HMAS Australia (1911)

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Career

Ordered:
Laid down:	26 June 1910
Launched:	25 October 1911
Commissioned:	21 June 1913
Decommissioned:	12 December 1921
Fate:	Scuttled 12 April 1924
Struck:
General Characteristics
Displacement:	18,800t normal; 21,300t full load
Length:	590 ft (179.83 m)
Beam:	80 ft (24.38 m)
Draught:	30 ft (9.14 m)
Armament:	Eight 12 inch/45 caliber Fourteen 4 in/50 caliber Two 18 in torpedo tubes
Propulsion:	Parsons turbine, 4 screws
Speed:	25 kt @ 44,000 hp
Range:	6,300 miles @ 10 knots
Complement:	820
Motto:

See HMAS Australia for other ships of the same name.

HMAS Australia was an Indefatigable class battlecruiser laid down by John Brown and Company of Clydebank at Glasgow in Scotland on 26 June 1910, launched on 25 October 1911 by Lady Reid, wife of Sir George Reid, the Australian High Commissioner in London and former Prime Minister. She was completed and commissioned at Portsmouth on 21 June 1913 and sailed for Australia on 21 July 1913 and became the Australian flagship.

At the start of World War I, the Australia was deployed to find and attack the German East Asia Squadron, the only enemy naval force in the Pacific. The squadron's commander, Vice Admiral Maximilian von Spee, was wary of the Australia, which he described as being superior to his squadron by itself. The German squadron fled towards South America and exited the Pacific. (It was destroyed in December by a British squadron at the Battle of the Falkland Islands.)

Towards the end of 1914, the Australia provided escort for Allied forces engaged in seizing Germany's Pacific colonies, including the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force at Rabaul.

The Australia was ordered to join the British 2nd Battle Cruiser Squadron at Rosyth, Scotland. It arrived at Plymouth on 28 January 1915, and was made flagship of the 2nd Battle Cruiser Squadron on 8 February 1915.

As part of the 2nd Battle Cruiser Squadron the Australia carried out a series of patrols into the North Sea. The ship did not, however, make contact with the German Navy during the war as she missed the Battle of Jutland due to a collision with HMS New Zealand on 22 April 1916 and did not return to service until 9 June. After returning to service the Australia remained the flagship of the 2nd Battle Cruiser Squadron until the end of the war.

In March and May 1918 the Australia was used for experiments with aircraft which were successfully launched from a platform erected on one of her gun turrets. Following the end of the war HMAS Australia was present for the surrender of the German High Seas Fleet on 21 November 1918.

HMAS Australia sailed for home on April 24, 1919. It arrived arrived in Fremantle on May 28. On June 1, the "HMAS Australia mutiny" occurred:[1] when the crew was ordered to make preparations to sail, to comply with a schedule of "welcome home" ceremonies, 80-100 crew members assembled on the quarterdeck, requesting that the departure be delayed to allow further shore leave in Fremantle and Perth. They were addressed by Captain Claude Cumberlege, and dispersed voluntarily. However, the duty stokers left their posts, rendering Australia unable to sail. Petty officers were ordered to the engine room and the ship left port only one hour late. Cumberlege pressed charges against 32 men. He sentenced 27 to imprisonment for 90 days, in cells on Australia, which arrived in Sydney on June 15. Five men facing more serious allegations were court martialled in Sydney on June 20. They all pleaded guilty and were imprisoned for periods ranging from one to two years. After a public outcry, all five were released in December.

Australia resumed its peacetime role as the flagship of the Royal Australian Navy. The Australia paid off on 12 December 1921 and, in accordance with the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty, was sunk with her main armament 24 miles from Sydney on 12 April 1924.

[edit] References

Sea Power Centre Australia HMAS Australia (I) Ship's History
Sea Power Centre Australia A Loss More Symbolic than Material? (an article debating whether the scuttling of HMAS Australia was justified)