HMAS Brisbane : Signaling Projector

The signaling projector consists of cylindrical lamp-housing with cast and machined front and back plates. The body is supported in a large `Y' shaped bracket, which is in turn attached to an adjustable post-mount. Attached to the bracket are two handles, one on the right and left sides. On the panel of the light unit there is a hand-painted HMAS Brisbane motif of the `Steel Cat' and the phrase `We Aim at Higher Things'. The front of the unit is a cast and machined ring housing a large circular glass plate. Behind this is a set of horizontal shutters, these are actuated by a spring-loaded handle, mounted on the right side of the body. Inside the body is a single electrical bulb with a concave mirror attached to the back panel. On the top of the light is a sighting ring and eyepiece and on the left side of the unit is a small handle for stabilisation. At the base of the unit are ten holes, arranges in two sets of five, possibly used as air-vents. A power cable projects from the lower section of the body on the centre line.. The cable is several meters long with a power plug at the end. The unit is painted with a non-reflective mat dark-grey paint. The nomenclature plate reads: 250MM SIGNALLING PROTECTOR, FRANCIS SEARCHLIGHTS UNION ROAD BOLTON ENGLAND. Serial No. DG 40S25, Contract No. 3 396 1(?), NSN No. 0558-5850-99-799-7340, Weight: 33KG, dated: 1987. There is a small white plaque on the left hand side that reads: ALL THREADS ON THE EQUIPMENT ARE METRIC.

This component was removed from HMAS Brisbane after the ship was de-commissioned in 2001. The projector is believed to have been fitted on top of the bridge on level 03, and is part of the ship's signalling equipment. 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.