About This Unit
HMAS Anzac (II) D59
HMAS Anzac (II) was laid down at Williamstown Naval Dockyard on 23 September 1946 and launched on 20 August 1948 by Lady Collins, the wife of Vice Admiral Sir John Collins, RAN, the then First Naval Member. Anzac commissioned on 14 March 1951 under the command of Commander John Plunkett-Cole, RAN, although the ship was not officially accepted by the Royal Australian Navy from the dockyard until 22 March 1951.
Following a period of working up and exercises in eastern Australian waters, Anzac (II) departed Sydney on 30 July 1951 for Korean War service, arriving at Sasebo, Japan, on 14 August via Hong Kong.
On 24 August 1951 Anzac (II) departed Sasebo as a unit of Task Element 95.11 screening USS Sicily (commanded by Captain Scheoch USN) during aircraft carrier operations off the Korean west coast. On 2 September HMS Glory relieved Sicily as the operational carrier. Anzac (II) detached on 6 September to proceed to the vicinity of Haiju in western Korea with orders to bombard selected targets.
At 18:15 on 6 September 1951 the Commonwealth Ensign was broken at the fore and “for the first time the guns of Anzac (II) opened fire on the enemy”. Targets included the suspected headquarters of the area Communist forces. The operation completed, Anzac (II) returned to Sasebo.
The ship served on two tours of duty during the Korean War, and attempts to distinguish herself from British ships led to the practice of red kangaroo symbols on Australian warships. During 1956, Anzac served during the Malayan Emergency. In 1960, a malfunction in the destroyer's gun direction equipment caused Anzac to fire directly on sister ship HMAS Tobruk during a gunnery exercise, with Tobruk left unrepairable. In 1961, the destroyer was reclassified as a training vessel. Anzac remained in service until 1974, and was sold for breaking a year later.
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