Australian Aircraft Carriers

The part played by aircraft carriers in World War II, especially in the Pacific, had been noted in Australia and aviation was included in post-war naval plans. In July 1947 the Government approved a plan for a naval air arm comprising two light fleet aircraft carriers, two air stations and eventually, three air groups. The first air station commissioned near Nowra, New South Wales, was HMAS Albatross, on 31 August 1948. The second air station was planned for Schofields, west of Sydney.

Sea Furys and Fireflies on Flight Deck - HMAS Sydney Korean War

Carrier-borne squadrons would operate Sea Fury Mark XI and Firefly Mark V aircraft. Sea Furies would be employed in fleet air defence and attacks on ships and shore targets. Fireflies were intended for ocean reconnaissance and also for attacks on ships and targets ashore. Eventually 101 Sea Furies and 108 Fireflies (Marks V and VI) were acquired by the RAN.

HMAS Sydney commissioned in England on 16 December 1948 as the RAN’s first aircraft carrier. Her air group (20th Carrier Air Group), comprising 805 Sea Fury and 816 Firefly Squadrons, had formed in the United Kingdom in August 1948. Squadron and air group numbering was part of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm system and indicates the very close relationship between the two navies. The air group worked-up in Sydney before she sailed for Australia, arriving in Jervis Bay in May 1949.

Sydney Carrier Ops - Korea.

The second carrier air group (21st Carrier Air Group), comprising 808 Sea Fury and 817 Firefly Squadrons, commissioned in the United Kingdom on 25 April 1950. This air group had been intended for the second carrier, to be named HMAS Melbourne, but she had been delayed and was not expected to be ready until 1951-52. Sydney returned to England to embark the 21st Carrier Air Group and arrived back in Australia in November 1950. The third air group, which had been expected to form in Australia for service in either carrier, was deferred.

While Sydney was collecting the 21st, the Korean War had broken out and, soon after returning to Australia, Sydney began training to take her place as the British Commonwealth aircraft carrier in Korean waters. She embarked a Sydney Air Group of two Sea Fury squadrons (805 and 808) and one Firefly squadron (817). The latter was equipped with the Mark VI Firefly fitted for anti-submarine warfare and poorly suited for ground attack, so Sydney exchanged her Mark VI Fireflies for Mark IV and V general purpose models from HMS Glory in Kure before sailing for her first patrol on 3 October 1951.

During Korean operations a third to a quarter of Sydney’s daily flying was devoted to defensive tasks, such as Sea Fury air patrols in case of North Korean or Chinese air attacks on the Carrier and Firefly patrols around the ship in case of submarine attack. The remainder of the day’s flying was devoted to offensive flying by Sea Furies and Fireflies attacking the North Korean transport network (especially shipping and bridges) and supporting United Nations troops ashore. Sydney used a borrowed American helicopter for search and rescue instead of her usual Sea Otter amphibian. The helicopter’s versatility made a deep impressionon the RAN and, by the time Sydney returned to Australia in March 1952, three Sycamore helicopters had been ordered from England.

Sycamore Helicopter - HMAS Sydney, Korea

These helicopters reached Australia in HMAS Vengeance in March 1953. She was a light fleet carrier, similar to Sydney, on loan to the RAN until Melbourne was ready for service. The long delay in completing Melbourne was partly caused by a desire to incorporate fundamental improvements in aircraft carrier design. The steam catapult, angled deck and mirror landing aid, allowing carriers to operate faster and heavier aircraft, were becoming essential features of a modern aircraft carrier and Melbourne’s delivery was delayed while all three were fitted.

Vengeance embarked a squadron of each aircraft type while Sydney retained her Korean mix of two Sea Fury and one Firefly squadrons in preparation for more Korean service. During Sydney’s second Korean tour of duty, from December 1953 until April 1954, the fighting had been replaced by protracted negotiations. Her air group exercised and patrolled as part of the United Nations force but was not required for action. She returned to Australia in June 1954 and, later that year, embarked an alternative air group of both Firefly squadrons and a single Sea Fury squadron for more usual maritime operations. Plans to modernise Sydney to the same standard as Melbourne, thus maintaining a two-carrier navy, were changed in 1954 when the Government reduced the funds available for naval aviation. Now Australia planned for a single carrier. Sydney would not be modified, nor would Vengeance remain an operating carrier. She adopted the training ship role until she left Australia in June 1955.

HMAS Melbourne

Melbourne commissioned on 28 October 1955 after her squadrons had commissioned in August. The Gannet Mark I, succeeding the Firefly in 816 and 817 Squadrons, was a standard Royal Navy aircraft type and the squadrons trained in Britain with Australian aircraft. The Sea Fury replacement in 808 Squadronwas the Sea Venom Mark 53. This aircraft differed from Royal Navy versions, principally because of a different air-intercept radar, and Australian aircraft were not ready in time for 808 Squadron to train with them. Mark 20 Sea Venoms and a few Vampires were leased from the Royal Navy instead.

Thirty-nine Sea Venoms, 34 Gannet Mark 1s, and three Gannet trainers (with pilot controls in the second cockpit usually occupied by the observer) were bought by Australia. Melbourne reached Sydney on 9 May 1956 and the Fleet Air Arm began re- organising around a single aircraft carrier. By 1959 the Melbourne Air Group comprised 816 (Gannet) and 805 (Sea Venom) Squadrons with a flight of Sycamore helicopters for search and rescue. At Nowra, 723, 724 and 725 Squadrons operated carrier-borne types for training plus Dakota, Vampire and target-towing Fireflies.

RAN Fleet Air Arm Gannets

In November 1959 the Government announced Melbourne would be retired in 1963 when she reached the end of her theoret ical life span. This plan was soon modified and 27 Wessex anti-submarine helicopters were ordered to reequip her; 817 Squad-ron commissioned on 18 July 1963 as a Wessex squadron and first embarked in Melbourne later in the same year. The Wessex also took over the Sycamore’s embarked search and rescue role. Iroquois helicopters, entering service in 1964, took over Sycamore tasks ashore and the remaining Sycamores were retired.

Melbourne landed her Sea Venom and Gannets for the last time in 1967 and sailed to America to collect new aircraft. These were10 Skyhawks (eight single seat and two twin seat) and 14 Trackers to replace Sea Venoms and Gannets respectively. When she returned to Australia Melbourne began a modernisation at Garden Island Dockyard. In May 1967 Wessex began embarking in Sydney on her voyages to Vietnam and, later in 1967, Fleet Air Arm personnel began serving with the United States Army in South Vietnam when members of the first detachment of the RAN Helicopter Flight Vietnam joined the 135th Assault Helicopter Company at Vung Tau. Members of this flight served with the 135th AHC until 1971; other RAN pilots served with the RAAF at Vung Tau.

After her extended refit Melbourne regularly operated a general purpose air group of Skyhawks for strike and air defence,Trackers for anti-submarine warfare or surveillance and modernised Wessex for anti-submarine warfare. Delivery of another 10 Skyhawks (eight single seat and two twin seat) beginning in 1971 allowed planning for an alternative strike air group of 14 Skyhawks. Four squadrons at NAS Nowra provided training and support with a variety of aircraft including 10 Macchi jet trainers delivered in 1970 and 1971 to replace Vampire jet trainers.

The flow of new equipment for the Fleet Air Arm continued with two HS 748 twin turbo-prop aircraft to replace four Dakotas, two of which had been in service with the RAN since 1951. The HS 748s were intended primarily for electronic warfare training for the fleet; the first arrived at NAS Nowra in June 1973. In the same year the first Bell 206B light helicopter for the Navy was flown to Nowra; this would replace the Scout operated by HMAS Moresby for surveying. Sea King helicopters replaced Wessex in 817 Squadron on 2 February 1976; the Wessex were converted to the general utility role by removal of sonar equipment.

A4G Skyhawks on Deck - Melbourne (Wessex Helo in Background)

In addition to regular naval tasks centred on Melbourne, the Fleet Air Arm began a long involvement with coastal surveillance when three 851 Squadron Trackers started operating from Broome in Western Australia in March 1975. Subsequently the detachment operated from Darwin until the task was taken overby civilian Nomad aircraft in December 1980. This Darwin task was immediately replaced by surveillance of the Bass Strait oil platforms which grew into a major commitment. The year after coastal surveillance flying began, 10 Trackers were destroyed in a hangar fire at NAS Nowra on 4 December 1976; replacements were collected from the United States by Melbourne in 1977.

By the late 1970s replacing Melbourne herself had become a major Australian defence issue. The problem appeared to have been solved on 25 February 1982 when the Minister for Defence announced Australia would buy HMS Invincible, taking delivery late in 1983. The refit planned for Melbourne was cancelled and she paid off on 30 June 1982. 805 (Skyhawk) and 816 (Tracker) Squadrons paid off at NAS Nowra on 2 July 1982; fixed wing flying continued in training squadrons at Nowra. Then the Australian Government offered to forgo the purchase of Invincible if the British Government wished to retain her for service after the Falklands War. This offer was accepted and the proposed purchase was cancelled.

Possible replacements for Melbourne were still being examined by the Defence bureaucracy when the Federal Government changed in 1983. The new Labor Government believed Australia did not need the capabilities represented by an aircraft carrier and implemented this policy immediately. Jet flying effectively ended on 30 June 1983. Four Skyhawks were retained to tow targets for exercising ships; the rest were placed in storage. The Macchis were handed over to the Air Force. Some Trackers remained in service for patrols of the Bass Strait oil platform area until 31December 1983; in January 1982 this commitment had increased to a daily patrol. On 30 June 1984 the remaining Trackers and Skyhawks ceased flying completely.

Helicopters

Above: From the top, down:
Seaking, Wessex, Iroquois, Kiowa.

In 1984, as the last fixed wing squadrons were disbanding at the end of the aircraft carrier phase, squadrons were re-organising for the helicopter phase in Fleet Air Arm history.

817 Squadron retained Sea Kings for anti-submarine work in HMA Ships Stalwart and Tobruk as the opportunity offered. 816 Squadron reformed on 9 February 1984 as a utility Wessex squadron specialising in operations with the Army and in Tobruk. 723 Squadron retained a mix of HS 748 for fleet training, Bell 206 for Moresby flight, and Iroquois for general shore-based helicopter tasks. The latter helicopter types were nearing the end of their service life and in May 1984 the first of six Squirrel light utility helicopters arrived at NAS Nowra.

The first RAN FFG commissioned in 1980 but a decision had not then been taken on the helicopter she would operate. Initially the aircraft was to be used for surveillance around the frigate, if necessary providing targetting information for the ship’s Harpoon missiles. This role had been expanded to include anti-submarine operations when the decision not to replace Melbourne had been taken.

Pending selection and delivery of the appropriate aircraft, available helicopters were embarked to maintain expertise in helicopter operations. A Bell 206 embarked in HMAS Adelaide for a few months in 1984. In 1985 a Squirrel embarked in each of the frigates for extended periods.

As the interim frigate helicopter was settling into the ships,arrangements were being finalised to acquire eight Seahawk helicopters as permanent equipment for the four frigates. Delivery to Australia was late in 1987 and the Seahawk entered squadron service in the RAN early in 1989. Arrival of these frigate-based helicopters saw the Fleet Air Arm firmly established in the third phase of its history.

RAN Seahawk

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