Fish-class torpedo recovery vessel

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Class overview
Builders Williamstown Dockyard, Williamstown, Victoria
OperatorsNaval Ensign of Australia.svg  Royal Australian Navy/Defence Maritime Services
BuiltJanuary 1970 – April 1971
ActiveNone
Retired3
General characteristics
TypeTorpedo Recovery Vessel
Displacement94 long tons (96  t) full load
Length26.8 metres (88 ft)
Beam6.1 metres (20 ft)
Draught1.1 metres (3 ft 7 in)
Propulsion3 x V8 GM diesels, 890 horsepower (660 kW), 3 shafts
Speed9.5 knots (17.6 km/h; 10.9 mph)
Endurance63 hours at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph)
Crew9
Sensors and
processing systems		I-band navigational radar

The Fish class was a ship class of three torpedo recovery vessels previously operated by Defence Maritime Services (DMS).

Contents

Design and construction

The class was ordered in 1969 as replacements for World War II-era torpedo recovery vessels. [1]

The vessels each had a full load displacement of 94 long tons (96  t ), a length of 26.8 metres (88 ft), a beam of 6.1 metres (20 ft), and a draught of 1.1 metres (3 ft 7 in). [2] Propulsion machinery consisted of three GM V8 diesels, which supplied 890 horsepower (660 kW) to the three propeller shafts. [2] [1] Top speed was 9.5 knots (17.6 km/h; 10.9 mph), and the vessels had an endurance of 63 hours at 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph). [1] [2] Each Fish-class vessel could recover up to eight torpedoes via a watertight stern gate. [2] [1] They were unarmed, and their sensor suite was limited to an I-band navigational radar. [2] Nine personnel made up the crew. [2]

All three vessels were built at Williamstown Dockyard for the Royal Australian Navy between January 1970 and April 1971. [3] [2]

Operational history

Originally identified only by the numbers 253–255, the vessels were named in 1983 and renumbered 801–803. [1]

On entering service, TRV 253 was assigned to the target range at Jervis Bay, while the other two vessels were attached to HMAS Waterhen in Sydney. [1] In addition to torpedo recovery, the boats were used as dive tenders and as training vessels for the Royal Australian Naval Reserve. [1]

In 1988, the three vessels were sold[ citation needed ] to DMS. [4] As part of the company's role in providing maritime support for the RAN, the vessels were assigned to various bases: Tuna to nearby HMAS Creswell, Trevally remaining at Waterhen, while Tailor sailed to HMAS Stirling in Western Australia. [3]

As of 2012, only Tailor remained in service. [2]

As of 2018, Tailor was decommissioned and put up for sale to the public effectively ending the service of this class [5]

Ships

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Gillett, Australian and New Zealand Warships since 1946, pp. 104–5
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Saunders (ed.), IHS Jane's Fighting Ships 2012–2013, p. 36
  3. 1 2 Wertheim, The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World, p. 32
  4. ↑ Saunders (ed.), IHS Jane's Fighting Ships 2012–2013, p. 35
  5. ↑ "Unreserved Ex-Navy - 27m Torpedo Recovery Vessel "Tailor"". www.graysonline.com. Retrieved 6 September 2018.

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References


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