HMAS Diamantina - A River^3 Frigate

[@Drachinifel]

Pinned post for Q&A :)

[@vikkimcdonough6153]

During the January 2023 livestream, as part of your answer to one of my questions, you said that trying to use a cruiser with 32 six-inch guns as an "anti-destroyer machine gun" (a turn of phrase I rather like) would be risky, as it would need to get close enough to the enemy destroyers that they could potentially torpedo it. If 32 six-inch guns couldn't reach out far enough to reliably swat enemy destroyers before they can launch torpedoes, wouldn't the secondary batteries of WWII-era capital ships, with many fewer guns per broadside and usually also smaller in caliber (up to ten guns of 4-to-6-inch caliber being the norm for secondary broadsides), have practically no hope of being useful in the anti-surface role? Doesn't this also make an effective dual-purpose gun an unworkable concept until the immediate postwar era, because the anti-surface role, in order to reliably kill enemy destroyers while they're still well out of torpedo range, requires a gun too large and heavy to be useable as a heavy-AA gun until the breakthroughs in heavy autoloading guns immediately postwar? If battleship construction had continued, would we have seen the return of the heavy 8-to-10-in intermediate battery to take care of destroyers with increasingly-long-ranged torpedoes?

[@bkjeong4302]

Which sunk Axis warship would make the best museum ship if somehow raised, taking into account both historical significance and possible connections to Axis war crimes?

[@WarrantOfficerWill22]

in Drydock 302 someone asked the question about building "totally not fleet destroyers" and you mentioned that it was for the most part possible but might not be worth it, my question is, using hindsight, what "easy upgrades" would you go with if you were designing a frigate/destroyer escort in the interwar period?

[@thehuscarl4835]

Let's suppose the US entered WWI much earlier such that the USS Texas was present at the Battle of Jutland. How do you think she fares? For added entertainment, let's make a young Ching Lee her chief gunnery officer.

[@Cbabilon675]

Answer curious as to what type of vessel that orange one is that is behind her.

[@ph89787]

Once again, I am so sorry for crashing yours, Dr Clarke’s and Dan’s lunch.

[@TheDoctorMonkey]

It was lovely to see you

[@ph89787]

@@TheDoctorMonkey thanks Dan.

[@williamlloyd3769]

Wow, look at the dry dock! It must have a serious maritime history. PS - construction commenced in 1876. Granite had to be imported from Melbourne and Helidon sandstone was used to assemble the altars. The completed dock was 313ft (95.4m) long and 60ft (18.3m) wide and the excavated material was distributed as fill around South Brisbane. In 1887 the dock was extended to 430ft (131.1m) due to the increasing size of vessels.

[@clairekholin6935]

Cool, interesting history.

[@MrTroytroy]

I’m watching this video in the Captains cabin in Australia’s largest warship. Awesome to see Drach do a video on the vessel that inspired me to join the Navy 28 years ago👍

[@RexsHangar]

It was so much fun hanging out with you guys during your visit to my sunny city :)

[@aaronleverton4221]

For the rain never falls on the dusty Diamantina

[@anotherrandominternetdog]

Ah, even though decades apart this ship and that Redgum song stick together in my mind kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y6e0fKBupJiAitksi=MojEAb3i7s1ekXUm

[@hairy-dairyman]

and the drover finds it hard to change his mind. Bloody lovely verse

[@monsieurduquack5440]

Drone footage was just correcting itself to the proper Australian orientation (upside down)

[@AstroJoeVino]

I got a laugh when I probably shouldn’t have when Drach was talking about the open bridge and said you have a good view during air attack. Can you imagine just standing there without even superficial cover and trying to keep your wits with bombs and bullets coming your way.Extremely Brave and insane.

[@myparceltape1169]

You will be one of the chosen ones who can keep their heads when all about expect it of you.

[@michaelinsc9724]

Major props to Australia for preserving and maintaining in excellent condition so much naval history!

[@timbrown2809]

each state has a maritime museum, Sydney and W.A I believe have a online virtual tour,since covid.

[@firstnamelastname7476]

I appreciate the museum staff there, they've often supported local filmmakers who've sought to film on the grounds..

[@kennkoala]

Triangle, with Melissa George.

[@TheCaptainbeefylog]

In the early 80s as a school kid, I remember running up and down the decks of Diamantina. Back then you could access all decks and spaces. Just up the street (literally) is an apartment complex called Dockside. It's based upon the old Evans Deakin shipyard and engineering works. Pre-War they mainly made a lot of steam trains, which were moved down Main Road to the rail junction at Woolloongabba on a mobile trainline hauled by horses. Evans Deakin also made a number of corvettes and other ships for the war effort.

[@GrahamWKidd]

Come on, admit it - you just wanted to get Woolloongabba in a comment.

[@The_ZeroLine]

Woolloongabba is my last name!

[@TheCaptainbeefylog]

@@GrahamWKidd lol

[@alansivkoff282]

Actually it was evans Anderson, they were originally located in what is now a park at kangaroo point. My father did his apprenticeship at EA and helped build those locomotives. After the war he also worked on ship repair at evans Deakin.

[@mkaustralia7136]

Would love to hear Drach try to pronounce Woolloongabba and Indooroopilly. He would ace Woolloomooloo.

[@jackchilton7596]

I subscribe to a channel and that very same day they put out a video about my hometown? Wild. Great stuff.

[@terrymurphy8568]

Synchronicity.

[@JayVeeEss36]

15 inch 42 calibre accuracy levels of targeted advertising

[@whyjnot420]

That would seriously creep me out. Though my town only has 35k people in it rather than being the 2nd or 3rd largest in the nation like Brisbane is.

[@Ansset0]

Damn, I should not be watching Drachinifel after 11pm. HMAS Dementia. That's what I saw at the first glance 🤦 Happy half a million, Drach!

[@99IronDuke]

I have been lucky enough to visit this fine Royal Australian Navy museum warship, several times.She is well worth a visit.

[@Rural53NZ]

I agree, this is a great museum.

[@keiranallcott1515]

Dear drachinifel , I have been to see hmas Diamantina twice , and the first time was just after the Queensland floods , I’m Not to sure if the volunteers working at the museum told you , but when the dry dock flooded where she is , the light ship behind her was floated off her blocks and when the flood level subsided , was left tilted on one side.

[@nigelcornwell2227]

The lightship actually sank in the drydock. I worked nearby in Southbank, and took pictures of the flooded drydock from the overhead footbridge.

[@keiranallcott1515]

@@nigelcornwell2227 I didn’t know that bit

[@timbrown2809]

vampire has entered the chat

[@nigelcornwell2227]

HMS Vampire?

[@CAP198462]

Those drop bears are sneaky. They particularly like hiding in gum trees and attacking drones.

[@Tome36]

the drop bears are the most terrifying part of australia

[@spacemastermind8866]

Ah, I fondly remember visiting this museum ship as a kid. Absolutely loved being able to turn the main battery by hand (allowed as long as you put them facing bow or sternwards). Good times.

[@1944GPW]

I was wondering when this video would appear, along with the drone saga, finally its up!. It was really great to meet you at the pub that evening and be regaled about things nautical. Hope you make a return to Oz someday and get to spend more time here!

[@spikeyflo]

How fantastic! I've been on the Diamantina some years ago and it was great to poke around. I remember training the bow gun too. Lots of fun!

[@geoffreyhui830]

Visited some years ago when the dry dock was a wet dock due to mechanical failure. Good to know it is now a dry dock again.

[@princeoftonga]

Good stuff Drach these smaller escort ships have always fascinated me. Also big congratulations on 500k! Well deserved!

[@dimezrecon]

You inspired me to stop by the Battleship North Carolina this last week on vacation. Awesome. Thank you for the content!

[@jon-paulfilkins7820]

Ah yes, Drach's drone has a mishap, and Drach himself walks into a Queensland meme. The people of Brisbane tend to point and giggle at people wearing warm winter gear (like a.. jacket) in their 'winter' and say "Ha! They must be from Melbourne". I first heard is when visiting relatives in the area in the mid 90's.

[@Dave_Sisson]

I visited the HMAS Castlemaine in Melbourne on the same day Drach did. It was balmy 12 degrees, so the sweat box that is Brisbane weather must have been quite a shock to him.

[@jon-paulfilkins7820]

@@Dave_Sisson Yeah, but Humidity down by the river, is no joke either.

[@allangibson8494]

Whereas Melbourne laughs at Queenslanders wearing rain coats in January…

[@Melchior171]

My grandfather learned his trade as a fitter and turner at the Brisbane drydocks during the second world war. Thank you for this lovely and informative tour of the Diamantina (I haven't been since I was a young child) :)

[@Tatical141]

I love visiting the Diamantina every holiday its always a nice place to relax and take in the history see how unique the ship is

[@patricknix5975]

So cool that Australia has such wonderful ships and exhibits and that you are able to share these from your trip!

[@aljeeper3292]

My first visit to the Diamantina was in 1984 and did a full photographic tour of the boat including descending down into the bottom of the dry dock. I was impressed with the level of it's restoration plus the museum had displayed several of the cabins with period equipment that was used while in war year service. I'm so glad you got to visit her, she a beautiful old girl 😍❤

[@returnofthenative]

I remember the Diamantina. In 1970, at 14, I was a cadet at HMAS Leuwin & virtually had the run of the stores ship HMAS Moresby, but to my mind, the Diamantina was a real, ridgy didge warship. Those were the days for an aspiring old salt, let me tell you.

[@TannithVQ]

That is a lovely looking ship! I really enjoyed your look around her. It's fascinating to get the different perspective the drydock allows.

[@hughledger7835]

I went around her when I was in Brisbane in 2001. Very nice ship

[@StratfordWingRider]

Wow. I visited this many many years ago when I was in Brisbane. Even bought a patch. It was awesome. I laughed when I saw the - please don’t point the main gun at the apartments sign.

[@lindsaybaker9480]

Went on her many years ago at the museum, it’s great she’s in a dry dock.

[@JohnSmith-jj2yd]

In the five years I was posted to Brisbane in the army we ran past that dozens of times doing the bridge-to-bridge loop, and I never went inside the museum. Really regretting that now... 😢

[@robertf3479]

The museum has obviously done an excellent job in preserving and restoring Diamantina, I would love to travel to Brisbane (or nearly anywhere else in Australia) for an opportunity to visit her. I love these presentations Drach.

[@HumbugDandy]

Brisbane is great, although non-natives feel the humidity in summer. Beer solves everything! Honk from Brisvegas

[@davidwood117]

That visit was great fun and wonderfully educational. Thanks!

[@adrianjorgensen3750]

Clearly I missed all the good stuff when I went to Australia. Thank you Drak for helping me plan my next trip.

[@alanmoffat4680]

In 1998 I was an extension officer with the Qld Forestry Dept, Timber Utilisation Branch. I inspected the caisson timbers internally and externally with our Dept. Photographer when it was in the Cairnscross Drydock, downstream from the museum. The caisson was floater downstream being towed by a local tug. A report and recommendations regarding the proposed repairs were made for the Qld Public Works engineers

[@Jackson-mj9vt]

I served on ‘Tina’ twice in the 70’s when it was a converted hydrographic ship and I visited her in the museum 40 years later. Very good video however the area you refer to as the bridge is in fact the wheelhouse, the bridge is the deck above, the officer of the watch navigated the ship from there and passed his instructions by voice pipe to the helmsman on the wheel. Good work.

[@XanderHerman-y8j]

hey I'm a brisbanite! finally someone visiting brisvegas. ive been to this ship before, I even had a view of it for days when I was in the children's hospital to be diagnosed with T1D many years ago. Australian things aside, its a cool ship, can't wait to dig into this video. its been cold as can be in Brisbane lmao.

[@mathewkelly9968]

Been waiting patiently for this , knew it was coming

[@michaelwise1224]

As with most of Australia’s wartime ship construction, Diamantina’s boilers were made at Cockatoo Island. The Carpentaria lightship was also built at Cockatoo. Some of the machinery used in ship, boiler and engine construction is on display on the island although too much was scrapped when the dockyard closed.

[@JohnnySmithWhite-wd4ey]

Beautiful ship. Thanks Drach.

[@goodshipkaraboudjan]

I lived just up the road from her for years. i was just thinking about volunteering there, might as well push a mower around the grounds and paint the cool ships and boats on days off. Edit - forgot that during the floods recently and in 2011 the news crews kept an eye on her because there was concern. But even though her dry dock became a very wet dock she still floated happily despite the torrent of the flood around her.

[@lincolntravelconcierge4846]

Great to meet everybody at the Subscribers Dinner and see the lectures by Drachinifel, Dr Clarke and Dan at the Queensland Maritime Museum last June. Looking forward to the rest of the videos!

[@RailfanDownunder]

😊 superb work again sir

[@inkunziknox7714]

Am from brissy, been visiting this ship my whole life. So keen for this video. Thanks Drachinfel.

[@shawnbeckmann1847]

Awesome job Drach!

[@Jaysqualityparts]

Great looking ship.

[@brianward4100]

I wish I knew when you were there, I would have flown down to say g'day Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn 😢😢😢 Oh well, next time .... I'm sure you enjoyed your visit, I've been three times myself Great video..Pity you missed out on seeing the old tugboat Forceful, that boat oozed history. But alas it was lost due to condition issues😢😢😢

[@firstnamelastname7476]

in the background is Ella's Pink Lady, sailed solo around the world by 16yo Jessica Watson en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_Watson

[@aldenconsolver3428]

I consider the presence of 40mm Bofors on a WW2 era ship to be roughly the equivalent to one of those stickers people put on their luggage to show where they have been. So instead of a sticker saying Scotland or Rocky Mountains we have one saying a "US Dockyard - Second World War" and pound per pound or dollar for dollar they were the best deal going in the 40's

[@peterwilliams2152]

I was the loader on a Bofors when we had a misfire due to a broken inner cocking lever. They still had the records that showed where it was made and machined, and by whom in the UK. It was attributed to a small casting inclusion, and nothing to do with the machining. That would have been about 40 years ago. It's amazing that you're always in six fathoms of water when you have a misfired round. ;-)

[@leeanthony126]

Thanks drach ❤

[@1roanstephen]

Nice episode, thank you.

[@warraichcleaveland]

My mom bought one kislux and she loves it. It had been there for over 10 years when she went out with it.

[@glenn9229]

well done for showing Diamantina, she often gets overlooked. If you think this ship is great (and she is)....then HMAS Vampire and HMAS Onslow will certainly keep you well entertained on your trip to Sydney. Look forward to that footage

[@davidhaines3044]

Oh man I'm right on time, Queenslander!

[@gregbuckenara8063]

As a former member of the Ships Company, It was an Honor and Privilege to serve Onboard the Diamantina.

[@IntrospectorGeneral]

HMAS Diamantina was named after the Diamantina River of Central West Queensland. The river was named for Lady Diamantina Bowen (Contessa Diamantina di Roma), wife of the first Governor of Queensland, Sir George Bowen. The Queensland town of Roma was also named after her, demonstrating that getting in early when places are being named is an advantage. The rather nice 'old' Government House built for the new Governor is on the direct opposite bank of the Brisbane Rive, a quick ferry ride away.

[@Dave_Sisson]

There is also a Diamantina River down in Victoria that flows from the snow clad Mt Feathertop and Mt Hotham, so a rather non Queensland environment. No one is quite sure how it got its name.

[@nigelcornwell2227]

The main train station in Brisbane is Roma Street Station.

[@AndrewBlucher]

Getting in early? I think the river already had a name.

[@mkaustralia7136]

And by having Roma named for her, completed having a Rome or Roma on every continent.

[@IntrospectorGeneral]

@@Dave_Sisson Sir George Bowen was later also the 5th Governor of Victoria (1873-79) so any landscape feature still in need of a name was possibly fair game.

[@oliversmith9200]

Drach points out how the aft 4 inch gun can be trained on the gangway, and how when done some other tourists appear not to realize it's not loaded... (What fun!) Does that mean that he devilishly brought the gun to bear on the gangway in order to enjoy observation of said uneased boarding tourists because Drach has something of the sea devil in him? How otherwise would he know? Have we here a small clue as to the nature of the author's prankster of an "inner child"? ;p

[@Wolfeson28]

My favorite "inner child" story is when he was on USS Texas, and found a convenient hole in the lower part of the hull which allowed him to start shouting at an unsuspecting tour group in the drydock.🤣🤣

[@marhawkman303]

I mean... we did see footage of Drach aiming the gun.... but not what he was aiming AT....

[@cbbees1468]

​@@marhawkman303At least the frigate seems to have held up well thus far against Roos and Emus.

[@scottcoutts]

It's also fun to train the 4" at the pedestrian bridge above.....

[@KJs581]

Good to see you looking at and around 'Tina, I haven't seen much of her in that form, but she was always there in Fremantle as an oceanographic ship, wearing the GOR pennant number. I never had a posting to her during my time in (1973 to 2013) but I knew a lot of blokes who did. That wheelhouse is pretty standard for our RN designed/sourced ships. The strip repeat is standard, inside there is a long strip of film, much like a camera roll of film, and it runs back and forwards inside it around pulleys, and is set up so that ships head is in the centre. I have seen two types, clear tape background with black digits/scale, and black background with clear digits/scale. Also standard is a microphone for the helmsman to repeat back orders, and a voice pipe as a back up in case of loss of power. Have a look at Vampire in Sydney, and you can see the similarities. There is usually a strip repeat on the bridge as well, and (also on the bridge) multiple bowl repeats with prismatic "compass rings" everywhere, usually one midships, and one (at least) on each bridgewing so they can sight for pilotage. Also there are usually a strip repeat and a bowl repeat in the tiller flat for after steering (emergency/local steering). The compass is usually lower in the ship, midships and generally equidistant fore and aft, so as to have the least movement. Probably a 5005, as that is what most ships around that time had, well Moresby did (survey ship) as did our Darings, and the Ton class sweepers. I worked the AP 5005 gyro compass both on Vendetta (two fitted) and also on Moresby. A strange device suspended on piano wires, they had no vertical reference, so couldn't stabilise a gun system; the M22 GFCS on Darings had to use internal stabilisation, wheras Mk 19 gyro ships could use either internal or external stab. Moresby only had one, with a very small patrol boat compass as a back up gyro. Most ships of the era had a further backup of an AGMC6 magnetic compass, which had two large cast iron balls one either side, and painted red and green. These were there to neutralise the ships metal from affecting a magnetic compass. We had them on DE's, Darings, and had one on Moresby, and after a refit, we used to have an old guy come and adjust those cast iron balls (ours slid in and out on slots) when we did a "compass swing" at anchor. His name was Captain Pickles, and he was the only one left in the West who did it. Apparently. Honestly, you can't make this stuff up. 🙂 As far as stoker stuff was concerned, Tina was very "old school." We had a bloke in reconstruction team in Darwin (Navy used to rotate "after cyclone" relief teams to Darwin in two month stints) in 75 that was on the Gasgoyne and the Barcoo, (same as Tina), and thence on Tina. So "slap the big end bearings" to see if they were too hot and so on. End of an era. He was a killick stoker, and he'd been in 15 years (we had been in for "5 minutes" in 75), so we called him "salt bosun" 🙂 Good to see, (and brings back memories for me); thanks for posting.

[@anotherrandominternetdog]

Brisbane! Diamantina! Drach!

[@s353136]

Bugger! I missed seeing you in Brisvegas. Hope you come back again. Keep up the good work.

[@XanderHerman-y8j]

if I'm not mistaken the museum nearly went under financially a year or two ago. gotta support it people.

[@Foxttellio]

Its the ship! The ship i visited lol

[@alistairevans1428]

I can confirm the northern states are pretty toasty even in the Australian winter. I'm up in Darwin (Northern Territory) and its hitting between 30-33°C each day, while it tops out at 20° in Newcastle (New South Wales) at the moment if you're lucky 😅

[@briansteehler843]

I have to say that I prefer post production narration for its clarity compared to strange acoustics and varying conditions aboard ships or in museums. Although if you wanted to include certain sounds or echoes or mechanical noises, by all means do it.

[@IC3XR]

When I was a kid my dad took us to see HMAS Diamantina. She is a gorgeous little ship. Although, seeing inside HMAS Vampire and the Oberon-class sub next to it in Sydney was my favourite thing ever. (torpedoes were alot bigger than I thought 😰😅) I still remember me and my sister traversing the 4" gun and pointing it at people in the windows of buildings 😂

[@sebastiengiboulot7848]

Been on that a few times as a kid. I liked that we could play with the guns. There used to be a soviet submarine in there too.

[@neilcam]

Great to see that you'd visited Brisvegas. I must get to the Maritime Museum again as it's been a few years since I've been. Oh and worth mentioning that up until fairly recently they had a working steam-powered ocean-going tug, Forceful. Sadly, due to costs and old age she was scrapped in 2023 ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forceful_(tugboat) )

[@HumbugDandy]

Forceful was scrapped!! Bummer..., she was lovely.

[@neilcam]

@@HumbugDandy Yeh, I know. I remember back to when she'd be hired out for functions or just run tourist rides on the river. Yet, when push came to shove, she couldn't be saved. Bugger!

[@adamski-l5w]

😢

[@VelmiVelkiZrut]

Great vid as always, thanks for the effort

[@RonJohn63]

11:39 Australia certainly is the outer limits...

[@whyjnot420]

Congrats on 500k subs!

[@BrianHill-ce8rm]

Visited diamintinain Fremantle in 72 mate was a stoker Jo fenner very clean good job

[@warlikeplate4407]

I'd love to go to this Museum. I live in Brisbane, but it's closed more often than it is open. Plus, if you get there at certain times, they turn you away and say they aren't letting anyone else in. The times on the board out the front are wrong, and when it says 'open' on the website, that is meaningless. Sorry to be so negative, but 5 times I have found it closed when everything says it is open. Sorry Drach, you must have forewarned them. Glad U didn't plan a trip around it otherwise.

[@rtsgod]

when, if ever, would they have had the tent up over the deck? It is hot out there!

[@malusignatius]

So annoyed I was sick the day you guys filmed this.

[@Chaz_Enjoyer]

Same bro

[@kennethdeanmiller7324]

I feel your pain. When Drach came to Washington DC I had planned on going & meeting him after he had been at the Smithsonian. However, I started feeling "under the weather" the day before & considering all we had gone through with COVID I didn't want to risk getting him or anyone else sick. I am of the opinion that it's best to remain anonymous rather than be the selfish person that made them sick in their travels. So cheers to you mate.

[@malusignatius]

@@kennethdeanmiller7324 In fairness, mine wasn't pathogenic. I have Crohn's with chronic pain as a comorbidity, and it was acting up that day. So I would not have made anyone sick, I just would have been a wet blanket to be around.

[@kennethdeanmiller7324]

@@malusignatius Sorry to hear it. I have 3 previous back injuries complete with torn back muscles & 3 pinched nerves & now scoliosis on top of it. So I definitely know about chronic pain as well. Hoping you feel better. And also when Drach was here the weather was rather wet & dismal which is usually when I hurt the most. But it was the sinusitis that kept me from going. I had been vaccinated for COVID but some were still getting it even with the vaccination, so I figured I'd just lay low. I was out & about all thru the pandemic but never got sick. The day after I was feeling better but the night he was here I felt horrible. Many prayers for you fighting Crohn's!!🙏🙏🙏

[@bakaneko113]

Awesomeness!

[@alanbarnes]

Back in about 1980(I think it was)the tv channel ABC made a half hour programme about the Diamantina when she sailed from Sydney to Brisbane for preservation.I still have this programme in my collection of old telly programmes.Only problem is;it s on VHS,I keep meaning to transfer it to digital,been thinking about it for ages.Great vid on this neat little ship,she seems well looked after.

[@alanbarnes]

I ve found the VHS tape in question,it was hiding in a bedroom cupboard.The ABC broadcast this programme on 4/11/81 should anyone be interested.

[@alexwood5425]

Have you looked at the Krait? Amazing story!!

[@daveg2104]

I assume Drach visited the Maritime Museum in Sydney. It would be very strange if he didn't. So hopefully the Krait will get a mention, as that is where it is currently situated.

[@waywardscythe3358]

I dunno what it is but deck tents really add to the total appearance of a ship for me.

[@hogey74]

Drach! Didn't even know you were here! FWIW I was sweating this June while moving house but January was a bloody sauna. Awesome vid too thanks. The museum has been in trouble due to funding and, I'm guessing, insufficient general interest. It should be a centre of naval education and enthusiasm that everyone experiences but isn't... Edit... Ha this is a year old lol. Id be keen to have a beer next time you're over this way ✌️.

[@greenseaships]

24:33- Protection against boarding actions!

[@zoranocokoljic8927]

Questions: 1) There seem to be a pair of circular holes below waterline that were covered from the inside with riveted steel plates. What were those holes for and why were they covered? 2) Are engine space and magazines accessible? 3) @Carpetania is obviously a navigational buoy - no screws visible, i.e. no propulsion, but it had to have a motor to run the generator for the lights, and there's a motorised winch for the anchor. Running generator would require some supervision, if nothing else to avoid a trip from the shore if something goes wrong. That means it should have a cabin etc, yet I couldn't notice any portholes or similar features. So, is it designed with crew in mind?

[@allangibson8494]

Lightships are not self propelled. They are however manned, unlike buoys.

[@daveg2104]

Those lightships weren't manned. There was a diesel engine to power the anchor winch, and a 6 month supply of acetylene gas to power the light. CLS4 Carpentaria (looks identical to CLS2 in this video) is preserved at the Maritime Museum in Sydney. The "Carpentaria" name is referring to where they spent a lot of their life - the Gulf of Carpentaria.

[@mongolike513]

Oh mate, such war comic fun to train 4inch guns. When we went aboard in 2005 the breeches were secured with very flimsy watch chain which inspired my imagination to get over to the Ammunition Museum and purloin some 4inch HE and pull a big hold up. Hands up you cane toads!

[@davetooes6179]

Drachinifel your videos are as always first-class. However, as I live in MARYborough I need to pick you up on using MAYborough. If that's all I complain about, then you do a great job as usual. I was on an Australian Landing Craft working with HMAS Diamantina for oceanography for the WA Naval port of HMAS Stirling on Garden Is during 1971.

[@tmutant]

11:38 "Outer Limits" reference noted.

[@Tipsyweeb]

Ayyy I lived near there til very recently, sweet

[@spursau04]

What a shame I didn't see you. I was seeing my brother then so I was in Melbourne as I am from Sydney & went to see said ships. Would've been an interesting conversation. Hope you enjoyed good 'ol Aussie cordiality

[@martinswiney2192]

One day a half century from now will have a series of videos reviewing all of the drones lost in combat and naval history videos.

[@marktuffield6519]

Somewhere else to visit when I get to make a return visit to the town of my birth from the UK 🙂

[@dillieisawesome]

I was a 14yr old volunteer painting the forward mess in 1996. I hope you'll do video on SS Forceful. I was a fireman on her as well.

[@CharlesStearman]

Regarding WW2 asdic/sonar, my understanding is that it could be rotated to search in any direction (in one scene in "The Cruel Sea" the captain orders "Sweep 60 degrees across the stern") but it was fixed in vertical angle, so lost contact when the target was close to the ship and therefore below the angle of the beam.

[@Drachinifel]

Depends on the variant, early models were rotated by hand, and had minimal baffling against prop noise, so effectively were useless in the rear arc. Later.models would get powered rotation and/or better compensation against prop and other machinery noise, which made looking aft more practical. Still later models had 360 degree sensors and didn't need to be rotated at all.

[@bluelemming5296]

Your description is accurate for early war systems. Look up 'List of British Asdic systems' to see how many variations there were as the war went on. The 'Q attachment' in 1943 was the first sonar that could measure depth of the target.

[@daguard411]

Thank You.

[@Vtarngpb]

That is a pretty long shell for a relatively short gun!

[@UncleJoeLITE]

Quite a personal feeling ship to visit, highly recommended.⚓ At least it was better than a Bathurst for the crew.

[@AugmentedGravity]

Lovely intro hahah

[@Moredread25]

I hope to get to Australia some day.

[@TroyFairweather]

Great video as always, do you have a video or do one on the USS. Nautilus. I used to vacation every year in New England and would stop in and check the nautilus out at the mystic museum and it's a very cool sub.

[@TroyFairweather]

Oops ment to say Groton not mystic^^^^

[@johnbuchman4854]

Gum tree presented you with a sticky situation, eh Drach?

[@alexbenis4726]

That was great, thanks!