# Australian-Made Torpedo Sinks Retired U.S. Warship



## ToughOmbre (Jul 25, 2008)

From Fox News.....

Friday, July 25, 2008

An Australian submarine has used a new super torpedo to sink an American warship off Hawaii.

The Courier-Mail reports HMAS Waller fired the heavyweight Mark 48 torpedo, which the U.S. and Australian navies say is the world's deadliest, during war games this week.

Defense Minister Joel Fitzgibbon said the torpedo had been jointly developed by Australia and the United States and was used in the planned sinking of a retired U.S. warship.

"This represents the first new heavyweight torpedo warshot to be fired by either Navy. Just as significant is the fact that the torpedo was assembled in Australia," Fitzgibbon said.

TO


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## ccheese (Jul 25, 2008)

Hmmmm. Wonder what U.S. Navy ship went down in the test ?

Charles


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## Wayne Little (Jul 25, 2008)

Yeah saw that on the news, don't recall what the name of the ship was though, the hit was pretty devastating, amidships and it went down quickly...


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## Wildcat (Jul 25, 2008)

Some video for your viewing pleasure...

_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxWvROmfaoQ_


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## Wayne Little (Jul 25, 2008)

Good on ya Andy!


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## ccheese (Jul 25, 2008)

Thanks, Wildcat... but I'm locked out of Youtube at work. Check it tonight.

Charles


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## comiso90 (Jul 25, 2008)

great video.. the sub seemed pretty close


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## evangilder (Jul 25, 2008)

Wow, it cut that ship in two! Amazing.


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## seesul (Jul 25, 2008)

Yep, one hit and finish...saw that yesterday on TV news....


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## timshatz (Jul 25, 2008)

Torpedo broke her back. Maybe the Aussies figured out how to make them detonate under the keel on a reliable basis. People have been trying to do that for almost a century. 

Looked like the ship was a destroyer. Older one. Maybe a Spruance class from the early 80s.


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## wilbur1 (Jul 25, 2008)

Man that thing went down quick!


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## RabidAlien (Jul 25, 2008)

Yep, went down fast! They probably had all above-water hatches and portholes open, and all the interior doors latched open. I doubt it would've gone down that fast with a full compliment of sailors violently opposed to sinking, but after a hit that hard, it was a foregone conclusion. Even if you don't take into account the gaping hole amidships, her keel was broken. Badly.


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## ToughOmbre (Jul 25, 2008)

Still can't find out what the name of the ship is. Cruiser or destroyer?

Anybody know?

TO


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## comiso90 (Jul 25, 2008)

*Unpublished photo of the Australian Torpedo*..
Authorities were impressed by the effect of the explosion but are still working on a solution for the excess foam created by the torpedo.

.


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## ccheese (Jul 25, 2008)

comiso90 said:


> unpublished photo of the Australian Torpedo..
> Authorities are impressed with the effect of the explosion but are still working on a solution for the excess foam created by the torpedo.



I love it !!!

Charles


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## ccheese (Jul 25, 2008)

I have reason to believe the ship was the USS John Paul Jones [DDG-53].

There are several video clips on YouTube, and one clearly shows the side
number "53". The ship has a cruiser bow, which is seen as she goes down.
I served on DDG-17, The USS Conyngham.

Charles


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## Wayne Little (Jul 25, 2008)

comiso90 said:


> *Unpublished photo of the Australian Torpedo*..
> Authorities were impressed with the effect of the explosion but are still working on a solution for the excess foam created by the torpedo.
> 
> .



Yep! that looks about right!!  

The secret is out now...


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## RabidAlien (Jul 28, 2008)

She was a good ship, whoever she was.  (maybe its just me and my research abilitites, but the DDG-53 appears to still be in service?)


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## ToughOmbre (Jul 28, 2008)

RabidAlien said:


> She was a good ship, whoever she was.  (maybe its just me and my research abilitites, but the DDG-53 appears to still be in service?)



You may be right RA. She was commissioned 18 December 1993. Less than 15 years old. And I saw somewhere that she was on maneuvers as late as May 2008.

TO


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## ccheese (Jul 28, 2008)

I did some checking too. The USS Winslow [DD-53], a destroyer was
scrapped in 1937, having served in WW-I. USS Iowa is BB-53. She
was the first Iowa, and was scrapped in 1923. USS Charles Lawrence
was DE-53 _*and was given to Australia. She became HMAS Torrens.*_ 

This is probably the vessel that was sunk in the test.

Charles


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## Wildcat (Jul 28, 2008)

Not HMAS Torrens Charles, she was sunk back in '99 in very similar fashion by an Australian sub, See here-

_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vaImLvZbPw_

Looking at the pic below, it appears the hull number has 3 numbers.


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## ccheese (Jul 28, 2008)

Hmmmm. The video on Youtube I saw clearly showed the side number 53.
What was I looking at ???

Charles


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## The Basket (Jul 28, 2008)

USS Fletcher.

Guided missile destroyer.

Decommisioned in 2004.

That is what the news said so don't blame me if i am wrong!


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## Wildcat (Jul 28, 2008)

ccheese said:


> Hmmmm. The video on Youtube I saw clearly showed the side number 53.
> What was I looking at ???
> 
> Charles



That would be the Torrens sinking Charles, they looked very similar except the Torrens didn't sink as fast.


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## Gnomey (Jul 29, 2008)

Quite and incredible amount of damage that it can do!


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## Matt308 (Jul 29, 2008)

...especially for not even physically entering the vessel.

Almost got a job working for Honeywell on the Mk.48. Think about that often.


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## RabidAlien (Jul 29, 2008)

Mk48's are biiiiiiiiiiig muthas. Slept on one or two in my day.

I saw the USS Winslow during a (very) brief search, and knew it wasn't that one. Bow is all wrong. And it wouldn't surprise me at all that the news didn't have actual footage, or it wasn't "good enough", so they just re-used an old clip from '99.


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## <simon> (Aug 2, 2008)

Haha, us Aussies know how to make 'em!!


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## Aussie1001 (Aug 2, 2008)

It's good to see our military have finally got the balls to make their own stuff insted of buying it off everyone else.


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## <simon> (Aug 4, 2008)

Haha, yes thats true!

Just think, in a few years we might start building our own fighters!!!


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