CARRIER CAPTAIN TELLS STORY OF DISASTER

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30364, 13 February 1964, Page 13

CARRIER CAPTAIN TELLS STORY OF DISASTER

(N.Z.P. A .-Reuter—Copyright)

SYDNEY, February 12.

After a slow, night-long crawl up the coast from Jervis Bay, the aircraft-carrier Melbourne arrived off Sydney Heads at 3.50 a.m. today and secured at Garden Island Naval Dockyard soon after 6 a.m.

Captain R. J. Robertson said he was on the bridge of the Melbourne when it collided with the destroyer Voyager, 19 miles southeast of Point Perpendicular at 9 p.m. on Monday.

Captain Robertson said the two ships had been. on night flying exercises which required the carrier to move as fast as possible. He continued:

“Both ships were blacked out except for port and starboard and .red masthead lights. “Then it.happened. “Melbourne hit Voyager amidships, cutting through her like a knife through cake. A Crunching Noise

“There was a crunching noise—<it reminded me of those collision noises you hear on TV or the movies.

“Voyager split clean in halves ' and the halves slid along our side. “Melbourne actually pushed Voyager sideways—it was 20,000 tons hitting 3500 tons —and this served to help Melbourne to stop. ' “I ordered our engine's astern and I suppose Melbourne stopped in not much more than one length, with

the two halves of Voyagei still not back to our stern.”

Captain Robertson, speaking in one of the hangars soon after the carrier, her bows badly damaged, had berthed, declined to' reveal the actual speed of either vessel.

Melbourne’s top speed Is 22 knots, white Voyager’s best was believed to have been more than 30 knots. Captain Robertson said the rescue began very quickly. “We drifted up to about

1000 yards away from the stem section of Voyager and then drifted back towards it,” he said.

“I bad to. move the engines to prevent another collision. “All Melbourne’s boats were immediately lowered to pick up survivors. Helicopter Rescues

Within half an hour the “choppers” (helicopters) from Nowra naval airstrip were oh the scene.

‘‘They.did a magnificent job. a. did the minesweepers and crash launches.

“Fortunately, the sea was calm, but it was very dark.” Captain Robertson said: “It’s dark and the chopper is belting a gale down on you and you’re supposed to grab a dangling rope. .. . anyway, we got the choppers to play their searchlights on the water, and as they located survi'ws the choppers radioed the. minesweepers and other craft and directed them to the spot. “This proved a quick and very effective method," he said.

Captain Robertson said that immediately after the collision an inspection was made

of the damaged bow of Melbourne. Bulkheads and doors were sealed off.'

“At no time did I have any worry about Melbourne,” he said.

“Coming up the coast, we steamed at eight knots against a steady prevailing three-knot current—there was no point in going faster.

"We arrived off the . heads at first light—in any case we thought it advisable to give the survivors a day at sea to collect their thoughts and recover from the shock,” he said. A Child's Remark Captain Robertson said the Melbourne would enter dock on Friday, when repairs would be . pushed ahead as quickly as possible.

Asked about his immediate plans, Captain Robertson replied: “Well, I’ll be around —there’s plenty to keep me busy.” He added: “The other day I had my young children aboard for the day. “That night my young son said, ‘Gee, Daddy, you’ve got an easy job—you just stand around and do nothing.’ “How I wish it was like that,” Captain Robertson concluded.

The flag officer commanding the Australian fleet, RearAdmiral O. H. Becher, said today the-Navy was delighted there was going to be a public inquiry. “We have nothing to hide,” he said. Asked if it was an unusual step to appoint a judge to head the official inquiry, the Admiral said:

“Yes, ‘it’s an unusual step. But it’s an unusual accident.

It’s a disaster of the greatest magnitude.” The Lord Mayor of Sydney, Aiderman H. Jenson, today opened a fund for dependants of the men lost.

The Sydney City Council

has begun the fund with s £lOOO contribution. The latest casualty lis: issued by the Navy Office shows:— 321 on the Voyager. 239 rescued. 3 dead. 79 missing. Body Recovered

Among the three bodies recovered was that of Captain D. H. Stevens, of the Voyager. The chance of further survivors being found is now slight.