Commendation U.S. Navy Unit
Presented by the Commander in Cheif United States Pacific Fleet, Admiral John J Hyland, to
HMAS Perth
21 July 1969
Admiral John J. Hyland
Admiral Hyland assumed duty as Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet on 30 November, 1967. Prior to this he was Commander U.S. Seventh Fleet.
Admiral Hyland graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in May, 1934. He saw action during World War II in the islands north of Australia.
He was Air Operations Officer on the staff of the Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet, from August, 1956 to July, 1957 and subsequently had command of USS ONSLOW (1956–57) and USS SARATOGA (1958–59).
Other appointments have included Commander Airborne Early Warning Wing, Atlantic and Commander Fleet Air, Argentina; Joint Staff, Commander in Chief, Atlantic Representative; Joint Strategic Target Planning Commander; Carrier Division Four; and Director of the Strategic Plans Division, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations.
Captain P. H. Doyle, RAN
Captain Doyle entered the RAN as a cadet midshipman in January, 1939, graduating in July, 1942. He served in RAN and RN ships during the 1939–45 war and later specialised in navigation.
In HMAS ANZAC he served in the Korean War and was mentioned in despatches. He later served as Navigating Officer on HMAS SYDNEY and as Fleet Navigating Officer.
Captain Doyle became Chief Staff Officer to the Flag Officer Commanding the Australian Fleet in September, 1964. He commanded HMAS PERTH from July, 1966, to April, 1968. During this period his ship had six months service with the U.S. Seventh Fleet and Captain Doyle was again mentioned in despatches.
He became Director of Naval Intelligence in July, 1968.
The U.S. Navy Unit Commendation
The U.S. Navy Unit Commendation confers on PERTH the right to wear a distinctive pennant, a green burgee with blue, yellow and scarlet horizontal stripes top and bottom. In addition, members of the ship's company serving in the ship during the period for which the citation is awarded, wear a separate ribbon.
The Commendation, established in 1944, is a highly valued honor and has no equivalent in the Australian system of awards which follows the British pattern.
The award may be made to any unit of the U.S. Navy or U.S. Marine Corps which has distinguished itself by outstanding heroism in action against the enemy or to any unit which has distinguished itself by extremely meritorious service not involving combat, but in support of military operations. The award may also be conferred upon units of armed forces of nations serving with the armed forces of the United States, provided that these units meet the standards established for U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps units.
The Secretary of the Navy takes pleasure in commending
HMAS PERTH (D-38)
for service as set forth in the following
Citation:
For exceptionally meritorious service from 9 September 1967 to 5 April 1968 in the planning and execution of combat missions against enemy aggressor forces in direct support of Free World objectives. While operating as a unit of the U.S. SEVENTH Fleet, HMAS PERTH delivered extensive, destructive naval gunfire against enemy supply routes, coastal defense sites, troop concentrations, and fortified positions in both North and South Vietnam. The prowess and teamwork displayed by the personnel of PERTH were uniformly characterized by personal valor, professional acumen, and individual initiative. Although often within the range of enemy artillery emplacements, and frequently under fire from North Vietnamese coastal defense sites, PERTH quickly responded with skill and resourcefulness, silencing enemy batteries while maneuvering adroitly to avoid sustaining any damage or injury to herself. The tenacity, professionalism, and dedication demonstrated by the officers and men of PERTH reflect great credit upon themselves and the Royal Australian Navy.
HMAS Perth in Vietnam
September, 1967 – April, 1968
Under the command of Captain P. H. Doyle, RAN, HMAS PERTH sailed from Sydney on 2 September, 1967, for her first tour of duty in the Vietnam theatre. PERTH joined the U.S. Seventh Fleet as an integrated unit on 14 September, 1967, replacing her sister ship, HMAS HOBART, which had been the first Royal Australian Navy ship to see action in Vietnamese waters.
PERTH served with the Seventh Fleet until 1 April, 1968, when she was relieved by HOBART. During her first period of duty with the Seventh Fleet PERTH fired more than 13,000 rounds from her five-inch guns, pounding enemy positions in support of U.S. Marine forces and interdicting supply routes over two-thirds of the North Vietnamese coast. This roving task, striking at the enemy unexpectedly and often over the length of his coastline, was typical of PERTH’s offensive role.
The bulk of PERTH’s deployment was on operation ‘Sea Dragon’, with a total of 75 days spent off the coast of North Vietnam. For most of the period the ship carried out the duties of Task Unit Commander with one or two U.S. destroyers under its command. In harassing enemy supply routes and coastal traffic, PERTH often had to strike within the range of North Vietnamese guns and she came under heavy enemy fire on a number of occasions.
On 18 October, 1967, in the company of units of the Seventh Fleet, PERTH was hit by enemy gunfire while shelling North Vietnamese coastal batteries just north of the demilitarised zone. Four sailors in PERTH were injured by the enemy fire which also caused minor damage to the ship. The damage caused no interruption to her operations.
She was officially credited with the destruction of at least 30 Water Borne Logistic Craft. On a number of occasions PERTH played a role in the rescue of U.S. pilots who had been shot down, taking coastal defence sites under fire and directing the recovery by helicopter of the pilots. Among PERTH’s contributions to the fighting were the adoption of many of the ship’s recommendations to improve the efficiency of Sea Dragon operations.
During the six months, PERTH steamed more than 50,000 miles and carried out 90 underway replenishments from U.S. Navy storeships, tankers and ammunition ships.
PERTH returned for a second tour of duty with the Seventh Fleet from 30 September, 1968, to 31 March, 1969, during which period she took part in 175 missions supporting South Vietnamese, American and Korean forces with her guns. Under the command of Captain D. W. Leach, she fired more than 7,500 rounds being employed on almost every duty assigned to Seventh Fleet destroyers.
PERTH spent nearly 80 per cent of her time underway on this tour of duty, steaming 45,000 nautical miles.
PERTH returned to her home port, Sydney, on 20 April, 1969, and at present is undergoing refit.
HMAS Perth
HMAS PERTH is the first of three guided missile destroyers ordered for the Royal Australian Navy, the others being HMAS HOBART and HMAS BRISBANE. These ships are similar to the U.S. Navy’s DDG-15 class of which 10 were built to follow the DDG-2 or CHARLES F. ADAMS class. The RAN’s guided missile destroyers were all built at the Bay City, Michigan, U.S.A., yards of the Defoe Shipbuilding Company. HMAS PERTH was commissioned on 17 July, 1965, and arrived in Brisbane on 4 March, 1966, on her delivery voyage. The design of this class of destroyer is particularly versatile. PERTH’s main role is anti-air warfare—the defence of the Fleet—but she also has formidable anti-submarine and surface gunnery capabilities. The ship is 437 feet long, has a beam of 41 feet and a displacement of 4,500 tons. She has a ship’s company of 333 officers and sailors. The ship is equipped with the Tartar surface-to-air missile system, has two 5-in./54 calibre rapid-fire fully-automatic guns in single mounts and carries two-sided sets of anti-submarine torpedoes in triple mountings. PERTH was the first of the three guided missile destroyers to be fitted with Ikara, the Australian-designed and developed long-range anti-submarine missile system.
Geared steam turbines on two shafts give PERTH speeds in excess of 30 knots. Some of the latest concepts in long-range radar, sonar, communications and electronic equipment provide the command with up-to-date information in the operations room. All living spaces are air-conditioned.
Second HMAS Perth
The present HMAS PERTH is the second ship of the Royal Australian Navy to bear the name.
The first PERTH was a light cruiser of 6,800 tons and for three years as a ship of the Royal Navy bore the name AMPHION. In June, 1939, PERTH was commissioned into the RAN and re-named after the capital of Western Australia. PERTH saw war service in the Caribbean and Western Atlantic, returning in April, 1940 to Australia where she was engaged in convoy duty.
In December, 1940, PERTH joined the Mediterranean Fleet as a member of the 7th Cruiser Squadron and took part in the Battle of Matapan and the evacuation of Crete. Damaged in an air attack in May, 1941, she returned to Australia for refit.
In February, 1942, she joined the British, American, Dutch and Australian forces in the Java area and shortly after this, under the command of Captain Hector M. L. Waller, DSO, RAN, she took part in the Battle of the Java Sea.
In company with USS HOUSTON engaged a Japanese destroyer near Sunda Strait, but more Japanese destroyers appeared and joined the battle. Little damage was done to PERTH until the end of the engagement, when Captain Waller, finding himself low on ammunition, decided to attempt to force a passage through the Sunda Strait. While PERTH was attempting to do this she was struck by a torpedo. Soon after a second torpedo struck, Captain Waller gave the order to abandon ship. Two more torpedo strikes caused the ship to keel over and sink. HOUSTON, although badly on fire, continued fighting until further torpedo strikes caused her also to sink.
PERTH lost 465 officers and sailors out of a company of 686.
