PROJECT 1947

THE following official recounting of the incident in which HMAS – Her Majesty's Australian Ship – Hobart was damaged by “friendly fire” comes from the website of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN):

Further information regarding possible UFO involvement in the incident can be read here:

ON 17 June 1968, Hobart was in the vicinity of Tiger Island when she detected an aircraft approaching her from the vicinity of Cap Lay.  Although the aircraft was evaluated as friendly it continued to close and fired a missile that struck Hobart amidships on her starboard side.  The warhead passed through the main deck, seriously damaging several compartments, while the body of the missile passed through the outer skin of the after funnel before ending up in the forward funnel.  In its passage the missile killed Ordinary Seaman R.J. Butterworth and wounded Able Seaman J.R. Parker and Ordinary Seaman R.F. Davidson.

As Hobart's crew raced to action stations a second and third missile hit the ship.  The second missile entered the transom without detonating, destroying the gunner's store before breaking up in the engineer's workshop and penetrating the after seaman's mess.  The third missile hit the ship in the same area as the first, passing through one of the ship's fan spaces, the missile director equipment room and Tartar checkout room.  Chief Electrician R.H. Hunt was killed in this attack and several sailors injured.  The aircraft was seen to pass over the ship before turning again for what appeared to be a further attack run.  At 8000 yards the crew of Hobart's forward gun engaged the aggressor, firing five rounds in local control, causing it to turn away before being lost to radar south of Tiger Island.  As Hobart's damage control parties made their assessment, USS Edson, which was operating in company with Hobart, reported that she too was coming under fire from air launched missiles.  The force consequently cleared the area to the west with Hobart departing the operational area to effect repairs in Subic Bay, Philippines.  En route, the ship's company began clearing away debris, finding and collecting pieces of the missiles which were later identified as being of US origin.  It transpired that Hobart was one of several ships mistakenly attacked by US 7th Air Force jets on the night of 16-17 June.  Hobart subsequently arrived in Subic bay on 19 June where her damage was assessed.  The destroyer had suffered serious damage to her weapons systems, electrical systems and hull.  The Ikara missile magazine had also suffered heavy damage in the attack and it proved fortunate that it was empty at the time of the attack.  On 25 July Hobart returned to Vietnamese waters where she resumed operations southeast of Da Nang.

Researcher Barry Greenwood located corroborating details of “UFO” activity in the Tiger Island region where the HMAS Hobart was damaged by friendly fire.  The III Marine Amphibious Force Command Chronology contains the following information as part of the Intelligence Summary for June, 1968, the same month as the Hobart incident:

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5.  INTELLIGENCE.

a.  General Enemy Situation.  During the month of June there were a number of significant contacts although they were scattered and no pattern of offensive activity developed.  The Go Noi Island/ Hoi An area produced the most consistant activity.

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During the late evening hours of 15 June approximately 15 unidentified aircraft, believed to be enemy helicopters, were reportedly sighted in the DMZ area.  Since that time there have been numerous sightings, both visual and by radar, of unidentified, slow-moving UFO’s in the DMZ area and seaward toward Tiger Island.  No hard evidence of these aircraft has yet been received.

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