[Australia]: Operation Mawson

[Owen]

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OPERATION MAWSON​

CLASSIFIED AND TOP SECRET​

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Objective:	Patrols of the oceans around Antarctica
Date:	10 November 1996 - 4 December 1996
Location:	Antarctica
Status:	Concluded

BELLIGERENTS​

Australia

Sweden Norway

COMMANDERS AND LEADERS​

Paul Keating (Prime Minister) John Faulkner (Minister for Defence) Vice Admiral Chris Barrie (Chief of the Naval Staff) Rear Admiral David Campbell (Maritime Commander Australia)

Stefan Lofven (Prime Minister) Peter Hultqvist (Secretary of Defence) Felix Frost (Prime Minister) Kristoffer Solberg (Minister of Defence)

STRENGTH​

Royal Australian Navy: Maritime Command: Submarine Group: HMAS Dechaineux (42x Regular Personnel, 22x Mark 48 Mod 6 Advanced Capability Torpedoes, 2x SSE Decoys) HMAS Rankin (42x Regular Personnel, 22x Mark 48 Mod 6 Advanced Capability Torpedoes, 2x SSE Decoys)

Royal Swedish Navy: 14x Oslo-class Frigates 4x Ula-class Submarines 1x Surveillance Ship 1x Replenishment Vessel 3x Icebreakers

CASUALTIES AND LOSSES​

None

None

 

[Owen]

CLASSIFIED​

At HMAS Platypus, the main submarine base which is located in the suburb of North Sydney on the banks of Neutral Harbour and is apart of the wider Fleet Base East complex covering Sydney Harbour, two Submarines would begin being prepared, HMAS Dechaineux and HMAS Rankin. Their crew would begin preparing for a mission which was incredibly top secret and none of them have been allowed to tell their families, only that they were going on a training exercise. Most of the crew didn't even know where they were going, only the commanders of the submarines were aware that the target location was Antarctica. The situation in Antarctica had become tense since 116 Australian Antarctic Division scientists were arrested there and it was deemed by the Australian Government to be a major national security threat. The purpose of these submarines was to gather intelligence, a role that the crew of the Collins-class Submarines were well used to, in peacetime it was their primary purpose. HMAS Dechaineux was to leave Sydney heading westwards whereas HMAS Rankin was to leave eastwards and they would both travel along the Antarctic coast, outside of what is legally defined in international law as "Swedish territorial waters", though was not recognised as such by Australia, it was still the Government's policy to avoid confrontation.

The crew would begin packing up the ships in the dead of night, food and supplies were brought onboard along with 22 Mark 48 Mod 6 Advanced Capability Torpedoes and 2 SSE Decoys each. There would be enough fuel and supplies to last 70 days, the submarines maximum endurance. These were just in case the worst happened to the submarines. The crew of each ship consisted of 42 personnel, a closeknit family of submariners consisting of weapons specialists, cooks, etc. It would consist of both men and women, as per Royal Australian Navy policy which recently changed to allow female submariners. Dechaineux and Rankin would both depart Sydney Harbour at periscope depth, once they had passed the Sydney heads they would dive to about 200 feet, this would pick up their speed to 37 knots. They would both head QF -> QE -> QD before splitting off, Dechaineux would head PC -> OC -> NC -> MC -> LC -> KC -> JC -> IC -> HC -> GD -> FD -> EC -> DC -> CC -> BC -> AC -> RC, staying out of "Swedish territorial waters". Rankin would follow the same route but in reverse. Once they had met up again they would head QD -> QE -> QF back to Sydney. Once at PC and RC, they would submerge to 600 feet and would cut communications with Australia at the risk of having their signals intercepted. If they absolutely needed to communicate they would do so via very low frequency communications being sent to Naval Communication Station Harold E. Holt near Exmouth, Western Australia. All sensors and processing systems would be on. If any ship was detected by the submarines they would immediately cut to silence and reduce all ability to detect the submarines.

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Connor Naio90 Odinson

 

[Owen]

CLASSIFIED​

Both the Submarines would return to HMAS Playtypus in Sydney Harbour. The Operation would be declared as concluded.