The collision between the HMAS Melbourne and the HMAS Voyager

Melbourne collided with Voyager at 20:56, causing the carrier’s bow to slice into the forward superstructure of the destroyer just behind the bridge and operations room. The impact resulted in the fatalities of the senior officers on the bridge. The incoming carrier’s mass caused Voyager to roll to starboard before splitting the ship in half, with the bow sliding down Melbourne’s port side and the stern down the starboard side. Following the collision, Voyager’s forward boiler exploded, briefly igniting a fire in the exposed wreckage of the carrier’s bow before being put out by seawater. The destroyer’s forward section sank within 10 minutes due to the weight of the two 4.5-inch (110 mm) gun turrets. The aft section began sinking half an hour after the collision and fully submerged at 00:18. Upon receiving messages at Fleet Headquarters in Sydney, Robertson inaccurately assessed the damage to Voyager, resulting in the Captain Cook Graving Dock at Garden Island being cleared of the troopship HMAS Sydney to accommodate Voyager. Additionally, the salvage ship HMAS Kimbla was dispatched to tow the destroyer to Sydney.

Melbourne promptly deployed its boats immediately after the collision to rescue survivors, and the carrier’s wardroom and C Hangar were prepared to handle casualties. One cutter managed to save 40 individuals before it started taking on water. Leading Seaman M. A. W. Riseley, in command of the cutter, valiantly rescued as many survivors as possible despite the weight restrictions of the rescue boat. The admiral’s barge suffered damage from debris. Initially, eight helicopters were launched, but due to safety concerns in the confined area, the number was reduced to two at a time. Many sailors in the water were either unable or unwilling to be rescued using the helicopters’ winches, so the helicopters were reassigned to provide illumination with their landing lights. At 21:58, Melbourne received information that five minesweepers, two search-and-rescue boats from HMAS Creswell, and helicopters from Naval Air Station Nowra had been dispatched. Air Nymph, arriving just before 22:00, collected 34 survivors and attempted to transfer them to Melbourne. However, the boat was pushed up under the carrier’s flight deck by swells, causing damage to two communications aerials. Consequently, the SAR boat returned to Creswell to offload the survivors. Air Sprite recovered an additional 36 survivors and transported them ashore. Sea searches continued until February 12th, and aircraft periodically flew over the area until February 14th in search of bodies.

Out of the 314 individuals on board Voyager during the collision, a total of 14 officers, 67 sailors, and one civilian dockyard worker tragically lost their lives. This devastating incident claimed the lives of Stevens and nearly all the bridge crew sailors, leaving only two survivors. The majority of the casualties were located in the forward section of Voyager, where they were off duty, relaxing, or sleeping at the time of the collision. The recovery efforts managed to retrieve only three bodies, one of which belonged to Stevens. These brave individuals were laid to rest on 14 February, while the remaining missing personnel were officially declared deceased on 17 February. On 21 February, memorial services were conducted throughout Australia to honor the fallen. Thankfully, there were no casualties reported aboard Melbourne.