HMAS Australia (1911)

History of HMAS Australia (1911)

HMAS Australia was the sole capital ship of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and was commissioned shortly before the start of World War I (1914-1918). She was the second of three warships built by the British naval industry to form the Indefatigable class. Such ships include the lead ship, HMS Indefatigable, followed by HMAS Australia and HMS New Zealand. HMS New Zealand originally served the country of New Zealand, but in turn served with the Royal Navy (RN).

The group was in operation between 1909 and 1913 and was commissioned in 1911. One was lost and the last was decommissioned in 1923; two of the batches were scrapped.

HMAS Australia was classified as a "battlecruiser", a main battle class ship with reduced armour protection and firepower compared to the full-fledged battleships of the time. This makes their acquisition and long-term operating costs lower, while allowing for increased sea speed, a useful feature when hunting adversaries in open water.

HMAS Australia ordered 9 December 1909, keel laid on 26 June 1909 by the John Brown Company of Clydebank at 402 yards. She was launched on October 25, 1911, and commissioned on June 21, 1913 - just in time for World War I. She fought for her time at sea under the motto "Endeavor" and received battle honors for her war service in Rabaul and the North Sea.

At the time of construction, the warship had a nominal displacement of 18,800 tons under standard load and 22,500 tons under full load. The overall length reaches 590 feet, the beam is 80 feet, and the draft is up to 30.3 feet. Installed power includes 31 Babcock & Wilcox boiler units providing 44,000 hp to 4 steam turbines to drive 2 shafts below the stern.

All told, this gives the vessel a top speed of 25 knots at sea and a range of up to 6,700 nautical miles (7,700 miles).

There are 818 crew members on board.

The armament consists of 8 x 12" BL Mk. X main guns consisting of four twin gun turrets that make up the main gun.

While the front and rear gun arrangements are traditional, there is a unique aspect of the main gun layout that combines the two Two central turrets were placed amidships on each side of the ship (referred to in detail as "wing turrets"). Thus, a complete broadside could simultaneously use a total of six 12" guns.

During the voyage, the port guns were stowed forward and the starboard guns stern.

In addition, a 16 x 4 inch BL Mk. VII secondary gun was mounted on a single gun mount. Also carried 2 x 18 inch torpedo tubes.

Armor up to 6", deck up to 2.5", turret turret up to 7", each main turret up to 7".

Her profile includes a raised bow with a turret on the foredeck. Behind this location is the bridge structure, which contains the fore mast works. Three smoke funnels line up near the midship, although the superstructure is split in two places.

The second mast is located aft, while the upper hull line is moved down.

HMAS Australia's war career was rather sluggish: it only fired twice in anger without any substantial results. Her service on the high seas included a mix of maneuvers and patrols, even in the famous conflict between the two major navies - the British Grant Fleet and the German High Seas Fleet - at the Battle of Jutland (June 1916). HMAS Australia Repairs are in progress after collision with HMS New Zealand.

As such, she's destined to see no action in the biggest naval battle of the conflict. In addition, late-career mutiny due to low morale damages an otherwise solid career.

After the war, when her services were no longer required, the ship was downgraded to training before being decommissioned on 12 December 1921, and set sail on the 12th.

Specification

BASIC

Year of Service

1913

Origins

Australia

Status

stop service

destroyed, scrapped.

supplement

800

staff

Class information

Class

Tireless Lesson

Class Size

3

ships

Class

HMS Tireless; New Zealand; HMAS Australia

Operator

Australia

Characters

Sea Bombing

Maritime bombardment/attack of surface targets/areas primarily through ship-based ballistic weapons.

Land Assault

Littoral attacks against surface targets primarily through ship-based missiles/missile weapons.

Sea Patrol

Active patrolling of critical waterways and sea areas; also serves as a local deterrent against air and maritime threats.

Airspace Denial/Deterrence

Neutralization or deterrence of flying elements by airborne missile weapon ballistics.

Fleet Support

Provide support (fire or materiel) to major surface fleets in blue water environments.

Dimensions and Weight

Length

590. 0 feet

179.83m

Ray

80. 0 feet

24.38m

Draft

30. 0 feet

9.14m

Shift

21,300 t

Power and Performance

Installed Power:

31 x Babcock & Wilcox boilers power 4 x Parsons direct drive steam turbines producing 44,000 hp on 4 x shafts.

Surface Velocity

27. 0 nodes

(31.1 km/h)

Area

6,127nm

(7,051 miles | 11,347 kilometers)

Armament

8 x 12" BL Mk. X main guns in four main turrets with two guns (front, rear, port and starboard). 16 x 4" BL Mk. VII secondary battery in turret. 2 x 18" torpedo tubes.

Aircraft

None.