Wayne Bastow, the forward turret gun captain on HMAS Hobart on the night of June 16-17, 1968, when it was struck by three missiles fired by an American war plane, has asked the Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal to recommend he receive an award for initiative and leadership.

Thursday's hearing in Canberra was told the jet broke off the attack when the forward turret fired back, an action Mr Bastow claims principal responsibility for and says saved lives and possibly even the ship.

While 26 awards, including a distinguished service medal and two mentions in dispatches (MIDs), were made to members of the ship's company for their actions, Mr Bastow missed out.

One MID went to the gun's observer who actually fired the weapon. The other went to the Captain, Kenneth Shands, for his work in co-ordinating the response to the missile strikes.

The impacts were devastating, destroying command and control networks and leaving two sailors dead and another six badly wounded.

Mr Bastow said the first rocket, which struck at 3.15am, cut contact with the operations centre and gunplot room. The gun then switched to local control and, on hearing what he thought were the words "for f's sake Mount 51 shoot", Mr Bastow said he thrown his control lever over to the firing position and shouted to the gun turret observer "shoot".

"That had not been done before; that wasn't in the manual," he said.

Mr Bastow said his actions in getting the gun to action stations before the second missile hit, his leadership and initiative in ensuring it was ready to fire and then in getting between five and 10 rounds away before the plane could return for a third pass all merited commendation.

Panel chair, Professor David Horner, put it to him he was only doing what was expected.

"In a combat situation all ADF members who have rank are expected to use initiative," he said. "You did. If you hadn't you would have been slacking in your duty."

Mr Bastow said he had felt entitled to recognition on learning a junior sailor was to receive an MID for getting the gun into a state of readiness to fire.

Professor Horner, a former Army Reserve colonel and commander of the the army's Land Warfare Studies Centre, said the issue was what, if anything, Mr Bastow should receive; not the rights and wrongs of awards made to others.

"If the gun did not fire I would have severely answered to the gun officer and the captain. If things go well should I not expect a well done?" Mr Bastow said.

Professor Horner said a major impediment to the claim was the tribunal only had Mr Bastow's account to go on.

"You are seeking recognition and we have no other witness than yourself," he said, "(If an award was recommended) it would be the first occasion I know of for which the only witness is the person themself."

The tribunal is expected to announce a decision later this year.