HMAS Australia
Part of the British County-class Kent subclass heavy cruisers, together with her sister ship HMAS Canberra. Building ordered in 1924, laid down by John Brown and Company, Clydebank, Scotland on 26 August 1925, launched on 17 March 1927, commissioned on 24 April 1928, decommissioned on 31 August 1954 and sold to the British Iron&Steel Corporation (Salvage) to be broken up on 25 January 1855 which was done at the Thos W. Ward’s Shipbreaking Yard, Barrow-in-Furness, England in 1956.
Displacement 10.000 (standard) tons and as dimensions 192,13 (over all) x 20,80 x 6,50 metres or 630.4 x 68.3 x 21.4 feet. The machinery consisted of 8 Yarrow superheated boilers, Curtiss high pressure geared turbines and Parsons low-pressure geared turbines delivering 80.000shop allowing with the 4-3bladed screws a speed of 12 (cruising)-31.5 (maximum) knots. The range was with a speed of respectively 11 and 31 knots 10.000 respectively 2.270 nautical miles. Crew numbered 815 men. The armour consisted of a belt with a thickness of 11cm/4.5” fitted in 1938-1939, anti torpedo bulges, while the magazines and machinery spaces, gun turrets and conning tower were protected by respectively 3,8-1.5”-7,5cm/3”, 5,1cm/2” and 7,6cm/3”. The original armament consisted of 4x2-20,3cm/8” guns, 4-x1-10,2cm/4” anti aircraft guns, 4-x1-4cm/2pd pom-poms, 16-0.303” machineguns, 2x4-53,3cm/21” torpedo tubes and 4-4,7cm/3pd saluting guns. In 1945 consisted the armament of 3x2-8” guns, 4x2-4” guns, 8-4cm Bofors guns, 16-0.303” machineguns and 4x1-3pd saluting guns. She could carry one plane with her, between 1928-1936 1 Supermarine Seagull III, replaced by a Supermarine Walrus between 1936-1944. Since 1935 fitted out with a catapult.
