashed while approaching the village of Amadraya in the south of the island of Nias, off the west coast of Sumatra in Indonesia. Nine ADF personnel were killed — seven men and two women, from all three ADF services. Two others were recovered alive from the site by the other Sea King operating from "Kanimbla" and transferred to the ship for medical assistance in her hospital facilities. [ [http://www.defence.gov.au/media/DepartmentalTpl.cfm?CurrentId=4753 ADF :: Online Media Room ] ] [ [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200504/s1336960.htm Nine Australians die in Nias chopper crash. 03/04/2005. ABC News Online ] ]

Operation Astute

During early-mid 2006, HMAS "Kanimbla" operated near East Timor as part of Operation Astute.

2006 Fiji coup

At the start of November 2006, HMAS "Newcastle" was the first of three Australian warships sent to Fiji as part of Operation Quickstep, the ADF response to threats of a coup d'etat by Fijian military forces against Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase. "Kanimbla" sailed to waters south of Fiji two days after "Newcastle", and the two ships were joined by HMAS "Success" later in November. The three vessels were to be used in the event of an evacuation of Australian citizens and nationals, but not as a military force. [Aussie warships heading for Fiji. "The Daily Telegraph (Australia)", 2 November 2006. ]

On 29 November 2006, an Australian Army S-70A Black Hawk helicopter operating from "Kanimbla" crashed and fell overboard while attempting to land on the aft helicopter deck.cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200611/s1800631.htm |title=One dead, one missing in Black Hawk crash off Fiji |date=29 November 2006 |accessdate=2006-11-29 |publisher=ABC] Of the ten Army personnel onboard, seven were injured, pilot Captain Mark Bingley was killed, and Special Air Service Regiment Corporal Joshua Porter was declared missing, with his remains later found trapped in the helicopter wreckage, convert|3000|m|ft below sea level. Porter's body, and the wreckage of the helicopter, were not located until 5 March 2007, due to the need to borrow high-detail survey equipment from the United States.cite news |url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/black-hawk-crash-body-found/2007/03/06/1172943402200.html |title=Remains of SAS soldier found off Fiji |date=6 March 2007 |accessdate=2007-03-06 |publisher=The Age]

2007

In October 2007, "Kanimbla" visited New Zealand.cite web |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/ships/kanimbla/news/newzealand.html |title=A 'chully in zid' experience for Kanimbla |accessdate=2008-02-22 |date=2007-11-01 |publisher=Royal Australian Navy |pages= |language= |doi= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= Dead link|date=September 2008] Dead link|date=September 2008 The ship had been previously scheduled to visit New Zealand on two occasions in 2006, but was unable to on both occasions due to short-notice operational deployments.

References

External links

* [http://www.defence.gov.au/optsunamiassist/default.htm ADF website for Operation Sumatra Assist]