Английская Википедия:HMAS Wewak
Шаблон:Use Australian English Шаблон:Use dmy dates
Шаблон:Infobox ship imageШаблон:Infobox ship careerШаблон:Infobox ship careerШаблон:Infobox ship characteristicsHMAS Wewak (L 130) was the fifth ship of the Шаблон:Sclass of heavy landing craft operated by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
Design and construction
Шаблон:Main The eight-vessel Balikpapan class was ordered as a locally manufactured replacement for the Australian Army's LSM-1-class landing ship medium and ALC 50 landing craft.[1] They are Шаблон:Convert long, with a beam of Шаблон:Convert, and a draught of Шаблон:Convert.[2] The landing craft have a standard displacement of 316 tons, with a full load displacement of 503 tons.[2] They are propelled by two G.M. Detroit 6-71 diesel motors, providing 675 brake horsepower to the two propeller shafts, allowing the vessels to reach Шаблон:Convert.[2] The standard ship's company is 13-strong.[2] The Balikpapans are equipped with a Decca RM 916 navigational radar, and fitted with two Шаблон:Convert machine guns for self-defence.[2]
The LCHs have a maximum payload of 180 tons; equivalent to 3 Leopard 1 tanks, 13 M113 armoured personnel carriers 23 quarter-tonne trucks, or four LARC-V amphibious cargo vehicles.[2][3] As a troop transport, a Balikpapan-class vessel can transport up to 400 soldiers between a larger amphibious ship and the shore, or embark 60 soldiers in six-berth caravans for longer voyages.[3][4] The vessel's payload affects the range: at 175 tons of cargo, each vessel has a range of Шаблон:Convert, which increases to Шаблон:Convert with a 150-ton payload, and Шаблон:Convert when unladen.[2] The flat, box-like keel causes the ships to roll considerably in other-than-calm conditions, limiting their ability to make long voyages.[3]
Wewak was laid down by Walkers Limited at Maryborough, Queensland on 21 March 1972, launched on 19 May 1972, and commissioned into the RAN on 10 August 1973.[5]
Operational history
Following the destruction of Darwin by Cyclone Tracy during the night of 24–25 December 1974, Wewak was deployed as part of the relief effort; Operation Navy Help Darwin.[6] Wewak was the last of the 13 ships to join the operation; sailing from Brisbane on 2 January 1975, and arriving on 13 January.[6]
Wewak was placed in reserve on 16 August 1985; one of three landing craft decommissioned for economic reasons.[3][7] She was reactivated in late 2000, but only after lengthy delays, as during the intervening years, she had been used as a parts hulk for the other Balikpapans.[7]
Decommissioning and Fate
Wewak was decommissioned on 11 December 2012.[8]
The Philippine Navy has shown interest in acquiring the ship, after the Australian government donated 2 other sisterships, Шаблон:HMAS and Шаблон:HMAS in 2015.[9][10] It was later confirmed that the Philippine Navy is acquiring three more LCH from Australia, including ex-HMAS Wewak, at a token price.[11]
References
Sources
Books
Journal articles
Шаблон:Portal bar Шаблон:Royal Australian Navy Шаблон:Balikpapan-class LCH Шаблон:RAN amphibious warfare ships
- ↑ Gillett, Australian and New Zealand Warships since 1946, pp. 79, 125
- ↑ 2,0 2,1 2,2 2,3 2,4 2,5 2,6 Wertheim (ed.), The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World, p. 26
- ↑ 3,0 3,1 3,2 3,3 Gillett, Australian and New Zealand Warships since 1946, p. 79
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
- ↑ Swinden, Heavy Lifting for Four Decades, p. 20
- ↑ 7,0 7,1 Swinden, Heavy Lifting for Four Decades, p. 22
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite news
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite news
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite news
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite news
