The Collins Class

HMAS Collins - SSK 73

Commissioned 27th July 1996

The first of the Royal Australian Navy's Collins class submarines, HMAS Collins was launched at the Australian Submarine Corporations facility at Osborne in South Australia on Saturday, 28th August, 1993 by Lady Collins.

The submarine was named after Vice Admiral Sir John Collins who was born at Deloraine, Tasmania on 7 January 1899, entered the Royal Australian Naval College (RANC) as one of the original entry in 1913, saw service in two World Wars and was First Naval Member and Chief of Naval Staff during the Korean War.

On 19 July 1940, the then Captain Collins was in command of the cruiser HMAS Sydney in the Mediterranean Sea when Sydney engaged two Italian cruisers, Bartolomeo Colleoni and Giovanni Delle Bande Nere, off Cape Spada, Crete. The Colleoni was sunk and the Bande Nere withdrew damaged. For his part in this action, Captain Collins was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB).

He was the first RANC graduate to command the Australian Squadron, hoisting his Broad Pendant as Commodore in HMAS Australia in 1944. On 21 October 1944, while HMAS Australia was taking part in the allied landings in the Philippines, Commodore Collins was severely wounded in a suicide attack by Japanese aircraft.

He recovered from his injuries, resumed his command and attended the Japanese surrender in 1945. His distinguished career continued after the war. He was promoted Rear Admiral in 1947, Vice Admiral in 1950 and was knighted in 1951. He retired from the Navy in 1955 and served as Australian High Commissioner to New Zealand until 1962.

Vice Admiral Collins died on 3 September 1989.

 

HMAS Collins Commissioning Crew
27 July 1996

	CMDR Peter Sinclair RAN
LCDR Christopher Gudgin RAN	LCDR Marcos Alfonso RAN	LCDR Robert Humphreys RAN
LCDR Horden Wiltshire RAN	LEUT Simon Rusiti RAN	LEUT Geoffrey Wadley RAN
	LEUT Matthew Stilwell RAN
CPONPC Steven Macadam	CPOMT Kim Hyatt	CPORS Ian Spencer
CPOMT Garrie Fowler	CPOET Carl Larkin	POMT Richard Brennan
POET Trevor Teale	POMT Jens-Dieter Bartles	POET Steven Brooks
POET Chris Carner	POAWA Mark Budden	POET Paul Newman
POEWA Guy Beven	POEWA Darren Nasato	LSAWA Shane Kraemar
LSAWA Rowen Pugh	LSAWA Andrew Scott	LSEWA Craig Barnett
LSRO Timothy Lee	LSMT Anthony Masters	LSMT Neil Chaplin
LSCK Mathew Lever	ABEWA Glenn Ireland	LSAWA Eric Musch
LSAWA Martin Holzberger	LSAWA Tony Pepper	LSMT Richard Claredon
LSEWA Jason Bartlett	LSMT Ian Miles	LSCK Jason Lee
LSET Troy Burnett	LSET Joel Brady	LSEW Robert Scott
ABRO Craig Johnstone	ABCK Brian Horan	ABAWA Matt Kopievsky

"The crash test dummies"

HMAS FARNCOMB - SSK 74

Commissioned 31st January 1998

Rear Admiral Farncomb was born in Sydney on 28 February 1899, entered the RANC as one of the original entry in 1913 and saw service in both World Wars. At the outbreak of World War II he was in command of HMAS Perth and he served at sea throughout the war. He was in command of HMAS Canberra when she forced two German raider supply ships to scuttle while on Indian Ocean patrol in March 1941.

In May 1944, the then Captain Farncomb was in command of the escort carrier HMS Attacker, taking part in the invasion of southern France and operations against the Germans in the Aegean Sea and Greece.

Captain Farncomb assumed temporary command of the Australian Squadron when Commodore Collins was wounded during operations in support of the invasion of the Philippines in 1944. After the war, in 1947, Commodore Farncomb succeeded Commodore Collins as Squadron Commander. Commodore Farncomb and Commodore Collins were promoted Rear Admiral together in 1947, the first RANC graduates to attain flag rank.

After serving in several senior posts, Rear Admiral Farncomb retired in 1951 and took up the practice of law. He died on 12 February 1971.

HMAS Waller - SSK 75

Commissioned 10th July 1999

Captain Waller was born in Benalla, Victoria on 4 April 1900 and entered the RANC in 1914. He served in HMS Agincourt at the end of the first World War and the outbreak of World War II saw him in command of the destroyer HMAS Stuart as Commander of the Australian Destroyer Flotilla, later better known as the 'scrap iron Flotilla'. He played an outstanding part in Mediterranean operations, including a prominent part in the Battle of Matapan in 1941.

He was awarded a DSO and Bar and twice mentioned in Despatches during his Mediterranean service, and assumed command of the cruiser HMAS Perth in October 1941. He was killed when Perth was lost in action against a larger Japanese force on 1 March 1942 and received his third Mention in Despatches posthumously.

The Australian Submarine Squadron celebrated the Royal Australian Navy's 88th anniversary of its formation in the finest possible way with the commissioning of HMAS Waller (SSG-75) on Saturday, July 10 1999. Commissioned beneath sunny skies at HMAS Stirling, Waller became the third Collins-class submarine to join the Fleet and marks the half way point of this massive Australian industrial undertaking.

Guest-of-honour for the Commissioning was Mrs Diana Waller, wife of Michael, the eldest son of the late CAPT H.M.L. (Hec) Waller, DSO and Bar, RAN, who along with his younger brother John was present at the commissioning.

Among the VIPs attending were Senator Eric Abetz representing the Minister for Defence, Leader of the Opposition Mr Kim Beazley, new CN VADM David Shackleton, Commissioning host MCAUST RADM John Lord, and Collins Project Leader RADM Peter Briggs.

Fittingly a number of HMAS Perth survivors who sailed with CAPT Waller were in attendance.

The ceremony commenced with Waller's CO, CMDR Mel Jones, reading the commissioning order before Senior Chaplain Brian Rayner, and Chaplains Robert Hosken and Graham Pitman conducted the commissioning service and the blessing of the submarine.

Mrs Waller and the youngest sailor serving in HMAS Waller, ABCK Braddon Cooper (17) cut the traditional commissioning cake.

Ironically the day was the 60th anniversary of the Commissioning of the light cruiser HMAS Perth I (ex-HMS AMPHION) at Portsmouth, England, on July 10, 1939.

There was little rest for the newly commissioned HMAS Waller as it sailed from Fleet Base West on July 13 for a five month south east Asian deployment, leaving from the same waters from which CAPT Hec Waller departed when HMAS Perth sailed from Australia for the last time.

Captain Waller sailed from Victoria Quay in nearby Fremantle Harbour at 0030 on February 14, 1942 (thus avoiding sailing on the 13th). Two weeks later after surviving the Battle of the Java Sea, the ship, hit by four torpedoes and countless shells, went down with Waller and many of his gallant crew in the Sunda Strait.

 

HMAS Dechaineux - SSK 76

"FEARLESS AND FEROCIOUS"

Commissioned 25th February 2001

The fourth of the Royal Australian Navy's Collins class submarines, HMAS Dechaineux was formally commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy at a ceremony at Fleet Base West, HMAS Stirling at 1100 on Friday, 25th February, 2002, in the presence of the Commissioning Lady, Mrs Mary Purbrick, the widow of Captain Dechaineux and his son Commodore Dechaineux RAN (rtd). The ceremony was hosted by the Maritime Commander Rear Admiral GF Smith, AM, RAN and was attended by over 750 guests. The ceremony was unique in that two submarines were commissioned at the same time, a first for the RAN. HMAS Sheean was also commissioned at this ceremony.

The submarine was named after Captain Dechaineux who was born in Launceston, Tasmania on 3 October 1902 and entered the RANC in 1916. At the outbreak of World War II the then Commander Dechaineux was serving at the Admiralty, having gone to England for a staff course. He commanded the destroyer HMS Vivacious during the Dunkirk evacuation, later commanded HMS Eglington before returning to Australia in 1941 with his DSC and served in Navy Office until commissioning the new destroyer, HMAS Warramunga, in 1942.

In 1943 he was promoted Captain and assumed command of the cruiser HMAS Australia, flagship of Commodore Collins, in March 1944, and died of wounds he sustained in the same attack, that severely injured his Squadron Commander. The US government awarded him the Legion of Merit (Degree of Officer).

HMAS Dechaineux's crest features a Fess Wavy of blue and yellow, a Tasmanian Tiger with a dexter (right) forearm resting on an officer's sword, point downwards. The "Fess Wavy" represents the navy and the sea while the field colours of yellow, blue and white represents: gold for gold mining; white for tin operations; and blue for river and sea. These all have associations with Launceston where the Captain was born. The Tasmanian tiger is derived from Launceston's Coat of Arms and the sword indicates that he was an officer.

Atop the crests is a naval crown formed of sails and sterns of ships known as Coronal navalis, which was originally awarded to Roman heroes of sea battles. Between the motto and crest are the boomerang, axe and clubbing stick which recognises the traditional weapons of Australia's indigenous heritage.

Captain Dechaineux was renowned for fairness and compassion towards his men and for his bravery and dedication. These two themes suggested the motto "FEARLESS FRIEND - FEROCIOUS FOE" but this was shortened to "FEARLESS AND FEROCIOUS"

HMAS Sheean - SSK 77

"FIGHT ON"

Commissioned 25th February 2001

The fifth of the Royal Australian Navy's Collins class submarines, HMAS Sheean was launched in South Australia on Saturday, 1st May, 1999 and formally commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy at a ceremony at Fleet Base West, HMAS Stirling at 1100 on Friday, 25th February, 2002. Mrs Ivy Hayes the sister of Ordinary Seaman "Teddy" Sheean launched the Sheean and was also her Commissioning Lady. Surviving members of HMAS Armidale attended the ceremony.

The ceremony was hosted by the Maritime Commander Rear Admiral GF Smith, AM, RAN and was attended by over 750 guests. The ceremony was unique in that two submarines were commissioned at the same time, a first for the RAN. HMAS Dechaineux was also commissioned at this ceremony.

The submarine was named after Ordinary Seaman Edward (Teddy) Sheean who was born in Barrington, Tasmania on 23 December 1923 and joined the RAN on 21 April 1941.

After serving in shore establishments he joined the new corvette HMAS Armidale on her commissioning on 11 June 1942. Following a period of escort duties in Australian and New Guinean waters, Armidale was ordered to Darwin in October 1942. Late in November 1942 Armidale and her sister ship HMAS Castlemaine went to Betano in Timor to reinforce guerilla forces there and to evacuate civilians. After surviving three Japanese air attacks, Armidale was attacked by nine torpedo bombers, three fighters and a float plane. Two torpedoes hit the ship and she sank within five minutes.

Ordinary Seaman Sheean was wounded twice while trying to reach the side of the ship to abandon. He returned to his gun and continued firing, shooting down enemy aircraft before he was killed. He was posthumously mentioned in Despatches.

He was 18 years of age.

HMAS Sheean's crest features an oerlikon in base embattled azure. The blue field" represents the navy and the sea while the green field represents the farming fields and Mount Roland of Sheean's home town of Latrobe. The division in the fields is known in heraldic terms as "embattled" and in this context signifies that he died in battle. The oerlikon represents the weapon which Sheean manned to the last.

Atop the crests is a naval crown formed of sails and sterns of ships known as Coronal navalis, which was originally awarded to Roman heroes of sea battles. Between the motto and crest are the boomerang, axe and clubbing stick which recognises the traditional weapons of Australia's indigenous heritage.

The submarines motto "FIGHT ON" reflects the stand taken by Ordinary Seaman Sheean, who died at his station, refusing to leave when all was lost.

HMAS Sheean Home Page

HMAS Rankin - SSK 78

Lieutenant Commander Rankin was born at Cobar, New South Wales on 3 June 1907 and entered the RANC in 1921 and graduated in 1925. Specialising in surveying, he served in Australia and the UK between the wars.

When World War II broke out he was serving as Lieutenant Commander in the minesweeper HMS Gleaner, but was posted soon after to the repair ship HMS Resource as First Lieutenant. He returned to Australia in 1941 and was appointed in command of the sloop HMAS Yarra in January 1942.

On 4 March 1942, while escorting a small convoy to Australia, Yarra was attacked by a Japanese force of three cruisers and two destroyers and the convoy was overwhelmed. Yarra fought to the very last and Lieutenant Commander Rankin was killed by a salvo of shells which struck the bridge shortly after he had given the order to abandon ship.