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An
immense pressure wave at her bow Rankin undertakes her sea
trials prior to her commissioning. – Photos by ABPH
Joanne Edwards
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LCDR ROBERT WILLIAM
RANKIN, RAN
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Lieutenant
Commander Rankin was born at Cobar, New South Wales
on June 3 1907 and entered the Royal Australian Navy
College in 1925. Specialising in surveying he served
in Australia and the United Kingdom between the wars.
When World War II broke out he was serving as a Lieutenant
Commander in the Royal Navy minesweeper HMS Gleaner,
but was posted soon after to the repair ship HMS Resource
as First Lieutenant. He returned to Australia in 1941
and was appointed in command of the sloop HMAS Yarra
in January 1942.
On March 4 1942, while escorting a small convoy to Australia
from Java, a Japanese force of three heavy cruisers
and two destroyers attacked Yarra and the convoy.
Rankin ordered the convoy to scatter.
In the ensuing one-sided action, the gallant HMAS Yarra
fought to the very last. LCDR Rankin was killed by a
salvo of shells, which struck the bridge shortly after
he had given the order to abandon ship. |
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The
Officers and Ship’s Company ready for inspection.
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Proud
son and proud mum. CO of Rankin LCDR Doug Theobald with
his mother on Parkes Wharf after the commissioning. –
Photo by ABPH Joanne Edwards
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ABSTDSM
Aaron De Ruiter and Miss Rankin cut the commissiong cake.
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By Tim
Slater
Australia’s
sixth and final Collins class submarine, HMAS Rankin (LCDR Doug
Theobald), joined the Royal Australian Navy on Saturday, March
29.
The
submarine, dubbed the Black Knight, was welcomed into the RAN
family as the commissioning pennant was broken and the Australian
White Ensign and ANF were hoisted for the first time, before the
ship’s company marched onboard to a rousing round of applause
by more than 300 distinguished guests at Parkes Wharf, Fleet Base
West.
HMAS
Rankin (SSG78) was named in honour of LCDR Robert ‘Oscar’
Rankin who commanded the sloop HMAS Yarra during World War II
and was killed in action, while protecting a convoy, during an
engagement with Japanese warships in 1942.
LCDR
Theobald told his assembled ships’ company and guests that
the commissioning of the submarine was the culmination of a team
effort and he thanked everyone involved in the project for their
efforts. Oscar Rankin’s daughter, Patricia, travelled from
Vancouver, Canada to be the guest of honour at the commissioning
service.
LCDR
Theobald thanked Ms Rankin for agreeing to be the guest of honour;
“From sea law it is said the ship is imbued with the spirit
of its guest of honour,” he said. “As one surveys this
masterpiece of shipbuilding art it is obvious that the spirit
of you and your father resonates through the very fabric of this
submarine.”
“All
Australians owe your father a debt of gratitude for his leadership,
service and sacrifice in peace and war,” he said. “Robert
‘Oscar’ Rankin distinguished himself, reflecting the
RAN’s finest qualities of honour, courage and commitment.
This is Robert’s lasting legacy and I am confident the crew
of HMAS Rankin will carry on that legacy with pride as it sails
the world’s oceans.”
Ms
Rankin said she was sure HMAS Rankin’s ship’s company
would be inspired by the example of HMAS Yarra’s crew and
the “man whose name this submarine proudly and honourably
carries.”
Federal
Attorney General Darryl Williams, representing Defence Minister
Senator Robert Hill, said the commissioning of HMAS Rankin marked
the completion of an “extremely complex and demanding project
for Australia.”
Mr
Williams said the Collins class submarines have earned a reputation
as being one of the most capable and advanced conventional submarines
in the world. “This is a reputation we intend to uphold and
of which we should be proud,” he said.
“Submarines
are a complicated mixture of engineering and design and the completion
of the build component of the project is testament to the capabilities
of Australian industry,” Mr Williams said. He also acknowledged
the role of former Defence Minister Kim Beazley, who was a guest
at the commissioning, in the initiation of the Collins submarine
project.
“With
HMAS Rankin joining the fleet today, we can expect that she will
also maintain the highest professional standards as she travels
the globe serving our country,” he said. “We can rest
assured that Australia will be proud of the men and women who
sail in her.”
LCDR
Theobald said his ship’s company had: “stepped up and
shown initiative, courage, teamwork and professionalism.”
“I am particularly proud of them and thank them for the great
association I have had with each member of this crew.”
He
said HMAS Rankin had a busy schedule ahead, starting with an operational
workup. “We now move into being a member of the RAN so we
have got to work up to be operationally deployed off the Australian
station,” he said.
Rankin
was launched on November 7, 2001 and sailed from Adelaide to conduct
a successful period of sea trials on June 3, 2002.
