HMAS ''Tobruk'' (L 50) was a Landing Ship Heavy (LSH) of the
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of ...
(RAN), based on the design of the
Round Table-class of the British
Royal Fleet Auxiliary
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) is a naval auxiliary fleet owned by the UK's Ministry of Defence. It provides logistical and operational support to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. The RFA ensures the Royal Navy is supplied and supported by ...
. Planning for the ship began in the 1970s to provide the
Australian Army
The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (Austral ...
with a permanent
sealift
Sealift is a term used predominantly in military logistics and refers to the use of cargo ships for the deployment of military assets, such as weaponry, vehicles, military personnel, and supplies. It complements other means of transport, such as ...
capability. She was laid down by
Carrington Slipways in 1979, launched in 1980, and commissioned in 1981. She was a multi-purpose,
roll-on/roll-off
Roll-on/roll-off (RORO or ro-ro) ships are cargo ships designed to carry wheeled cargo, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, buses, trailers, and railroad cars, that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels or using ...
heavy lift ship capable of transporting soldiers, APCs, and tanks, and delivering them to shore via landing craft or directly by beaching.
The ship experienced problems during her early career with her engines (which differed from the British base design) and sewage system (leading to the death of a cadet in 1981). During the 1980s, the ship delivered supplies to the
Multinational Force and Observers
The Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) is an international peacekeeping force overseeing the terms of the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel. The MFO generally operates in and around the Sinai peninsula, ensuring free navigation through ...
on the
Sinai Peninsula
The Sinai Peninsula, or simply Sinai (now usually ) (, , cop, Ⲥⲓⲛⲁ), is a peninsula in Egypt, and the only part of the country located in Asia. It is between the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Red Sea to the south, and is a l ...
, assisted in the withdrawal from
RAAF Base Butterworth
RMAF Butterworth ( ms, TUDM Butterworth) is an active Military airbase, Air Force Station of the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) situated from Butterworth, Penang, Butterworth in Penang, Malaysia. It is currently home to the ''Headquarters In ...
, provided support and accommodation for delegates to the
South Pacific Forum
The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) is an inter-governmental organization that aims to enhance cooperation between countries and territories of Oceania, including formation of a trade bloc and regional peacekeeping operations. It was founded in 197 ...
, and was part of the
Australian response to the
1987 Fijian coups d'état
The Fijian coups d'état of 1987 resulted in the overthrow of the elected government of Fijian Prime Minister Timoci Bavadra, the deposition of Elizabeth II as Queen of Fiji, and in the declaration of a republic. The first coup d'état, in wh ...
. In the early 1990s, ''Tobruk'' was part of ceremonies marking the 75th anniversary of the
landing at Anzac Cove
The landing at Anzac Cove on Sunday, 25 April 1915, also known as the landing at Gaba Tepe and, to the Turks, as the Arıburnu Battle, was part of the amphibious invasion of the Gallipoli Peninsula by the forces of the British Empire, which ...
, then after a refit, participated in
peacekeeping efforts in Somalia.
Plans to replace ''Tobruk'' with one of the
''Kanimbla''-class ships began in 1993. She was offered for sale to the
Royal New Zealand Navy
The Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN; mi, Te Taua Moana o Aotearoa, , Sea Warriors of New Zealand) is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force. The fleet currently consists of nine ships. The Navy had its origins in the Naval Defence Act ...
, which refused because of the ship's manpower requirements. Delays in converting the ''Kanimbla''s for service meant ''Tobruk'' continued with normal operations during the 1990s. Attempts to sell the ship to the British and the
Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
did not succeed, and in 1997 the decision was made to keep ''Tobruk'', as the ''Kanimbla''s could not completely replace the heavy lift capability provided. During this period, ''Tobruk'' was deployed to
Bougainville on several occasions as peacekeeping operations during the
Bougainville Civil War
The Bougainville conflict, also known as the Bougainville Civil War, was a multi-layered armed conflict fought from 1988 to 1998 in the North Solomons Province of Papua New Guinea (PNG) between PNG and the secessionist forces of the Bougainville ...
. At the end of the decade, ''Tobruk'' operated as part of the
INTERFET
The International Force East Timor (INTERFET) was a multinational non-United Nations peacemaking task force, organised and led by Australia in accordance with United Nations resolutions to address the humanitarian and security crisis that took ...
peacekeeping operation in
East Timor
East Timor (), also known as Timor-Leste (), officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is an island country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the exclave of Oecusse on the island's north-weste ...
.
In 2000 and 2001, ''Tobruk'' was sent to the
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capita ...
on several deployments in response to the
civil war
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
: first to evacuate Australian citizens, then as a neutral venue for peace talks. From late 2001 to early 2002, the ship was in northern Australian waters on border-protection duties as part of
Operation Relex
Operation Relex is the name given to the Australian Defence Force (ADF) border protection operation in the country's northern approaches conducted between 2001 and 2006. The operation was instigated following the Tampa affair in September 2001 ...
. During 2005 and early 2006, ''Tobruk'' sailed to the Middle East on several occasions to deliver vehicles and cargo to Australian forces in the region. ''Tobruk'' and the two ''Kanimbla''s were set to East Timor in mid-2006 in response to the
2006 East Timorese crisis
The 2006 East Timorese crisis began as a conflict between elements of the military of East Timor over discrimination within the military and expanded to a coup attempt and general violence throughout the country, centred in the capital Dili. Th ...
, forming the first RAN amphibious readiness group since World War II. The rest of the decade included further border protection deployments under
Operation Resolute
Operation Resolute is the Australian Defence Force's contribution to the Australian governments effort to protect Australia's borders through surveillance and response. Operation Resolute began on 17 July 2006 and consolidated a number of previo ...
, a visit to Hawaii for the
RIMPAC
RIMPAC, the Rim of the Pacific Exercise, is the world's largest international maritime warfare exercise. RIMPAC is held biennially during June and July of even-numbered years from Honolulu, Hawaii, with the exception of 2020 where it was held i ...
multinational naval exercise, support for the
Army Aboriginal Community Assistance Program
The Army Aboriginal Community Assistance Program (originally called a 'Project') is a program run by Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) and Australian Army to assist remote Indigenous Australian co ...
, relief operations following the
2009 Samoa earthquake and tsunami
The 2009 Samoa earthquake and tsunami took place on 29 September 2009 in the southern Pacific Ocean adjacent to the Kermadec-Tonga subduction zone. The submarine earthquake occurred in an extensional environment and had a moment magnitude of 8.1 ...
, and use as the venue for a
Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Wilmette, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Patrick Stump, bassist Pete Wentz, lead guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer A ...
concert.
After spending several months in 2010 undergoing extended maintenance, ''Tobruk'' participated in the United States Navy's
Pacific Partnership
Pacific Partnership is an annual deployment of forces from the Pacific Fleet of the United States Navy (USN), in cooperation with regional governments and military forces, along with humanitarian and non-government organizations.
The deploymen ...
humanitarian assistance deployment. Because of the need for propeller shaft repairs, ''Tobruk'' could not be part of
the military response to
Cyclone Yasi
Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi () was a powerful and destructive tropical cyclone that made landfall in northern Queensland, Australia in early 2011, causing major damage to the affected areas. Originating as a tropical low near Fiji on 26 Jan ...
. Heavy use and lack of maintenance in previous years began to take its toll, with ''Tobruk'' unavailable for service on several occasions during the early 2010s. As the two ''Kanimbla''s had been forced out of service by ongoing issues, the Australian government had to charter a succession of civilian ships to provide standby heavy transport capability. In 2013, ''Tobruk'' again participated in Pacific Partnership, followed by a visit to the Philippines with disaster relief supplies after
Typhoon Haiyan
Typhoon Haiyan, known in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Yolanda, was one of the most powerful tropical cyclones ever recorded. On making landfall, Haiyan devastated portions of Southeast Asia, particularly the Philippines. It is one of the ...
. In early 2015, the ship was part of the response to
Cyclone Pam
Severe Tropical Cyclone Pam was the second most intense tropical cyclone of the South Pacific Ocean in terms of sustained winds and is regarded as one of the worst natural disasters in the history of Vanuatu. A total of 15–16 people lost ...
's impact on Vanuatu. ''Tobruk'' was decommissioned in July 2015, and was
scuttled
Scuttling is the deliberate sinking of a ship. Scuttling may be performed to dispose of an abandoned, old, or captured vessel; to prevent the vessel from becoming a navigation hazard; as an act of self-destruction to prevent the ship from being ...
as a
dive wreck
Wreck diving is recreational diving where the wreckage of ships, aircraft and other artificial structures are explored. Although most wreck dive sites are at shipwrecks, there is an increasing trend to scuttle retired ships to create artificia ...
in June 2018.
Design and construction
In the late 1970s, it was decided that the
Australian Army
The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (Austral ...
needed to be provided with a long-term
sealift
Sealift is a term used predominantly in military logistics and refers to the use of cargo ships for the deployment of military assets, such as weaponry, vehicles, military personnel, and supplies. It complements other means of transport, such as ...
capability, preferably through the acquisition of a dedicated cargo ship.
[Jones, in Stevens (2001), p. 222.] The chartering of civilian ships to provide this capability when required—as had been done with the merchant vessels and during the Vietnam War—was considered and rejected, because
Australian National Line
Australian National Line (ANL) was a coastal shipping line established in by the Government of Australia in 1956. It was sold in 1998 by the Howard government to CMA CGM.
History
Australian National Line was formed on 1 October 1956 as the ...
was unable to provide the necessary level of support.
[ It was decided that a purpose-built ship would be constructed for the role, and would be operated by the RAN.][ While the Army did not require that the ship be capable of beaching, the RAN set this as a requirement, to maximise the ship's flexibility. In 1975, the Navy successfully convinced Australian Military's Force Structure Committee to endorse this requirement over the Army's opposition, and the committee authorised the purchase of a Landing Ship Heavy (LSH) on 19 March 1975.
Two designs were considered for ''Tobruk'', with a modified Sir- or ]Round Table-class landing ship logistics
The Round Table class, also known as the ''Sir Lancelot'' class, was a British ship class designed for amphibious warfare missions in support of the main amphibious warfare ships. They were designated landing ship logistics (LSL). The class was a ...
, in use with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) is a naval auxiliary fleet owned by the UK's Ministry of Defence. It provides logistical and operational support to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. The RFA ensures the Royal Navy is supplied and supported by ...
at the time, selected for construction.[ ''Tobruk'' design was based on RFA ''Sir Bedivere'', the second of the class, which had been modified following the Royal Fleet Auxiliary's experience with operating the class' lead ship, RFA ''Sir Lancelot''.][ The ship was designed as a multi-purpose, ]roll-on/roll-off
Roll-on/roll-off (RORO or ro-ro) ships are cargo ships designed to carry wheeled cargo, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, buses, trailers, and railroad cars, that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels or using ...
heavy lift and transport vessel.[Royal Australian Navy, ''HMAS Tobruk (II) – Part 1''] The Australian modifications to the design were kept to a minimum to simplify construction; the most significant changes were to improve the ship's ability to operate both large and multiple helicopters, fitting an operations room, and adding a derrick
A derrick is a lifting device composed at minimum of one guyed mast, as in a gin pole, which may be articulated over a load by adjusting its guys. Most derricks have at least two components, either a guyed mast or self-supporting tower, and a ...
with a lift of 70 tonnes. Most of the other changes related to bringing accommodation conditions into line with Australian requirements. Like the other ships of the Round Table class, ''Tobruk'' was built to commercial rather than military standards, and was unable to sustain as much damage as warships.
The ship had a standard displacement of 3,353 tons, and a full load displacement of 5,791 tons.[ She was in length, with a beam of , and a draught of .][ Propulsion machinery consisted of two Mirrlees Blackstone KDMR8 diesels, providing to the ship's two propeller shafts.][Saunders (ed.), (2012), p. 32.] The ship was fitted with different engines to those used in the equivalent British ships, which were proven unreliable early in ''Tobruk'' career. Top speed was , with a range of at .[ A bow thruster was also fitted to assist with confined-waters manoeuvring.][ Armament initially consisted of two 40/60 Bofors guns, supplemented by two 12.7 mm machine guns.][Sharpe (ed.), (1998), p. 30] During the 1990s, the Bofors were removed. They were later replaced by two Mini Typhoon
The Typhoon is a type of remote weapon station manufactured by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems of Israel, and it shares similar design principles and common technologies with Samson Remote Controlled Weapon Station (Samson RCWS), a land-based sys ...
12.7 mm mounts, which were not permanently installed but fitted as needed, and the number of standard 12.7 mm machine guns was increased to six.[ The sensor suite included a Kelvin Hughes Type 1006 surface search radar and a Kelvin Hughes Type 1007 navigational radar.][ In 2012, the ship's company was 148, including 13 officers.][
''Tobruk'' was capable of embarking between 300 and 520 soldiers (extended duration versus short term), along with 1,300 tons of cargo or 330 ]lane metre A lane meter (or lanes in meters) is a unit of deck area in roll-on/roll-off ships, cargo vessels where containers or other cargo, including ferried vehicles, can be rolled or driven on and off. A lane meter is defined as a strip of deck one mete ...
s of vehicles (equivalent to 18 Leopard 1
The Leopard 1 (also styled Leopard I, before the Leopard 2 simply known as Leopard) is a main battle tank designed and produced by Porsche in West Germany that first entered service in 1965. Developed in an era when HEAT warheads were thought ...
or M1 Abrams
The M1 Abrams is a third-generation American main battle tank designed by Chrysler Defense (now General Dynamics Land Systems) and named for General Creighton Abrams. Conceived for modern armored ground warfare and now one of the heaviest ta ...
main battle tanks plus 40 M113 armored personnel carriers or Australian Light Armoured Vehicles).[ Vehicles and cargo could be embarked via bow or stern ramps, with the reinforced tank-deck running the length of the ship, and inter-deck transfer ramps fitted.][ The bow ramp was contained behind horizontal-opening bow doors, and could be extended and lowered for beach or harbour loading, while at the stern a combined door-ramp could be used conventionally when at suitable facilities, or for ramp-to-ramp loading of landing craft at sea.][ Additional cargo handling was provided by the 70-tonne Velle heavy lift derrick (a feature singled out for attention in '']Jane's Fighting Ships
''Jane's Fighting Ships'' by Janes Information Services is an annual reference book of information on all the world's warships arranged by nation, including information on ships' names, dimensions, armaments, silhouettes and photographs, etc. E ...
''), supplemented by two 8.5-tonne Favco cranes.[ 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 world. ...
landing craft could be carried in cradles on the main deck, while two LCVPs were carried in derricks on the superstructure.[ Two Naval Lighterage Equipment pontoons could be carried on the ship's flanks to extend the reach of the bow ramp when beaching, or as rafts to transport cargo ashore.][Gillett (1988), p. 81] The ship had an aft helicopter platform capable of handling aircraft up to Westland Sea King
The Westland WS-61 Sea King is a British licence-built version of the American Sikorsky S-61 helicopter of the same name, built by Westland Helicopters. The aircraft differs considerably from the American version, with Rolls-Royce Gnome engin ...
size, while the main deck (once cleared of landing craft and cargo) could be used as a secondary flight deck for helicopters up to Boeing CH-47 Chinook
The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is a tandem rotor helicopter developed by American rotorcraft company Vertol and manufactured by Boeing Vertol. The Chinook is a heavy-lift helicopter that is among the heaviest lifting Western helicopters. Its name, Ch ...
size.[Gillett (1988), p. 80] Both flight decks could be operated simultaneously and both had capability for landed or at-hover refuelling.[
''Tobruk'' was built by Carrington Slipways in ]Tomago, New South Wales
Tomago is a combined industrial/semi-rural suburb of the Port Stephens local government area in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia. It is located just north of the Hunter River and west of the body of water known as Fullerton Cove. ...
. The company was selected following a competitive tender in May 1977, with contract negotiations completed on 3 November 1977. Construction of ''Tobruk'' formally began on 7 February 1978, when the ship's keel was laid.[ ''Tobruk'' was launched on 1 March 1980 by Lady Anna Cowen, wife of Governor General ]Zelman Cowen
Sir Zelman Cowen, (7 October 1919 – 8 December 2011) was an Australian legal scholar and university administrator who served as the 19th Governor-General of Australia, in office from 1977 to 1982.
Cowen was born in Melbourne, and attended ...
.[ The ship left the dockyard for the first time in December 1980: her construction had been delayed by over four months by industrial disputes, and her final cost of A$59 million was 42 percent greater than originally estimated.] The ship's sea trial
A sea trial is the testing phase of a watercraft (including boats, ships, and submarines). It is also referred to as a " shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on open water, and ...
s were conducted in early 1981 off Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to:
*Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England
*Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England
*Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area in Australia, named after Newcastle ...
and Port Stephens by a joint Navy-Army-civilian crew, and fitting out was completed on 7 April 1981. ''Tobruk'' was handed over to the Navy on 11 April 1981 and was commissioned at Newcastle on 23 April. The ship's name had been selected in 1976 and refers to the Siege of Tobruk
The siege of Tobruk lasted for 241 days in 1941, after Axis forces advanced through Cyrenaica from El Agheila in Operation Sonnenblume against Allied forces in Libya, during the Western Desert Campaign (1940–1943) of the Second World War. ...
during World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, in which the RAN's 'Scrap Iron Flotilla
The Scrap Iron Flotilla was an Australian destroyer group that operated in the Mediterranean and Pacific during World War II. The name was bestowed upon the group by Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels.
The flotilla consisted of five Ro ...
' supplied the besieged 9th Australian Division
The 9th Division was a division of the Australian Army that served during World War II. It was the fourth division raised for the Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF). The distinctions of the division include it being:
* in front line comb ...
.[Doolan (2007), p. 15.] She was the second RAN ship of this name; preceded by the Battle-class destroyer
The Battle class were a class of destroyers of the British Royal Navy (RN) and Royal Australian Navy (RAN), named after naval or other battles fought by British or English forces. Built in three groups, the first group were ordered under the 1 ...
. She was the first purpose-built major amphibious vessel in RAN service, and was classified as a Landing Ship Heavy by the RAN.
Operational history
1980s
Following her commissioning, ''Tobruk'' proceeded to her initial home port of in Brisbane, Queensland
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
for the first time, then undertook further sea trials. These trials were conducted during the winter of 1981, and were intended to both test whether the ship met her design specifications and develop procedures for landing helicopters and beaching. The trials were generally successful, although ''Tobruk'' engines continued to be unreliable and problems were encountered with the sewage system. The ship undertook its first tasking in the spring of 1981 when she transported elements of the 16th Air Defence Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery
The 16th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery is the Australian Army's only ground-based air defence (GBAD) unit. It also provides sense, warn and locate, ground liaison, and joint terminal attack control capabilities. Part of the Royal Regiment ...
from Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
to Port Alma, Queensland
Port Alma is a coastal town, locality and port in the Rockhampton Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Port Alma had a population of 0 people.
Geography
Port Alma ia approximately from Rockhampton, at the south end of the Fitzroy River ...
. Following this ''Tobruk'' proceeded to Port Phillip Bay
Port Phillip (Kulin: ''Narm-Narm'') or Port Phillip Bay is a horsehead-shaped enclosed bay on the central coast of southern Victoria, Australia. The bay opens into the Bass Strait via a short, narrow channel known as The Rip, and is completel ...
and suffered a serious engine malfunction while approaching Station Pier
Station Pier is a historic Australian pier on Port Phillip, in Port Melbourne, Victoria. Opened in 1854, the pier is Melbourne's primary passenger terminal, servicing interstate ferries and cruise ships, and is listed on the Victorian Heritage R ...
. While the engines were repaired, the main engine control mechanism was later found to be entirely unreliable and had to be redesigned and reconstructed at Brisbane. During trials following this repair the ship's sewage system seriously malfunctioned, fatally gassing one of the Australian Navy Cadets
The Australian Navy Cadets (ANC) is a voluntary youth organisation owned and sponsored by the Royal Australian Navy. Together with the Australian Air Force Cadets and Australian Army Cadets, it forms the Australian Defence Force Cadets. It host ...
who had been embarked for seagoing experience. The cadet's death led to an inquiry into the ship by the Commonwealth Government's Auditor General which concluded that she should not have been accepted by the RAN at the time she was commissioned due to the number of defects still present.
''Tobruk'' conducted her first trips outside Australia in the early 1980s. On 15 February 1982, the ship left Brisbane to transport eight Bell UH-1 Iroquois
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 helic ...
helicopters from the Royal Australian Air Force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
, plus supporting stores, to join the Australian contingent to the Multinational Force and Observers
The Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) is an international peacekeeping force overseeing the terms of the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel. The MFO generally operates in and around the Sinai peninsula, ensuring free navigation through ...
in the Sinai Peninsula
The Sinai Peninsula, or simply Sinai (now usually ) (, , cop, Ⲥⲓⲛⲁ), is a peninsula in Egypt, and the only part of the country located in Asia. It is between the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Red Sea to the south, and is a l ...
. ''Tobruk'' arrived in Ashdod
Ashdod ( he, ''ʾašdōḏ''; ar, أسدود or إسدود ''ʾisdūd'' or '' ʾasdūd'' ; Philistine: 𐤀𐤔𐤃𐤃 *''ʾašdūd'') is the sixth-largest city in Israel. Located in the country's Southern District, it lies on the Mediterran ...
, Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
on 19 March, becoming the first Australian warship to visit the country, and arrived back in Brisbane on 30 April. The ship transported cyclone relief stores to Tonga
Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...
in May and spent the remainder of the year undertaking tasks in Australian waters. These included supporting the 1982 Commonwealth Games
The 1982 Commonwealth Games were held in Brisbane, Australia, from 30 September to 9 October 1982. The Opening Ceremony was held at the QEII Stadium (named after Elizabeth II), in the Brisbane suburb of Nathan. The QEII Stadium was also the a ...
, which were held in Brisbane. In early 1983, ''Tobruk'' travelled to Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
to assist the RAAF in withdrawing units from RAAF Base Butterworth
RMAF Butterworth ( ms, TUDM Butterworth) is an active Military airbase, Air Force Station of the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) situated from Butterworth, Penang, Butterworth in Penang, Malaysia. It is currently home to the ''Headquarters In ...
. In February 1984, ''Tobruk'' took part in exercises in New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
, before travelling to Tuvalu
Tuvalu ( or ; formerly known as the Ellice Islands) is an island country and microstate in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. Its islands are situated about midway between Hawaii and Australia. They lie east-northeast ...
in August, where she provided support and accommodation for delegates to the South Pacific Forum
The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) is an inter-governmental organization that aims to enhance cooperation between countries and territories of Oceania, including formation of a trade bloc and regional peacekeeping operations. It was founded in 197 ...
. In late 1985, the naval base HMAS ''Moreton'' was decommissioned, prompting the disbanding of the Amphibious Squadron (which had consisted of ''Tobruk'' and the six ''Balikpapan''-class landing craft) and the relocation of ''Tobruk'' homeport to Fleet Base East
The 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''. The Fleet Base East extends beyond the borders of ...
in Sydney.[Jones, in Stevens (2001), p. 243]
In May 1987, ''Tobruk'' formed part of the Australian military force which deployed to Fiji
Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...
following the 1987 Fijian coups d'état
The Fijian coups d'état of 1987 resulted in the overthrow of the elected government of Fijian Prime Minister Timoci Bavadra, the deposition of Elizabeth II as Queen of Fiji, and in the declaration of a republic. The first coup d'état, in wh ...
. The goal of this deployment, which was designated Operation Morris Dance
Operation Morris Dance was an Australian military operation conducted in May 1987 in response to the first of the 1987 Fijian coups d'état.
On the morning of 14 May 1987 the Military of Fiji took control of the country in a bloodless coup d' ...
, was to evacuate Australian citizens if necessary. ''Tobruk'' left Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
carrying Army stores and five helicopters on 21 May and embarked 'B' Company of the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1 RAR) is a regular motorised infantry battalion of the Australian Army. 1 RAR was first formed as the 65th Australian Infantry Battalion of the 34th Brigade (Australia) on Balikpapan in 1945 and since ...
(1RAR) at Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island (, ; Norfuk: ''Norf'k Ailen'') is an external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia, directly east of Australia's Evans Head and about from Lord Howe Island. Together with ...
on 23 May. ''Tobruk'' joined HMA Ships , and off Suva
Suva () is the capital and largest city of Fiji. It is the home of the country's largest metropolitan area and serves as its major port. The city is located on the southeast coast of the island of Viti Levu, in Rewa Province, Central Divi ...
on 26 May. By this time it had become clear that there would not be a need to evacuate Australians from Fiji, and ''Tobruk'' proceeded to support the South Pacific Forum meeting at Apia
Apia () is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Samoa, as well as the nation's only city. It is located on the central north coast of Upolu, Samoa's second-largest island. Apia falls within the political district (''itūmālō ...
, Samoa
Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands (Manono Island, Manono an ...
after cross-decking the troops and their supplies to the other ships. Operation Morris Dance revealed serious shortcomings in the Australian Defence Force
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is the military organisation responsible for the defence of the Commonwealth of Australia and its national interests. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Forc ...
's ability to deploy forces outside Australia, with the Army unit having no previous experience of amphibious operations and the naval helicopters being unable to carry Army supplies.
After Operation Morris Dance, ''Tobruk'' returned to mainly routine duties. She travelled to New Zealand on a training cruise in early 1988 and was placed on alert to carry an Army force to evacuate Australian civilians from Vanuatu
Vanuatu ( or ; ), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (french: link=no, République de Vanuatu; bi, Ripablik blong Vanuatu), is an island country located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is east of no ...
in April 1988 following a political crisis there. While ''Tobruk'' was loaded with stores and three Sea King helicopters, this deployment did not eventuate and the ship was unloaded on 24 May. The ship transported the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (6 RAR) is a mechanised infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was originally raised in Brisbane, Queensland, on 6 June 1965 and has since then served in a number of overseas deployments and conf ...
's vehicles and supplies to the west coast of the United States in early 1989 and participated in a joint Australian, British, Canadian and American 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 conducte ...
exercise at Monterey Bay
Monterey Bay is a bay of the Pacific Ocean located on the coast of the U.S. state of California, south of the San Francisco Bay Area and its major city at the south of the bay, San Jose. San Francisco itself is further north along the coast, by a ...
. The ship then visited Canada before returning to Australia. In December 1989, ''Tobruk'' was forced to undergo unscheduled repairs at Newcastle to repair damage caused by excessive vibration, which had possibly been caused by her engines revving at a higher rate than the ship had been designed for.
1990s
''Tobruk'' began the 1990s with another deployment at short notice to the South Pacific. On 26 January 1990, she was tasked to assist with evacuating Australian citizens from Bougainville in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...
; this operation was cancelled in early February while the ship was travelling to the island from Sydney. On 5 March, ''Tobruk'' left Sydney bound for Gallipoli
The Gallipoli peninsula (; tr, Gelibolu Yarımadası; grc, Χερσόνησος της Καλλίπολης, ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles ...
, Turkey in company with HMAS ''Sydney'' to participate in ceremonies marking the 75th anniversary of the landing at Anzac Cove
The landing at Anzac Cove on Sunday, 25 April 1915, also known as the landing at Gaba Tepe and, to the Turks, as the Arıburnu Battle, was part of the amphibious invasion of the Gallipoli Peninsula by the forces of the British Empire, which ...
. ''Tobruk'' carried vehicles, stores and support personnel for the ceremony on 25 April, with many of the ship's crew also going ashore to visit the battlefields on Anzac Day
, image = Dawn service gnangarra 03.jpg
, caption = Anzac Day Dawn Service at Kings Park, Western Australia, 25 April 2009, 94th anniversary.
, observedby = Australia Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Cook Islands New ...
. In 1991, the ship was refitted by Forgacs (formerly Carrington Slipways) in the company's new floating dock.[ The refit was delayed by industrial action by the Painters and Dockers Union.][
]
In late December 1992, ''Tobruk'' was selected to take part in Operation Solace
Operation Solace was the Australian Defence Force's main contribution to the Unified Task Force (UNITAF) which was a United States led, United Nations sanctioned, multinational force which operated in the Republic of Somalia from 9 December 1992 t ...
, Australia's contribution to the international peacekeeping effort in Somalia
Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...
.[ Initial notice of the deployment was given on 9 December, then confirmed on 15 December, with personnel recalled from leave.][Royal Australian Navy, ''HMAS Tobruk (II) – Part 2''] Working-up exercises ran between 22 and 26 December, before the ship left Sydney for Townsville.[ En route, the ship's company was informed that ''Tobruk'' would remain on station in Somalia for the duration of Operation Solace.][ In Townsville, equipment and vehicles for 1RAR and elements of the 3rd/4th Cavalry Regiment (Australia).] ''Tobruk'' sailed for Somalia on 1 January 1993: the loading process was delayed by another serious toxic gas incident in one of the ship's sewerage plants.[ The sealift operation in support Operation Solace, conducted by ''Tobruk'' and , was the largest performed by the RAN since the Vietnam War.][ ''Tobruk'' arrived at ]Mogadishu
Mogadishu (, also ; so, Muqdisho or ; ar, مقديشو ; it, Mogadiscio ), locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and List of cities in Somalia by population, most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port ...
on 19 January, and unloaded during 20 January.[ She spent the next few days at anchor, during which she was used as a training platform for boarding and seizure operations by the ]United States Navy SEALs
The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main functions are conducting sma ...
, in their preparation for the arrival of a merchant vessel smuggling weapons.[ Between 26 and 28 January, ''Tobruk'' visited ]Mombasa
Mombasa ( ; ) is a coastal city in southeastern Kenya along the Indian Ocean. It was the first capital of the British East Africa, before Nairobi was elevated to capital city status. It now serves as the capital of Mombasa County. The town is ...
, Kenya to collect building materials for the reconstruction of the United States embassy in Somalia.[
The ship remained in Somali waters until late May, apart from runs to Mombasa to embark humanitarian supplies, along with a port visit to the ]Seychelles
Seychelles (, ; ), officially the Republic of Seychelles (french: link=no, République des Seychelles; Creole: ''La Repiblik Sesel''), is an archipelagic state consisting of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean. Its capital and largest city, V ...
in late April.[ As well as providing heavy lift and logistic support, ''Tobruk'' provided the main communications link for 1RAR back to Australia, and served as a venue for rest and recreation for soldiers.][ Re-embarkation of Australian equipment began on 14 May, and ''Tobruk'' sailed for home on 20 May.][Doolan (2007), pp. 89–101.][ The ship called at ]Diego Garcia
Diego Garcia is an island of the British Indian Ocean Territory, a disputed overseas territory of the United Kingdom. It is a militarised atoll just south of the equator in the central Indian Ocean, and the largest of the 60 small islands o ...
and Singapore before unloading in Townsville, then returning to Sydney on 21 June.[ After a maintenance period lasting until August, ''Tobruk'' resumed normal exercise and training routines.][ The ship was awarded the ]Gloucester Cup
The Gloucester Cup is the common name for three awards of the Australian Defence Force officially called the Duke of Gloucester's Cup, the three awards are presented to the most proficient ship of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), infantry battali ...
for 1993 for her service off Somalia and subsequent operations during the year.[
In 1993, the Australian Government decided to purchase two ex-United States Navy ''Newport''-class tank landing ships to replace ''Tobruk'' and the navy's training and sealift ship ''Jervis Bay'' in 1994. Plans were developed to place ''Tobruk'' in reserve or lease her to the ]Royal New Zealand Navy
The Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN; mi, Te Taua Moana o Aotearoa, , Sea Warriors of New Zealand) is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force. The fleet currently consists of nine ships. The Navy had its origins in the Naval Defence Act ...
(RNZN). While the New Zealand government was interested in obtaining a sealift ship, the RNZN did not feel that it could afford to crew and operate ''Tobruk'' and the negotiations with New Zealand ended unsuccessfully in September 1994. The unexpected difficulty of converting the two LSTs into the ''Kanimbla'' class led to the date of ''Tobruk'' retirement being postponed to mid-1996, with the ship continuing normal operations. After the negotiations with New Zealand ended, the RAN opened negotiations with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, which was considering scrapping one of its Round Tables and replacing it with ''Tobruk''. A British team travelled to Australia to inspect the ship in December 1994, but this sale did not eventuate. The Portuguese Navy
The Portuguese Navy ( pt, Marinha Portuguesa, also known as ''Marinha de Guerra Portuguesa'' or as ''Armada Portuguesa'') is the naval branch of the Portuguese Armed Forces which, in cooperation and integrated with the other branches of the Port ...
expressed interest in buying ''Tobruk'' in 1995 and sent a team to Sydney in 1996 to inspect the ship. During this period ''Tobruk'' remained in active service, and in 1997 the new Liberal Party government decided to retain her until 2010 as the two LSTs could not fully replace her ability to carry heavy equipment. The period of uncertainty about the ship's fate led to a deterioration in her material condition, as she did not receive a major refit during the period she was up for sale.
''Tobruk'' played an important role in efforts to end the civil war in Bougainville during the 1990s. In September 1994, she transported an Australian peacekeeping force to Bougainville to protect peace talks which were attempting to end the civil war on the island. These talks were not successful and during the deployment one of the ship's Sea King helicopters was damaged by small arms fire; the first damage sustained by a RAN unit since the Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
. A peace agreement was signed in October 1997, and ''Tobruk'' returned to Bougainville in November of that year to deploy a peace monitoring group. The ship made several voyages to the island during the first four months of 1998 to support the peace process. Further voyages to Bougainville took place in September 1998, February 2000 and August 2003; the last of these was to extract the peace monitoring group following the successful conclusion of this mission. ''Tobruk'' also participated in a major international exercise in South East Asia in 1999.
In 1999 and 2000, ''Tobruk'' took part in the international peacekeeping effort in East Timor
East Timor (), also known as Timor-Leste (), officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is an island country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the exclave of Oecusse on the island's north-weste ...
. On 30 August 1999, the day the referendum which led to East Timor's independence was held, she left Sydney for Townsville to load elements of the 3rd Brigade in case there was a need to evacuate Australians and other foreigners from East Timor. The referendum was followed by widespread violence and the Indonesian government agreed to an international peacekeeping force (the International Force for East Timor
The International Force East Timor (INTERFET) was a multinational non-United Nations peacemaking task force, organised and led by Australia in accordance with United Nations resolutions to address the humanitarian and security crisis that took ...
(INTERFET) being deployed to East Timor in mid-September. ''Tobruk'' left Darwin on 18 September under escort by , and arrived at Dili
Dili (Portuguese/Tetum: ''Díli'') is the capital, largest city of East Timor and the second largest city in Timor islands after Kupang (Indonesia). It lies on the northern coast of the island of Timor, in a small area of flat land hemmed in ...
on 21 September. The ship made six further voyages between Darwin and East Timor in September and October 1999, and continued to make an important contribution to the peacekeeping operation until November, when she returned to Sydney for maintenance. ''Tobruk'' made two further trips to East Timor in March and April 2000. ''Tobruk'' was later awarded the 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 operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible.
In European military t ...
"East Timor 1999" in recognition of her contribution to INTERFET.
2000–2015
In mid-2000, a civil war broke out in the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capita ...
; ''Tobruk'' was ordered to the islands' capital, Honiara
Honiara () is the capital and largest city of Solomon Islands, situated on the northwestern coast of Guadalcanal. , it had a population of 92,344 people. The city is served by Honiara International Airport and the seaport of Point Cruz, and lie ...
, to evacuate Australian citizens. She arrived on 8 June and embarked 486 civilians, who were then transported to Cairns, Queensland
Cairns (, ) is a city in Queensland, Australia, on the tropical north east coast of Far North Queensland. The population in June 2019 was 153,952, having grown on average 1.02% annually over the preceding five years. The city is the 5th-most-p ...
. After a brief maintenance period, ''Tobruk'' returned to the Solomons in late June, where she served as the venue for peace talks. She spent almost all of July at anchor off Honiara and returned to Australia after a cease-fire agreement was signed on board the ship on 2 August. ''Tobruk'' made a further voyage to the Solomons in December 2000 to support the International Peace Monitoring team which had been established there. A peace treaty ending the conflict was signed on board the ship on 7 February 2001 and she returned to Sydney on 15 February. ''Tobruk'' took part of Operation Relex
Operation Relex is the name given to the Australian Defence Force (ADF) border protection operation in the country's northern approaches conducted between 2001 and 2006. The operation was instigated following the Tampa affair in September 2001 ...
in late 2001 and early 2002 where she transported would-be refugees to Nauru
Nauru ( or ; na, Naoero), officially the Republic of Nauru ( na, Repubrikin Naoero) and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country and microstate in Oceania, in the Central Pacific. Its nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in Ki ...
and Christmas Island
Christmas Island, officially the Territory of Christmas Island, is an Australian external territory comprising the island of the same name. It is located in the Indian Ocean, around south of Java and Sumatra and around north-west of the ...
. She also made a further voyage from Darwin to East Timor in April 2002 to deliver supplies to the Australian Defence Force units there.
In April 2005, HMAS ''Tobruk'' left Sydney to transport 20 ASLAV
The Australian Light Armoured Vehicle (ASLAV) is an eight-wheeled amphibious armoured reconnaissance vehicle of the LAV II family used by the Australian Army. It was built by General Dynamics Land Systems Canada, and developed from the U.S. Mari ...
s to Kuwait, where they would equip the Australian Army's Al Muthanna Task Group
The Al Muthanna Task Group (AMTG) was a battlegroup that formed Australia's main ground force contribution to the Multinational force in Iraq. The AMTG was established in April 2005 and ceased to exist in July 2006 when the Australian force was r ...
in Iraq. The ASLAVs were embarked at Darwin on 18 April and the ship arrived at Kuwait on 9 May. She returned to Australia via India, arriving back in Sydney on 22 June. ''Tobruk'' undertook a second voyage to the Middle East in late 2006 to transport the equipment for the Army forces in the Reconstruction Task Force in Afghanistan and arrived home via the Philippines in April 2007.
''Tobruk'' travelled to Nias Island
Nias ( id, Pulau Nias, Nias language: ''Tanö Niha'') (sometimes called Little Sumatra in English) is an island located off the western coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. Nias is also the name of the archipelago () of which the island is the centre, ...
in Indonesia in March 2006 to support ceremonies commemorating the anniversary of the crash of an RAN Sea King helicopter there on 2 April 2005. Following this deployment, she took part in Exercise Croix du Sud off New Caledonia
)
, anthem = ""
, image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg
, map_alt = Location of New Caledonia
, map_caption = Location of New Caledonia
, mapsize = 290px
, subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...
, then proceeded to the Philippines where she was to embark a North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco
The North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco is an American twin-turboprop light attack and observation aircraft. It was developed in the 1960s as a special aircraft for counter-insurgency (COIN) combat, and one of its primary missions was as a forw ...
aircraft destined for the Australian War Memorial
The Australian War Memorial is Australia's national memorial to the members of its armed forces and supporting organisations who have died or participated in wars involving the Commonwealth of Australia and some conflicts involving pe ...
. In mid-May, ''Tobruk'' was recalled from her voyage to the Philippines to embark elements of the 3rd Brigade for an urgent deployment to East Timor following fighting caused by unrest in the country's military. She proceeded to Dili in company with the Navy's two ''Kanimbla''-class landing platform amphibious ships. This was the first time that an Australian amphibious readiness group had been formed since World War II. The Group departed from Townsville on 23 May and arrived at Dili a few days later. After unloading her cargo, ''Tobruk'' returned to Townsville where she embarked a second load of vehicles and supplies for the Australian forces in East Timor, arriving back at Dili in the first week of June. She returned to Sydney in late June.
In November 2006 it was reported that while the Department of Defence had engaged a specialist to supervise the removal of large quantities of asbestos
Asbestos () is a naturally occurring fibrous silicate mineral. There are six types, all of which are composed of long and thin fibrous crystals, each fibre being composed of many microscopic "fibrils" that can be released into the atmosphere b ...
from ''Tobruk'', her crew were concerned that the ship was continuing operations during the overhaul. The report also stated that removal of the material had been delayed for several years due to the ship's high operational tempo.
In late December 2007, two groups of 60 Australian Navy Cadets and staff were embarked aboard ''Tobruk'' for the final part of the ship's deployment with Operation Resolute
Operation Resolute is the Australian Defence Force's contribution to the Australian governments effort to protect Australia's borders through surveillance and response. Operation Resolute began on 17 July 2006 and consolidated a number of previo ...
and the return voyage from Darwin to Sydney.[Royal Australian Navy (2008).] This was the first time cadets had been embarked under these conditions.[ The first group remained aboard until ''Tobruk'' arrived in Cairns, where they were replaced with the second group for the return to Sydney.][
]
In 2008, ''Tobruk'' formed part of the Australia Defence Force's contingent during the annual RIMPAC
RIMPAC, the Rim of the Pacific Exercise, is the world's largest international maritime warfare exercise. RIMPAC is held biennially during June and July of even-numbered years from Honolulu, Hawaii, with the exception of 2020 where it was held i ...
exercise off Hawaii. She left Sydney on 10 June and returned on 18 August. During the exercise ''Tobruk'' embarked and landed United States Marines Amphibious Assault Vehicle
The Assault Amphibious Vehicle (AAV)—official designation AAVP-7A1 (formerly known as Landing Vehicle, Tracked, Personnel-7 abbr. LVTP-7)—is a fully tracked amphibious vehicle, amphibious landing vehicle manufactured by BAE Systems Land & Ar ...
s. In October, ''Tobruk'' and supported the Army Aboriginal Community Assistance Program
The Army Aboriginal Community Assistance Program (originally called a 'Project') is a program run by Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) and Australian Army to assist remote Indigenous Australian co ...
(AACAP) by transporting equipment from Kalumburu, Western Australia
Kalumburu (postcode 6740) and Kalumburu Community (formerly Drysdale River Mission) are both bounded localities within the Shire of Wyndham-East Kimberley in Western Australia. Kalumburu Community is the northernmost settlement in Western Aust ...
at the end of an AACAP project.
On 22 February 2009, ''Tobruk'' was used as the venue for a Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Wilmette, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Patrick Stump, bassist Pete Wentz, lead guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer A ...
concert. From 3 April to 24 June she operated off northern Australia as part of Operation Resolute. On 16 April she was one of the ships which responded to an explosion on board the refugee ship 'Siev 36
SIEV 36 ( Suspected Illegal Entry Vessel 36) was a vessel from Indonesia that exploded and sank off Ashmore Reef, Australia on 16 April 2009. The vessel, carrying 47 refugees and two crew, was intercepted by the Royal Australian Navy patrol boat ...
'. During this operation she provided medical treatment to people wounded in the blast and her embarked Sea King helicopter flew the more badly injured to Mungalalu Truscott Airbase
Mungalalu Truscott Airbase or Truscott-Mungalalu Airport , which during World War II was known as Truscott Airfield (or usually just simply referred to as Truscott) is today a commercial airport in the remote Kimberley region of Western Austra ...
. ''Tobruk'' subsequently carried 136 refugees to Christmas Island
Christmas Island, officially the Territory of Christmas Island, is an Australian external territory comprising the island of the same name. It is located in the Indian Ocean, around south of Java and Sumatra and around north-west of the ...
in early May. During the period 3 April to 24 June she spent 79 days at sea and only four in port, steamed and embarked more than 250 asylum seekers. In October 2009 she sailed to Samoa to conduct relief operations after the islands were affected by the 2009 Samoa earthquake and tsunami
The 2009 Samoa earthquake and tsunami took place on 29 September 2009 in the southern Pacific Ocean adjacent to the Kermadec-Tonga subduction zone. The submarine earthquake occurred in an extensional environment and had a moment magnitude of 8.1 ...
.
''Tobruk'' completed a period of extended maintenance in April 2010. As of late May that year, she had sailed during her service with the RAN. During the first week of September 2010, ''Tobruk'' and two other RAN amphibious ships participated in the United States-led Pacific Partnership
Pacific Partnership is an annual deployment of forces from the Pacific Fleet of the United States Navy (USN), in cooperation with regional governments and military forces, along with humanitarian and non-government organizations.
The deploymen ...
2010 deployment in Papua New Guinea.
In early 2011, ''Tobruk'' was at Garden Island Naval Dockyard for heavy repairs to the propeller shaft. As a result, she was not available to participate in Operation Yasi Assist
Operation Yasi Assist was a multi-Service activity by the Australian Defence Force (ADF) as part of the response to Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi. Coordinated to aid civilian emergency response efforts, at Federal inter-departmental level it was ma ...
following Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi
Severity or Severely may refer to:
* Severity (video game), ''Severity'' (video game), a canceled video game
* Severely (song), "Severely" (song), by South Korean band F.T. Island
See also
*
*
{{disambig ...
and, due to both ships of the ''Kanimbla'' class being out of service with mechanical problems, the Navy did not have an amphibious transport capacity at the time. Minister for Defence Stephen Smith stated afterwards that he was misinformed about when ''Tobruk'' would be ready to put to sea if required. Temporary repairs were completed by 7 March, and the ship was returned to "48-hours deployment notice" status, although more permanent repairs would be required later. Following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The occurred at 14:46 JST (05:46 UTC) on 11 March. The magnitude 9.0–9.1 (M) undersea megathrust earthquake had an epicenter in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region, and lasted approximately six minutes ...
on 11 March 2011, ''Tobruk'' and ''Sydney'' were placed on alert to transport supplies and Australian Army engineers to Japan if this was requested by the Japanese Government. In May 2011, the ship began a two-month-long maintenance period in Sydney. To provide an amphibious capability during this refit, the civilian icebreaker ''Aurora Australis'' was chartered from May until August. Although ''Tobruk'' was to be active during late August and early September, she would then return to dockyard hands for further maintenance during September and October in preparation for the 2011–12 tropical cyclone season.[ The ]Australian Customs
The Australian Customs and Border Protection Service was an Australian federal government agency responsible for managing the security and integrity of the Australian border and facilitating the movement of legitimate international travelers and g ...
vessel ''Ocean Protector'' was used for humanitarian and disaster relief operations during ''Tobruk'' docking.[
In June 2013, ''Tobruk'' was deployed to Papua New Guinea as part of the annual United States Navy Pacific Partnership humanitarian assistance operation.] ''Tobruk'' was designated the command platform for Pacific Partnership operations around Papua New Guinea during her seven-week deployment, and she was accompanied by the Japanese destroyer ''Yamagiri''.[ In October, ''Tobruk'' participated in the ]International Fleet Review 2013
The International Fleet Review 2013 was a review that took place on the week 3 to 11 October 2013, as part of the celebrations to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the entry of the first Royal Australian Navy fleet in Sydney Harbour, on 4 Octob ...
. On 18 November, the ship sailed from Townsville with disaster relief
Emergency management or disaster management is the managerial function charged with creating the framework within which communities reduce vulnerability to hazards and cope with disasters. Emergency management, despite its name, does not actuall ...
supplies for Tacloban
Tacloban ( ; ), officially the City of Tacloban ( war, Syudad han Tacloban; fil, Lungsod ng Tacloban), is a first class highly urbanized city in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines. The city is autonomous from the province of Leyte, a ...
City and coastal regions of Leyte
Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census.
Since the accessibility of land has be ...
in the Philippines following Typhoon Haiyan
Typhoon Haiyan, known in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Yolanda, was one of the most powerful tropical cyclones ever recorded. On making landfall, Haiyan devastated portions of Southeast Asia, particularly the Philippines. It is one of the ...
. The ship returned to Sydney on 21 December.
In March 2015, ''Tobruk'' was deployed to Vanuatu as part of Australia's response to Cyclone Pam
Severe Tropical Cyclone Pam was the second most intense tropical cyclone of the South Pacific Ocean in terms of sustained winds and is regarded as one of the worst natural disasters in the history of Vanuatu. A total of 15–16 people lost ...
. The ship embarked 355 personnel and a helicopter. ''Tobruk'' visited Newcastle, her city of origin, for the seventh and final time on 19 June 2015. From there, the ship sailed to Sydney, arriving on 25 June. That day Prime Minister Tony Abbott
Anthony John Abbott (; born 4 November 1957) is a former Australian politician who served as the 28th prime minister of Australia from 2013 to 2015. He held office as the leader of the Liberal Party of Australia.
Abbott was born in Londo ...
, Leader of the Opposition Bill Shorten
William Richard Shorten (born 12 May 1967) is an Australian politician currently serving as Minister for Government Services and Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme since 2022. He previously served as leader of the opposition a ...
and Speaker of the House of Representatives Bronwyn Bishop
Bronwyn Kathleen Bishop (née Setright; born 19 October 1942) is an Australian former politician. She was a member of federal parliament for almost 30 years, the longest period of service by a woman. A member of the Liberal Party, she was a mi ...
made statements in parliament acknowledging the ship's service.
Decommissioning and fate
''Tobruk'' was decommissioned in Sydney on 31 July 2015.[ During her 34-year operational history, ''Tobruk'' sailed over , and was deployed on 26 major operations (more than any other ADF unit), leading to a reputation as the "workhorse of the RAN".]
Several entities called for the ship to be scuttled as a dive wreck
Wreck diving is recreational diving where the wreckage of ships, aircraft and other artificial structures are explored. Although most wreck dive sites are at shipwrecks, there is an increasing trend to scuttle retired ships to create artificia ...
. Federal Member of Parliament Keith Pitt
Keith John Pitt (born 31 August 1969) is an Australian politician. He is a member of the National Party and has represented the Division of Hinkler in Queensland since the 2013 federal election. He was a member of cabinet in the Morrison Gover ...
spent several years campaigning for the scuttling
Scuttling is the deliberate sinking of a ship. Scuttling may be performed to dispose of an abandoned, old, or captured vessel; to prevent the vessel from becoming a navigation hazard; as an act of self destruct, self-destruction to prevent the s ...
of a warship in Hervey Bay
Hervey Bay () is a city on the coast of the Fraser Coast Region of Queensland, Australia. The city is situated approximately or 3½ hours' highway drive north of the state capital, Brisbane. It is located on the Hervey Bay (Queensland), bay of ...
as a tourist attraction, with ''Tobruk'' his preferred vessel. Another proposal came from the community of St Helens, Tasmania
St Helens is the largest town on the north-east coast of Tasmania, Australia, on Georges Bay. It is known as the game fishing capital of Tasmania and is also renowned for its oysters (as are some other areas of Tasmania). It is located on the Ta ...
, for the ship to be sunk in Skeleton Bay. The Gold Coast
Gold Coast may refer to:
Places Africa
* Gold Coast (region), in West Africa, which was made up of the following colonies, before being established as the independent nation of Ghana:
** Portuguese Gold Coast (Portuguese, 1482–1642)
** Dutch G ...
also expressed interest.[
On 2 December 2016 it was announced that ''Tobruk'' would be scuttled off the ]Fraser Coast
The Fraser Coast Region is a local government area in the Wide Bay–Burnett region of Queensland, Australia, about north of Brisbane, the state capital. It is centred on the twin cities of Hervey Bay and Maryborough and also contains Fraser I ...
, at a location halfway between Bundaberg
Bundaberg is a city in the Bundaberg Region, Queensland, Australia, and is the tenth largest city in the state. Bundaberg's regional area has a population of 70,921, and is a major centre of the Wide Bay–Burnett geographical region. The Bun ...
and Hervey Bay, by late 2018. As the ship awaited its scuttling, ''Tobruk'' was located between the Australian Navy Cadet Base TS Bundaberg and the Burnett Heads Marina. The ship was transported to this area in late 2016 and was used as a tourist attraction whilst undergoing preparations for scuttling.
She was sunk off the coast between Bundaberg and Hervey Bay on 29 June 2018. Instead of coming to rest upright on its keel as planned, the ship rolled 90 degrees to starboard (right) and came to rest on its side in a position that severely limits dive opportunities.
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* - HMAS ''Tobruk'' footage begins at 17:12.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tobruk
Round Table-class landing ships logistics of the Royal Australian Navy
1980 ships
Ships built in New South Wales
Ships sunk as dive sites
Underwater diving sites in Australia
Scuttled vessels of Australia
Shipwrecks in the Coral Sea
Shipwrecks of Queensland
Maritime incidents in 2018