1 January 1963
The British 4th Submarine Squadron was based at HMAS Penguin in Sydney from 1949. They intended to provide anti-submarine warfare training for the Australian Fleet.
In 1963, with the prospect of a British withdrawal, the Naval Board recommended that the Royal Australian Navy acquire 4 Oberon-class submarines. They were to be built by Scotts’ shipbuilding yard in Greenock, Scotland. Two more Oberons were subsequently added.
The RAN needed its own submarine fleet. In addition to honing its anti-submarine capability in exercises, they also provided:
- unique stealth
- intelligence
- surveillance
- strike capabilities.
The Oberon was an advanced diesel-electric submarine. It was renowned for its quiet operation and reliability. The class was heavily involved in Cold War surveillance. This included the shadowing of Soviet submarines. The ‘O boats’, as they were affectionately known, were all based at HMAS Platypus in Neutral Bay, Sydney.
In the mid-1980s, the O boats were given a significant weapons upgrade, with the addition of Mark 48 torpedoes and harpoon missiles. The last O boat, HMAS Otama, was withdrawn from service in December 2000.
The O boats carry a lasting legacy. Ships and their parts have been preserved and are on display for the general public:
- HMAS Onslow is preserved at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney.
- HMAS Ovens is on display at Fremantle in Western Australia.
The upper casing and fin of HMAS Otway is on display in the New South Wales town of Holbrook.