HMAS Farncomb (SSG 74)

HMAS "Farncomb" (SSG 74), is a "Collins" class submarine of the Royal Australian Navy.

"Farncomb" was laid down by the Australian Submarine Corporation at Osborne, South Australia on 3 March 1991, launched on 15 December 1995 and commissioned on 31 January 1998.

Name

The submarine is named after Rear Admiral Harold B. Farncomb CB, DSO, MVO, RAN (1899–1971) who distinguished himself in action during World War II. He commanded HMAS "Canberra" in 1941 when the ship forced two German raider support ships to scuttle while on Indian Ocean patrol.

Later, aboard HMAS "Australia" he saw action in the Battle of the Coral Sea, Battle of Guadalcanal, the East Solomons, Arawe and Cape Gloucester. He assumed temporary command of His Majesty’s Australian Squadron when Commodore Collins was wounded aboard HMAS "Australia" at Leyte in 1944. He commanded the Squadron in operations at Corregidor, Brunei and Balikpapan.

Notable achievements

On 14 June 1999, HMAS "Farncomb" took part in an exercise off the Western Australian coast, which saw it fire an MK-48 torpedo at the decommissioned HMAS "Torrens", from over the horizon.

External links

* [http://www.navy.gov.au/HMAS_Farncomb Royal Australian Navy's HMAS Farncomb site]