HMAS Brisbane : Engine Room : Alarm Panel and Horn

Alarm Panel and horn. The panel consists of is a grey rectangular metal case. At the back are two welded brackets drilled with three bolt holes. At the bottom are two cable fittings, the cover is retained by six screws. At the top is a nomenclature plate that reads: `Alarm Panel ' 4 circuit Type B-52, 115 volts, AC-DC, Wing Corporation.' Below the plate is a clear indicator light. The lower half of the front panel is divided into two sections. The left section has a plate that reads: `LOW LUBE OIL ALARM,' with two metal switches underneath it, while the section on the right reads: `LOW ACC ALARM', and also has two metal switches. Emerging from the base of the unit are four power cables. One of the cables is connected to a horn, type 167 H1S4. The horn is a grey circular unit with a large brass cylindrical horn piece. The unit is made by Federal Sign and Signal Corporation, Blue Island, Illinois, USA. The horn has three holes in the back to secure it to the wall.

This component was removed from HMAS Brisbane after the ship was de-commissioned in 2001. The Panel and Horn were in the ship's Engine Room, both are part of Gauge Board REL32981.002. 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.