HMAS Brisbane : Gun Plot Room : Gun Fire Control Switchboard : Front Cabinet : Pair One

The Gun Fire Control Switchboard consists of four rectangular cabinets, arranged in two pairs. This is the front cabinet from pair one, and consists of a heavily constructed rectangular metal cabinet, with a hinged door at the front. The door houses the indicator lights, dials and equipment, which is arranged on 36 individual numbered panels with a total of 184 indicator lights. All panels have a short descriptive title adjacent to the identifying number. All small indicator lights have been removed. A nomenclature plate reads: `Switchboard ' Gun fire Control, Mk14 Mod26 type II, serial No. 01. The Gun Fire Control Switchboards (GFC SWBD) provide power control, monitoring, data routing, mode selection and action cutout switching for the GFCS. The GFC SWBD controls power application, monitors power circuits, routes analog data, permits selection of operation submodes, and provides switching for the GWS. The front cabinet is attached to the rear one (REL32980.128)

This component was removed from HMAS Brisbane after the ship was de-commissioned in 2001. The Gun Fire Control Switchboard is located in the Gun Plot Room. It is part of the Mk 68 Mod 4 Gun Fire Control System used to control the ship’s two 5 in. 54 calibre guns. HMAS Brisbane [II] was commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy in December 1967 and was the second vessel of that name to serve in the RAN. Known officially as DDG-41, Brisbane was the third of the RAN's American-built "Charles F. Adams" class guided-missiles destroyers. This class were the first major Australian warships designed and built in America, and were constructed by the Defoe Shipbuilding Co. The original complement of the Brisbane was 20 officers and over 300 sailors. Main armament was two 5-inch/54 calibre guns and anti-submarine torpedoes. The Ikara missile system was subsequently added. In later service the ship was known by the nick-name ‘the Steel Cat’. The HMAS Brisbane saw operational service in two conflicts. During the Vietnam War the ship undertook two tours of duty with the United States Seventh Fleet, in 1969 and again in 1971. The ship’s major task was to provide gunfire support for the land campaign. During the Gulf War (1990-91), Brisbane was one of four Australian warships to serve a tour in Gulf waters. The Brisbane arrived in the Gulf in December 1990 and operated there until March 1991, performing a number of roles. Apart from contributing to the anti-aircraft defences in the carrier screen, the ship also kept watch for mines and ensured that small civilian craft kept well away from the carrier group. Later, during Operation Desert Storm, the Brisbane controlled fighter combat air patrols and tanker aircraft. The ship’s final role was as an escort for US replenishment ships. In 2003 HMAS Brisbane was retired from service in the Royal Australian Navy. The Brisbane was the last steam powered ship in the RAN. HMAS Brisbane was sunk as a recreational dive wreck off the coast of southern Queensland in July 2005.