Ship names of the RAN

[Pusser01]

I would consider the previous carriers Melbourne & Sydney as capital ships. The RAn has named ships after people, the whole Collins class is named after Naval heroes. As to battles for names, we already have Anzac, Tobruk, LCH names. Wondering why not Gallipoli, Kokoda, Long Tan etc.
Cheers

 

[FutureTank]

I would consider the previous carriers Melbourne & Sydney as capital ships. The RAn has named ships after people, the whole Collins class is named after Naval heroes. As to battles for names, we already have Anzac, Tobruk, LCH names. Wondering why not Gallipoli, Kokoda, Long Tan etc.
Cheers

I think its because they are Turkish, PNG nad Vietnamese.

 

[Pusser01]

I think its because they are Turkish, PNG nad Vietnamese.

Well, Tobruk is in North Africa, all the LCH names are in modern day Malaysia, Indonesia & PNG. It is more about honouring the sacrifice of those at those battles. The precedent has already been made with the Battle class destroyers of the 50's eg Anzac & Tobruk.
Cheers

 

[FutureTank]

It may be times have changed

 

[Pusser01]

I believe that these names still have a place today. It is not about what language they may orginate from. On another the topic, the guys on Nuship Bundberg are already trying to get the Bundy Bear to appear at their commisioning
Cheers

 

[Distiller]

For the return of classical Royal Navy ship names like Hyperion, Antelope, Neptune, Nymph, Ajax, Minotaur, Bellerphon, Phoebe and such!

 

[Sea Toby]

Why not name some warships after states? Leave the city names for destroyers and frigates, town names for patrol boats, and use state names for LHDs. HMAS Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, and Western Australia do roll off the tongue, don't they?

The US Navy used to name submarines after fish. Admiral Rickover preferred famous Americans for the first ballistic missile submarines, and couldn't wait to introduce states and cities for submarine names. It was his opinion fish don't vote. Plus the sailors had more pride in their submarines when named after states, cities, and famous historical Americans.

 

[Big-E]

Why not name some warships after states? Leave the city names for destroyers and frigates, town names for patrol boats, and use state names for LHDs. HMAS Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, and Western Australia do roll off the tongue, don't they?

HMAS Northern Territory... sounds kinda hokey

 

[Sea Toby]

At the turn of the last century, 1900, Oklahoma was once Indian Territory and its panhandle as No Mans Land. I will admit Northern Territory doesn't have the same ring, but with their larger populations I would suspect the first three names for LHD type vessels would be HMAS Queensland, HMAS New South Wales, and HMAS Victoria. And on the other hand HMAS Western Australia and HMAS South Australia have the same ring as USS North or South Carolina, USS North or South Dakota, and USS West Virginia.

Have you seen the movie Crimson Tide. I love the scene when the Captain and Chief of the Boat remark about the very fine people of Alabama.

At least HMAS Northern Territory is less silly than HMAS Kangaroo, Tasmanian Devil, or Koala Bear.

I also wanted to add that when the USS Missouri was recommissioned in the 1990s, the ships sponsor, Margaret Truman Daniel, arranged for the return of the Missouri's silver set from the state capitol at Jefferson City where it had been on display for over 30 years. She also arranged financing for an extension of the Truman Presidential Library in Independence for the teak deck and table of the Japanese surrender, along with the return of the silver set to Jefferson City when the Mighty Mo decommissioned again. The silver set has already been returned, and she probably already has the table and chairs. She is waiting for the teak deck which are still apart of the Mighty Mo at Pearl Harbor.

 

[Big-E]

At the turn of the last century, 1900, Oklahoma was once Indian Territory. I will admit Northern Territory doesn't have the same ring, but with their larger populations I would suspect the first three names for LHD type vessels would be HMAS Queensland, HMAS New South Wales, and HMAS Victoria. And on the other hand HMAS Western Australia and HMAS South Australia have the same ring as USS North or South Carolina, USS North or South Dakota, and USS West Virginia.

At least HMAS Northern Territory is less silly than HMAS Kangaroo, Tasmanian Devil, or Koala Bear.

USS Indian Territory... that will really go over well :shudder

When you say HMAS it doesn't sound as good as it is read out. When you say USS it sounds better than when read out. So for USS just about anything will go. For HMAS it needs to flow.

 

[RubiconNZ]

USS Indian Territory... that will really go over well :shudder

When you say HMAS it doesn't sound as good as it is read out. When you say USS it sounds better than when read out. So for USS just about anything will go. For HMAS it needs to flow.

If one day we go Republic it would be CAS doesnt flow very well either.

 

[Ths]

Naming ships after royalty:
Has a few drawbacks:
a. In Denmark Kings are alternatingly called Frederik and Christian, which beyond a paucity of option could lead to confusion. The flagship of Niels Iuel was Christianus Quintus though.
b. The loss of a ship with a royal name might be construed as an added insult to injury. The Falklands campaing refrained from using the Queen Elisabeth 2 - alledgedly for this (a somewhat facile explaniation - but..), instead they used the Canberra - which is a rather rude hint to Australia.

Geographical names:
I gives the hieraki of ships nicely; but might be embarrasing if a ships class is successfull - i.e. naming anything but a dredger after Tasmania and Idaho - not mention Manchester........
Museum ships might leave large parts of a country out of active service: i.e. Fregatten Jylland. Alternatively they might be used as an impertinence - always usefull - if the British named a ship Bordeaux.
A further complication is the confusion that might arise from requisitioned civilian ships, as private shipowners exhibit a similar lack of imagination - one thing that probably has blocked the RDaN from using royalty as Danish Rail ferries traditionally have exhausted reasonably current royalty.
Having an archipelago does however provide a large fountain for the uncreative minds in the bowels of the admiralty - only problem is nobody will know or care enough to spell it correctly - as to correct spelling: At times it might be involuntarily bizare As f.i. when a requisitioned ferry "Maid of Cork" reported herself sinking.

As to naval heroes as name donors to warships - well, the problem here is you need a somewhat long history to have a sufficient catalogue. The RDaN is very particular in this respect: To get a Motor Missile Boat named after you, the minimum demands are:
a. Having attacked Admiral Nelson in battle - personally.
b. On a timberfloat.

The downside of this practice is favouritism - some naval heroes are more popular than other (some even after their merit are forgotten). This unfortunate human weakness lead to considerable confusion. I believe it is a major irritant to RNethN historians - they need not only ships list, but also list of what ships have been called Karel Doorman. Surely there must be other worthy personalities worth remembering/risking.
Naming ships after generals is a pratice to be frowned upon - look at the disasters it brought the German Navy.

As old naval ships on occation are used as landfills it should be taken into consideration if the naming of the claimed land is due to the ship sunk there - again we are up against the monsters of departemental lack of imagination and poor taste of public sense of humour.

The best solution allround - in my opinion - is Tordenskiolds:
1. Take ship from enemy.
2. Keep ships name to humiliate the enemy.
No. 1 makes you popular with the department, as they won't have to find the means to aquire ships. No. 2 makes you popular with the crew.

 

[Pusser01]

There has been a HMAS Tasmania & Victoria. The Tasmania was a WW1 destroyer, the Victoria an old gunboat from colonial days. I suppose the Westralia could be considered a derivation of West Australia. As to HMAS Kangaroo, Koala, already been used for WW2 boom defence vessels. We currently have a Bandicoot & Wallaroo, small hopping mammals.
Cheers

 

[abramsteve]

HMAS Adelaide is a great name!!!! Surley only below HMAS Australia in terms of greatness. When/If we become a republic maybe we could go with FSS, Federated States Ship, or hell even steal USS and apply it to us (in reference to a United States of Australia) That would annoy some people Im sure!

Some states would make good names, but unfortunaltey they are eastern states and they have enough 'honoring' them. Stick with city names. But not rediculous one's (sorry but Wagga Wagga sucks as a name for a ship)

 

[Big-E]

hell even steal USS and apply it to us (in reference to a United States of Australia) That would annoy some people Im sure!

You want USS... that can be arranged. We will gladly accept your petition for statehood.

 

[old faithful]

You want USS... that can be arranged. We will gladly accept your petition for statehood.

:shudder :shudder :shudder :shudder :shudder :shudder :shudder

 

[Mick73]

You want USS... that can be arranged. We will gladly accept your petition for statehood.

Ok...draw up the papers and I will come over next Tuesday and sign them...now what we need is 2 CVBG's, a few wings of F-22's when you get them and say a Div worth of M1's, M2's and the Hummers etc. Well we need a big national guard, Air nation guard and a coast guard! Oh and some money...our money's colour (new spelling the USA) might clash!

Anything else boys?? Oh and no more southern states jokes!!

 

[Big-E]

Ok...draw up the papers and I will come over next Tuesday and sign them...now what we need is 2 CVBG's, a few wings of F-22's when you get them and say a Div worth of M1's, M2's and the Hummers etc. Well we need a big national guard, Air nation guard and a coast guard! Oh and some money...our money's colour (new spelling the USA) might clash!

Anything else boys?? Oh and no more southern states jokes!!

You would probably be the new home of PACFLT... if you want it.

 

[abramsteve]

Hell no!!!!!!!!!!

But the offer stands in reverse if you fellas are up for it?

 

[contedicavour]

Seriously what is the current organisation of the USN in the South Pacific ? Since the closure of the Philippino bases I've read of a base in Singapore and of training (but nothing more) in Australia.
Hawaii, Guam and Okinawa being a bit too far north, I guess the USN does need a base in the South Pacific for operations in the eastern part of the Indian Ocean and up to the South China Sea...

cheers