Exploring HMAS Vampire

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6 жыл бұрын

Historian Mat McLachlan explores HMAS Vampire, at the Australian National Martime Museum at Darling Harbour in Sydney.
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Пікірлер: 92

@petertaylor250 Жыл бұрын

I enjoyed my time as a seaman and able seaman on board the Vampire in 80-82, wonderful ship and have such warm memories serving on board her.

@johnallen470 5 жыл бұрын

I served on Vampire as an OD and AB REM from 1961-63. Captain Tony Synnot was the Commanding Officer. We did a trip up top and sailed into Saigon with HMAS Quickmatch in 1962. My mess was 3DZ just below the sailor's cafeteria. There were torpodoes amidships and we had to clear decks to raise ship's boats.(No davits back then) Open bridge those days also. Great ship, great crew and Capt Synnot went on to become a great Admiral. Cheers.

@jayyllaann289 4 жыл бұрын

I thought you said HMAS QuICkmaTh

@outcastcoco785 4 жыл бұрын

John Allen my dad served on vampire also.

@ftgsvideos811 4 жыл бұрын

My father served on the Vampire back in the 1980s, about a year or two before it was decommissioned

@davidbroadbent4009 3 жыл бұрын

Great trip that one, Skipper could drive it like a car..

@davidbroadbent4009 3 жыл бұрын

62 in Saigon, was Australia Day long weekend.

@GrenvilleP710 2 жыл бұрын

I was in the Far East Fleet ('RN) in 1963 to 65 and we ( HMS Barossa) exercised with Vampire many times even had a few of their stokers round at tot time in Subic Bay. Which made a change from fighting them 🤣🤣

@brucewoods9377 3 жыл бұрын

I served in HMAS VENDETTA (Vamp’s sister ship) first during her ‘67 refit as an OD, then again ‘70-‘71 Kellick greenie. That second posting I was in 3DA mess (port side for’d below 2C). Great ship, loved every moment. I later went on to serve in Type 12s and finally Adelaide (FFG01). Have got to say Vendetta was the best.

@stevejory9679 4 жыл бұрын

They mention several times that men and women served on Vampire, yeah right.

@bungfupanda8936 4 жыл бұрын

HMAS Vampire looks to be in remarkable condition, a superb testament to her ships company whilst in service and to her curators and carers now she's a museum & memorial. Best wishes from the UK

@MatMcLachlanHistory 4 жыл бұрын

She’s a great ship. 👍🏼

@ivabiggin2299 3 жыл бұрын

You have a few great ships in the UK

@carisi2k11 Жыл бұрын

It helps she is part of the national maritime musuem and that garden island isn't too far away for dry docking.

@KJs581 4 ай бұрын

Ironically, you have the Russians to thank for that. She was deemed to be a training ship from early 1980, so we went into refit in late 1979 to have all the "training ship" mods done, that is remove a fwd gun mount, build classrooms in it's place (and aft, same as previous training ships such as Anzac etc) and remove a lot of equipment. We were in dry dock and then - the Russians went into Afghanistan. No work had started, and all work was suspended, so that if the conflict escalated, she would still be "ready if needed". We waited in limbo for a couple of weeks, and it became obvious that the Russian incursion wasn't going to become "WW3"; so it blew over. But by then the "window" of time in the dry dock was ending/needed it for other ships. So she had the normal bottom scrape/paint, but otherwise was left as is, The ship never fired the main armament again, but all was left intact. Gun crews and system maintainers were all posted off by March 1980 (I posted off mid March) and she started as a training ship. But without the horrible looking "boxes" on the upper deck that Anzac and the likes had. Thanks to the Russians.

@PilotMcbride 5 жыл бұрын

Spent a bit of time on Vamps, Vendetta and Duchess, before and after last refits. They were cruise ships, lmao, until main armaments opened up. Holy smoke!! At 6'6" I wasn't built for most naval vessels, banned from subs, but these lovely ladies were absolutely brilliant - almost cruise ships. Was a long time ago, but memories of these ships will remain with me forever, Stokers and ERAs were the salt of these ships. I didn't know Vamps was in Sydney, I'll have to go and visit her and rekindle old memories. Also saw HMASs Sydney(old), Melbourne(old), Parramatta, Swan, Yarra and a few more, but Particularly Vamps will never be forgotten, particularly during shelling ops. (Brought a tear to this old farts eye. Beautiful, beautiful ships, thanks for the memories.

@robertchinnock8017 5 жыл бұрын

My mum ex was on the vendetta

@PilotMcbride 5 жыл бұрын

@@robertchinnock8017 Crewwise, I could not pick which was the better ship, absolutely brilliant. I was just a Stoker, never made l/s, you wouldn't happen to know when he was aboard by any chance. I went to Vamps 1968 to Vend 1970 then Duch 1973 after her refit to close in the bridge and other stuff (brain fade). The memory fades, but the feelings & emotion remain. Thank you for the shout Robert, really appreciate it. Merry Christmas and the Season's best to you my friend

@robertchinnock8017 5 жыл бұрын

Yeah i had the chance to look around the vampire and such a great ship and thank you for your service.. and a merry Christmas to you and your family as well..

@robertchinnock8017 5 жыл бұрын

He was a sparkie on vendetta and went to Vietnam on her as well... he name was kenneth bailey knowen as john

@PilotMcbride 5 жыл бұрын

I didn't do those trips, sort of bounced around the place from ship to shore & back again, lol. Name doesn't ring a bell atm unfortunately. We had 2 lines of sparkie, Nirimba bred Systems Artifiers - Tradesmen qualified P.O., and Cerebus bred Seamen EM, LEM. They're all ET rating now, bigger than Texas, but I've forgotten the break up ETS ETP ETW MTL MTP blah blah. Nearly 50 years ago, lmao. Oh, and I transferred to the Army in 1974, too much for the Navy to handle, transferred as a baggyarse, discharged as a baggyarse, lol. Cheers.

@freeagent8225 4 жыл бұрын

As a little boy we always went down to Station Pier to tour these ships. To have "open days" must had been good for recruitment.

@austan6969 4 жыл бұрын

I also remember on a trip across the Australian Bight Stokers saying they could see daylight through the ship's side from the Bilges. We ended up having a huge hole cut out of us and a new plate welded into our ship's side, I only wish I got a photo of that it was massive

@neiledwards6741 5 жыл бұрын

I went over her last year when I was in Sydney. It was a pleasure seeing where he had been when he travelled to Vietnam. He has just retired from driving buses.

@MatMcLachlanHistory 5 жыл бұрын

neil Edwards Great story Neil. 👍🏼

@davidbroadbent4009 3 жыл бұрын

Was my second ship in 1960. Great trip up top, left her in May 62, ME 1.

@austan6969 4 жыл бұрын

Yes, we were a training ship in the eighties but on a Sunday morning on our way to the Gulf via the South China Sea we were called to Action Stations and the pipe included This is Not a Drill. If that was not a wartime command what is? We had a Gun ho Captain Cmdr. Jones, we also found out we were playing silly buggers with a Rusian convoy

@jacksonmohr6612 2 жыл бұрын

So you were on it when it was operational 😱 that's so cool

@bradjohnson4787 7 ай бұрын

As an American DE sailor it looks pretty spacious to me!

@michaelvallis5238 3 жыл бұрын

I served on Vampire in 1975 for six months as a leading seaman QMG mainly as a Quarter Master. I replaced a LS who was not able to continue his service on this ship.

@smith5312 4 ай бұрын

The projectiles and cartridges were never met up in the gun bay. The top ring was for shell and the bottom for cartridge, they would be sent up to the gun in separate lifts and would only meet on the loading tray just before being rammed. I know this because I was a 4.5” loader for 2 years.

@MatMcLachlanHistory 3 ай бұрын

Thanks for the extra info.

@ginskimpivot753 3 ай бұрын

Good times. He's also a little off about the rotating deck - only the deck below the rings rotates, and It isn't an issue for men outside the rotating structure feeding the rings, as the rings are continuous and should always be full. There are four men inside the rings, sliding the cartridges and the shells into the hoists individually, and they really don't have any difficulty standing up in there because they're pretty much supported from behind by the rings. The noise from the guns isn't loud either - not in the gun-bay and not in the gun-house above. The noisiest thing in the gun bay is the general service pump, which feeds the hydraulics for the hoists, breeches and rammers. Up in the turret, the loudest noise is the air-blast when the guns run out. The gun noise itself is really only a dull 'thump' sound. Curious fact: Spend an hour or two in the turret on a live fire exercise and later on down the mess when you break wind, it actually smells of cordite.

@smith5312 3 ай бұрын

@@ginskimpivot753 I could smell and hear everything you were describing, a lot of memories. I do remember standing on the ring and there really wasn’t anywhere to go when the gun rotated, kind of tucked up between the hoist and the ring. I was lucky enough to do the last 4.5” high seas firing on Torrens before we decommissioned.

@ginskimpivot753 3 ай бұрын

@@smith5312 The Mk VI was an entirely practical gun in its day, although it always took a lot of tuning to get the best from it. I was a turret armourer and 2 of the left on HMS FIFE in the royal navy in the UK, and spent many happy hours on the rather cumbersome maintenance it required. Great job, though - no watches, but I was on a Weapons Electrical duty roster of one-in-ten for magazine rounds. The biggest drawback to the job was smuggling the brass cartridge bases out of the dockyard! I still have the maker's plate from the turret on FIFE. It was mount number 100 and the whole revolving structure was replaced in 1979 with the old one going to scrap.

@smith5312 3 ай бұрын

@@ginskimpivot753 I was not a maintainer I was just an operator, all the fun of firing none of the responsibilities of cleaning or maintaining. Had the same problem with getting brass off base but the do make great ashtrays when turned down. My gun is still around luckily and in a museum in Western Australia.

@marinomilani7305 2 жыл бұрын

I am been on the vampire to North williamstown hmas 11year 1970

@robertchinnock8017 3 жыл бұрын

I enjoy the tour of the vampire

@Largeportion1000 4 жыл бұрын

Spent years loaoding 4 5's as we called them back in the 80's as a SMN QMG then AB QMG, Vamps, Derwent, Stuart. From the Magazine/shell room up to the gun bay and finally gun house/ turret and loaded shell 2 left, good times. 4 5's fire for effect 6 salvo's, Engage.... BOOOOM !

@NoName-ds5uq 4 жыл бұрын

Pretty sure I remember you from Stuart, Largey! ABRP Milo.

@Largeportion1000 4 жыл бұрын

@@NoName-ds5uq Indeed Milo i remember you also, you laughed a lot and always smiling, how have you been ?

@NoName-ds5uq 4 жыл бұрын

brendan largey really good mate! Got few greys coming through... How are you?

@Largeportion1000 4 жыл бұрын

@@NoName-ds5uq Yep same 52, put 3 zero's on the end off that, and it might give you an indication on grey hair count...

@davidhunter1538 4 жыл бұрын

It's hard to believe you could be hit in the face with spray up the on the bridge wings, it looks so high up; or that the stern of the ship could rise out of the sea when cresting a swell and the propellers' blades could slap the surface shaking the whole ship. I had to run up the ladder from the lifebuoy station during sentry watch to escape the sea rushing forward over the stern to chase me up the ladder over and over. It was like living in an elevator. It wasn't the rolling that made me sick it was the pitching. Started out in 2 Charlie and eventually moved into a bunk in 3 Mike (amidships). I still remember when the captain gave the gunnery officer command of the ship to practice coming alongside in Manila. He smashed a pontoon platform made of telegraph pole to splinters. Everything covered in salt; all the cold encrusted metal on the exterior. Once the steam capstan blew and we had to haul the anchor up using a block and tackle, cleared lower decks for that one. Buzzed by supersonic Skyhawks and surprised during war exercises. A cook spotted an F111 inbound on an attack run that no one else saw! The timely warning had me swivel my old twin Bofors guns (M3 40/60 starboard side aft) in time to fire practice blanks as it flew over. Lucky it wasn't a real attack; clever pilot.

@MatMcLachlanHistory 4 жыл бұрын

Great stories David. Thanks for contributing.

@Mr-Damage 4 жыл бұрын

Cool.. just one thing. The A4 Skyhawk was subsonic.

@brentsummers7377 4 жыл бұрын

I think these guys are doing a better job on maintenance and painting than HMS Belfast in London.

@GrenvilleP710 2 жыл бұрын

Agree as ex RN I am ashamed of how few decent examples of our Steam navy we have left.. It's disgusting that there is not one steaming example. I served on 3 emergency class. Undaunted .Virago and Grenville. a Battle class Barossa two Darlings Diana and Decoy. Before two COSAG Counties Antrim and London . HMAS Vampire looks brilliant.

@alanlane3670 3 жыл бұрын

Served on Vampire 1971 / 72..........LSQMG

@johnmercer8661 11 ай бұрын

show a real messdeck. S&S Messdeck 2 Charle 3 (hope i have it right, been a while), that was claustrophobic. dark hours only exit was manhole once the hatches were closed.

@outcastcoco785 4 жыл бұрын

My dad served on that ship and hmas cerberus

@fratnibble2090 3 жыл бұрын

same actually haha

@claird6477 2 жыл бұрын

My uncle was on this ship...

@tomjohnson9241 3 жыл бұрын

As far as I can remember the shell and the cartridge remained separate until they were dropped onto the loading tray having gone up to the turret on separate hoists, however I was only a Bunting.

@neiledwards6741 5 жыл бұрын

My brother served on board Vampire

@DrogoBaggins987 5 жыл бұрын

The worst thing about army basic training was the 24/7 week after week literally not getting five minutes to myself. I would have gone insane in the navy.

@bossdog1480 5 жыл бұрын

Drogo Baggins You have NO privacy anywhere on a warship. Your bunk is the closest thing. You can draw your little curtain across and that's it. Doesn't keep out any noise though and there are lights on 24/7.

@davidbroadbent4009 3 жыл бұрын

Hahaa, most of us did. D.

@DrogoBaggins987 3 жыл бұрын

@@davidbroadbent4009 I would probably jump overboard or kill somebody or both. My respect to the people who can handle that environment.

@jasperglyn 3 жыл бұрын

My Father was on the HMAS Sydney doing the .

@marinomilani 3 жыл бұрын

my papy is been on vampire

@petechapman1108 3 жыл бұрын

I paid off on Vampire in 78

@yeetmann2148 5 жыл бұрын

I’ve been on this ship

@chartphred1 3 жыл бұрын

Spent many hours throwing my guts up on this bucket in 3DZ.

@austan6969 4 жыл бұрын

Vampier was the first ship to use Steam Drenching to my knowledge to put out a Bilge Fire after leaving Dry Dock in Sydney we were lucky not to have lost her then.

@dogdaydiaries6033 4 жыл бұрын

Yep absolutely right. Went alongside for a short refit. Didnt get the bilges pumped out before we pushed away and the bilges caught alight just before Bradley’s Head on the way out. It was the fwd boiler room...they got everyone out and dropped the steam in. Pulled into Rose Bay and stayed out at the bouy til it cooled down. Major radiant heat in the Port corridor adjacent to the showers. Limped back to the Oil wharf and the stokers pulled the boiler apart to dry all the bricks out. I was SSD swimmer so hung out in the rear map room or on the aft deck.

@dogdaydiaries6033 4 жыл бұрын

Also thought I’d mention AB Curnow who went back into the room before the steam dump and shut off fuel valves. He was wearing his FFA suit with scuba....pretty gutsy and def saved a much larger fire from happening.

@marinomilani 3 жыл бұрын

is state to north williamstown year 1970 /1974

@paulbaker9277 5 жыл бұрын

It might be old but no one could interferer and steal your plans that's not on computers.

@f18_lovermacdonald-doaglau69 3 жыл бұрын

Aren’t!t those things under the guns called barbets? Or is that just a term fore larger warships like cruisers and battleships?

@justgjt 3 жыл бұрын

The barbet is the cover plating that the mount sits upon on the upper deck.

@KJs581 4 ай бұрын

Correct, Barbette. Ashore it is any ring surrounding a gun emplacement, and before enclosed mounts there were ships that had open guns, but a barbette surrounding them for limited protection. These were termed "barbette mounts/ships" to define them from ships with enclosed mounts/turrets. So today the barbette has shrunk to the base of where the gun mounts.

@sydhewitt818 3 жыл бұрын

I don’t think woman served on ships like the Vampire.

@johncouriermeh 5 жыл бұрын

4.5" Mk6 not Mk5. Oh dear he really does need to get his terminology and system knowledge up to speed as he is not correct of several topics to do with the 4.5" guns.

@Jimbo6253 4 жыл бұрын

I was a member of the crew from 66 -67, 68 - 73 and the misquotes by the gentleman doing the commentary is quite astounding. As John Crook has already stated the turrets were mk6 not mk 5 in the gun bay we didn't marry up the shells with cordite. They were sent up to the gun house separately. As Captain of the gun bay the voice pipe was not the only comms with gunhouse infact it was in case the normal comms were down. He also said that Vampire was the transition between the old style gun ships of ww2 and the modern day missile shops that followed, this is also incorrect as a member of the refit crew when she went through her half life transformation at no time were they going to fit missiles to her yes they replaced her turrets with the mk6* , new radar and gun control system. They also removed the 21" torpedoes which fitted amidships. They closed the bridge in and put on a new superstructure. She was still a predominately a gunship and a damn fine one at that! I am proud to have served on her and under several captains driving her.

@montaguewhaler2283 4 жыл бұрын

@@Jimbo6253 Spot on Jim - that guide had more flannel than a pussers blanket. I served in that great ship and the number of things he got wrong made me cringe!

@Paul_707 3 жыл бұрын

In RN nomenclature the mark of the gun could be and usually was different to the mounting. So you’d refer to the whole thing as a 4.5” Mk 6 turret, but it did carry a pair of Mk 5 guns. He should have referred to the whole thing as a Mk 6...

@Paul_707 3 жыл бұрын

Also just shells and “cartridges”. No assembly of the two together, that’s just flannel.

@flashie70 3 жыл бұрын

@@Paul_707 The gun bay explanation was rather crap. assembly of cartridges and shells??? the whole room turns??? the discussion on the sleeping arrangements...getting along with snorers??? what about the bloke who rubs one out whenever he wakes up and his No1 Mk2 Action Chux!!!!!!

@gtpits Жыл бұрын

Missiles???? What missiles, I was on Vendetta and Vampire, I never saw any missiles…..just 4.5s, 40/60 bofors and the old garbage disposal anti sub mortars.

@marinomilani 3 жыл бұрын

for one rectification

@KJs581 3 жыл бұрын

A bit confusing when he discusses bunks. We did not "hot bunk" in Darings; everyone had their own rack. The problem was they were designed when hammocks were the go, and ships had always been designed for "messdeck messing", not "cafe messing" ; by the time they were built, went to bunks (cafe messing)", hence things were cramped. My locker doors/drawers would not open when the guy below me was in his bunk (had to fold it up); so you learned to live out of a bunk bag after hours. Disappointing background footage. When he talks about the ops room, they cut to ops room footage of an American ships "CIC"; that is NOTHING like Vampire/nothing to do with it. Very confusing with the mistakes they make. There were NO missiles on Darings, never ever. That is just WRONG. Gun bay, they make it sound far more hassle than it is. "The deck moves below you." No, it DOESN'T, that is the whole point. Sailors on the outside of the ring get ammunition (shell/cartridge) from magazines (mag/shell room) below from hoists. NONE of their deck rotates. They then put that ammo in ready use stowage or on the ring. The ring moves with the revolving structure, but so what, it is a ring, just follow it and place ammo. 4 sailors are standing inside the ammo rings near the 4 hoists, and they load those hoists with ammo they get from the ring = send up to gunhouse. Good walk around though.

@stevenhart9944 5 ай бұрын

Yep, no hot bunking on her.