Special Operations.Com

Australian Special Operations Forces

Clearance Diving Teams

     

Feature: Clearance Diving Teams in East Timor

The Royal Australian Navy has two fully operational CDTs which incorporate local Australian Naval Reserve (ANR) divers. The teams are deployed such that AUSCDT ONE is based at HMAS Waterhen in Sydney and AUSCDT FOUR is based at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia.

The AUSCDTs are under the operational command of the Maritime Commander Australia. Administrative control is delegated to Commander Australian Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving Forces (COMAUSMINDIVFOR) with operational control delegated to COMAUSMINDIVFOR as required.

The Clearance Diving Teams are divided into task elements which are capable of deploying separately or in combination with the other elements.

Mine Counter Measures (MCM) and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD)

MCM Operations include:

	location and disposal of sea mines in shallow waters,
	rendering safe and recovering enemy mines,
	the search for and disposal of ordnance below the high water mark,
	clearance of surface ordnance in port or on naval facilities, and
	the search for, rendering safe or disposal of all ordnance in RAN ships and facilities, including the removal of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

Maritime Tactical Operations

The Maritime Tactical Operations element of the AUSCDTs is capable of carrying out any one of the following amphibious missions:

	clandestine hydrographic survey of an amphibious beach,
	clandestine clearance or demolition of sea/land mines and/or obstacles, and
	clandestine placing of charges, demolitions for the purpose of diversion or demonstration.

Underwater Battle Damage Repair

AUSCDTs maintain an underwater battle damage repair capability for temporary repairs including underwater patching and plugging, limited underwater cutting and welding, salvage and repair/replacement of underwater fittings.

Diving in the RAN

The RAN established its Clearance Diving Branch in 1951 and adopted the motto: UNITED and UNDAUNTED. However, the introduction of the Clearance Diving Breathing Apparatus (CDBA) in 1955 marked the true beginning of the clearance diver and the start of an era for the new branch.

Since then the RAN Clearance Diving Branch has kept up with world diving technology. The equipment used is state of the art and their techniques are regarded as world leading.

The clearance diving course spans 32 weeks for the basic clearance diver and 49 weeks for both advanced clearance divers and clearance diving officers.

Clearance Diving Teams in Vietnam

In May 1966 the RAN's underwater Clearance Diving Team 1 (CDT1) spent a short period in Vietnam working with USN divers. Almost a year later the Australian government announced the deployment of Clearance Diving Team 3. This team was made up of personnel from the RAN's two existing diving teams, CDT1 and CDT2, and after a period of additional training arrived in Vietnam on February 6, 1967.

RAN CDT 3 was primarily employed in clearing rivers and shipping channels of mines and booby traps laid by the Viet Cong. This normally dangerous task was made especially so by the murky conditions under which the divers had to work. Other tasks assigned to the divers included salvage work and assisting in trawler and ship searches.

Regular searches were also conducted of Australian Army water transport and other ships. This task was known as Operation STABLE DOOR and was intended to protect and secure South Vietnamese ports and military shipping from sabotage by the Viet Cong. As part of this operation RAN clearance divers conducted about 7500 ship searches.

While the Clearance Divers operated as a distinct unit a number of personnel were attached for short intervals to USN diving teams. Such attachments provided the RAN clearance divers with valuable experience and exposure to other operating techniques. Perhaps the most unusual request for assistance received by the RAN clearance divers came from the US Army 36th Evacuation Hospital: they had just admitted a patient who had eaten some C-4 explosive.