The HMAS Melbourne

The Royal Australian Navy's last aircraft carrier, the Majestic class HMAS Melbourne (R21). Originally planned for the Royal Navy as the HMS Majestic, the ship was never commissioned into the Royal Navy and construction was suspended until she was bought for the Royal Australian Navy in 1947, entering service in the RAN in 1955.

From 1955 to her decommissioning in 1982, she carried several generations of RAN Fleet Air Arm aircraft, including de Havilland Sea Venoms, Fairey Gannets, S-2 Trackers, A-4 Skyhawks, Bristol Sycamores, and Westland Wessex and Sea Kings.

The Melbourne was involved in two collisions with friendly ships during her career. In 1964 she collided with the HMAS Voyager, killing 82 of the Voyager's crew. In 1969 she hit the USS Frank E. Evans and 74 US Navy sailors were killed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMAS_Melbourne_%28R21%29

Don't blame me if you don't like the music, I didn't put it on this video.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Royal
• Australian
• Navy
• HMAS
• Melbourne
• Aircraft
• Carrier
• Majestic
• flying
• A-4

[Bopenn]

I like this music! what is the name of this song?

[ebglider91]

@Bopenn Sorry, I have no idea.

[JG11Bear]

Nice to see some video of a Sea Venom in your vid.

Do you have any more footage of the Sea Venom operating off the Melbourne?

[ebglider91]

@JG11Bear

No, sorry :(

[jlipsen]

LOL its WWII footage

[ebglider91]

There were A-4s in WW2? Must have been top secret then...

[RobertM408]

In 1969 the RAN was offered the HMS Hermes with its Vixens and Buccanears. At the times Hermes carried 12 Sea Vixen fighters, 8 Buccanears and 5 Wessex helicopters, all squeezed into a tiny flagship. It would have been interesting how the RAN would have gone with the Buccs which would probably have been far superior to the F-111's for the intended deterrence. Australia also considered the USN Shangri-la about 1967 to carrry about a dozen F-4 Phantoms.

[flammabletube]

@ZONEntertainment Sorry but you are wrong aircraft carrier HMAS Sydney was used during the vietnam war but was mainly used as a supply ship nicknamed the Vung Tau Ferry

[Thespeakerofmanytru8]

LOL they killed more of they're allies than any enemy. This ship would have been shredded by any serious opposition it might have met in the early 80's. Typical Aussies though, they want to be a big boy but they can't quite pull it off.

[JBofBrisbane]

Anyone who ever served on an Australian naval vessel will tell you that they are never referred to as "The HMAS (insert name here)". "The Her Majesty's Australian Ship Melbourne" doesn't make sense. It is just "HMAS Melbourne" or even just "Melbourne".

[ZONEntertainment]

There are no more carriers, as far as i'm concerned, the most of the facts say they were all destroyed in WWII. The closest thing we have now is an amphibious assault ship, built in Spain, optimized for helicotpers instead of its original purposed Jet Fighters; And this is not even in service yet. I'm pretty sure its still sailing over here from spain. We have no carriers, 3 destroyers, 12 frigates, 20 patrol boats, 6 submarines and one amphibious assault ship.

[highihigh]

MY old man was a soppie for 6 years on this ship, he loved every minute of it, knows most of the blokes who where on it too1

[highihigh]

@jlipsen do your fuckin research prick 

[redr1150r]

I worked on them in the U.S. Navy. Simple, easy to maintain, always up for the next days flight schedule. I also worked on T-28s & S-2s, and finished up my career with F-14s. The first plane I worked on in the Navy was a Lockheed Constellation EC-121K, that was already 3 years older than I was. I work on Coast Guard H-60 rescue helicopters, but will soon be assigned to the HC-144 department. I was also on the Forrestal & Nimitz.

[res05aum]

Great vid I have over 200 traps in the A4 and still think it is the sweetest Attack bird ever,

[redbaroniii]

These are some of the best pilots in the world.