HMAS Voyager (D04)

History

HMAS Voyager was a Daring-class destroyer of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) that was lost in a collision in 1964.

Built between 1949 and 1957, Voyager was the first ship of its class to enter Australian service and the first all-welded ship to be built in Australia. Voyager has been deployed to the Far East Strategic Reserve six times during her career, but never fired a single shot in anger.

On the night of February 10, 1964, the Voyager and the aircraft carrier Melbourne collided near Jervis Bay when the destroyer passed in front of the carrier during sea trials after an overhaul. Voyager was split in two by the collision and sank with the loss of 82 of the 314 people on board.

It was the largest peacetime loss of Australian military personnel and the ensuing investigation led to two royal commissions - the only time this has happened in Australian history.

Specification

BASIC

Year of Service

1957

Origins

Australia

supplement

320

staff

Class information

Class

Daredevil class

Class Size

4

ships

Class

HMAS Vampire (D11); HMAS Vendetta (D08); HMAS Voyager (D04); HMAS Waterhen (Canceled).

Operator

Australia

Characters

Sea Bombing

Maritime bombardment/attack of surface targets/areas primarily through ship-based ballistic weapons.

Land Assault

Littoral attacks against surface targets primarily through ship-based missiles/missile weapons.

Sea Patrol

Active patrolling of critical waterways and sea areas; also serves as a local deterrent against air and maritime threats.

Airspace Denial/Deterrence

Neutralization or deterrence of flying elements by airborne missile weapon ballistics.

Fleet Support

Provide support (fire or materiel) to major surface fleets in blue water environments.

Dimensions and Weight

Length

390. 0 feet

118.87m

Ray

43. 0 feet

13.11m

Draft

12.8 feet

3.90m

Shift

3,000 t

Power and Performance

Installed Power:

2 x Foster Wheeler boilers power 2 x British electric gear steam turbines, developing 54,000hp on 2 x axles.

Surface Velocity

33.0 nodes

(38.0km/h)

Area

3,737nm

(4,300 miles | 6,920 km)

Weapon

6 x QF 4.5" (113 mm) Mark V main guns, three turrets, two guns. 6 x 40 mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns (AA), three two guns 2 x 21" five-barrel torpedo launchers 1 x "Limbo" anti-submarine mortar (ASM).

Aircraft

None.