Design and Construction
Hobart was one of three Perth class guided missile destroyers built for the RAN. Based on the United States Navy's Charles F. Adams class, Hobart had a displacement of 3,370 tons at standard load, and 4,618 tons at full load, a length of 440 feet 3 inches (134.19 m) overall and 420 feet (130 m) between perpendiculars, a beam of 47 feet 1 inch (14.35 m), and a maximum draught of 15 feet 3 inches (4.65 m). Propulsion was provided by two General Electric turbines, which provided 70,000 shaft horsepower (52,000 kW) to the destroyer's two propeller shafts. Hobart could achieve speeds of 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph). The ship's company consisted of 20 officers and 312 sailors.
As a guided missile destroyer, Hobart's main armament consisted of a Mark 13 missile launcher firing Tartar missiles and two Ikara anti-submarine missile launchers. This was supplemented by two 5"/54 caliber Mark 42 guns and two Mark 32 triple torpedo tube sets. Over the course of the ship's career, the Mark 13 launcher was modified to fire Standard missiles, the Ikara launchers were stripped out in 1989, and two Phalanx CIWS units were installed in 1991.
Hobart was laid down by the Defoe Shipbuilding Company at Bay City, Michigan on 26 October 1962. The ship was launched on 9 January 1964 by the wife of David Hay, the Australian ambassador to the United Nations. Hobart was commissioned into the RAN on 18 December 1965. The cost of the destroyer was approximately A$45 million, including the initial load of supplies and ammunition. During construction, the ship was assigned the United States Navy hull number DDG-26. After commissioning, Hobart remained in American waters for eight months on trials and training exercises. She left the US on 3 August 1966, and sailed via Hawaii and Fiji before reaching her namesake city on 1 September. The ship spent very little time in Australian waters before she was deployed to fight in the Vietnam War in March 1967.
Read more about this topic: HMAS Hobart (D 39)
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