- Yes - In the Tech Tree.
- Yes - Event/BP.
- Yes - Premium.
- No - I would not like to see HMAS Adelaide in game.
Description:
HMAS Adelaide was one of four town-class Light Cruisers built for the Royal Australian Navy, and the only member of the ‘improved Chatham’ subgroup of that class operated by Australia, the rest being regular Chathams. She would be heavily modified and refitted through her long service life, with this suggestion being for her final fit as of 1943.
The Town-class would be acquired by Australia as to aid their two Pelorus-class Cruisers, HMAS Pioneer and HMAS Psyche, and the Challenger-class cruiser, HMAS Encounter, effectively doubling the numbers of Cruisers, and more than doubling the effectiveness of the fleet, as the new ships were far more capable.
Compared to the other Australian Towns, which were of the standard Chatham Sub-class, HMAS Adelaide’s improved design gained a revised armament layout, gaining another 6" mount. She was also slightly longer and heavier with greater fuel loads.
History:
Laid down by the Commonwealth Naval Dockyard on Cockatoo Island, New South Wales, on the 20th of November 1915, launching on the 27th of July 1918. However due to shortages of material, namely the loss of the Turbine forgings en route to Australia due to ‘enemy action’. Lead the cruiser to be significantly delayed in fitting out. During this period further modifications were being made to the design, which slightly delayed it further.
She would finally be fitted out and commission on the 5th of August 1922, earning her the nickname, HMAS Longdelayed. She would work up with her new machinery around the Jervis Bay area, and cruised the Australia station until the 18th of February 1924, when she was tied up for a small refit.
Upon the completion of this refit, she would join the Cruise of the Special Service Squadron with the Royal Navy when the visited Australia, leaving Sydney for Wellington on the 20th of April, and finally reaching Portsmouth on the 28th of September, having visited New Zealand, Fiji, the US, Canada, and Jamaica. She then spent 3 months around the UK before returning to Sydney. Arriving on the 7th of April 1925, rejoining the Australia Squadron.
In October 1927 she would deploy to the Solomon Islands due to the murder of a District Officer, a cadet, and 15 police at Sinarango. She would arrive on the 14th that month, were she would deploy many shore parties. She would return to Sydney on the 18th of November, arriving on the 23rd.
She would pay off into the reserve at Sydney on the 27th of June 1928, where she would spend the next 10 years. In 1938 she would receive a large refit, replacing all of her boilers with oil fired types, previously she was burning coal sprayed with oil, this allowed for only 10 boilers to replace the 12 older types and the removal of the foremost funnel. One of the fore 6" guns were removed and the remaining one placed on the centre line. The 3" AA gun and the torpedo tubes were also removed, being replaced with three 4" HA mounts. The gunnery control positions were also changed.
She would recommission with this fit on the 13th of March 1939, completing exercises with the RAAF, Australian Squadron, New Zealand Squadron and Merchant Marine in Sydney through to April 1939. She would again be placed in reserve due to manning shortages on the 17th of May 1939.
Upon the Australian entry into the Second World War she would recommission again, as for Merchant protection along the Australian coast. After the fall of France, the Vichy government made bids as to extend the regime into New Caledonia. This was dangerous for Australia due to their proximity, and HMAS Adelaide was sent to help the pro De Gaulle supporting population, however she would collide with the SS Coptic en route to New Caledonia on the 3rd September 1940.
Adelaide would still reach Vila however, arriving on the 7th of September. She then escorted the Tanker Norden to Noumea. The Norden was carrying the new De Gaulle appointed Governor. As as the pair of ships reached the harbour, some pro De Gaulle protestors had reached the Pro-Vichy Governors house to demand his resignation. This was achieved by negotiation on the 19th of September. Adelaide would depart Noumea on the 8th of October 1940.
Adelaide would then conduct shipping protection patrols around the Australia Station, she would be on this route until another refit at Garden Island from May-July 1942. In this refit she would gain 6x1 20mm Oerlikon AA guns. She then was based out of Fremantle for convoy escort duty in the Indian Ocean. On the 28th of November 1942, during her time in this area she would sink the German blockade runner Ramses.
She would have another armament refit from June-September 1943, this included the removal of the final waist pair of 6" guns, being replaced with a two pairs of DCTs per side. To keep the broadside firepower of 5x 6" guns the same, the 4" Superfiring mount in X position was removed and replaced by another 6" mount. The gunshields were also swapped for more protection. This gave her a final fit of 7x 6" guns, in positions, A, P, Q, R, S, X, Y.
She would leave Fremantle for Melbourne on the 8th of October 1944, then on the 4th of January 1945 she would move again from Melbourne to Sydney. She would decommission on the 26th of February, but then would recommission on the 9th of May 1945 as a tender to HMAS Penguin. On the 13th of May 1946 she would pay off, being sold in 1947 for scrap. She was broken up in Port Kembla.
| General Characteristics: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name: HMAS Adelaide | |||||
| Country: Australia | |||||
| Type: Light Cruiser | |||||
| Class name: Improved Town (1910) | |||||
| Year of commission: 1922 | |||||
| Refit: 1943 | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Dimensions: | |||||
| Length: 456 ft 8" (139.202 m) | |||||
| Beam: 49 ft 10" (15.19 m) | |||||
| Draught: 19 ft 11 in (6.07 m) | |||||
| Displacement: 5,560t | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Propulsion: | |||||
| Powerplant: 10x Oil fired boilers, 2x steam turbines, generating 25,000shp (19,000kW) across 2 shafts | |||||
| Speed: 25kt | |||||
| Endurance: 4,000nmi @ 11.5kt | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Armament & sensors: | |||||
| Compliment: 460 | |||||
| Primary armament: 7x1 BL 6-inch Mk.XI* on mount PXIII | |||||
| Secondary armament: 2x1 BL 4-inch Mk.V, 6x1 20mm Oerlikon | |||||
| Tertiary armament: 4x1 DCT, 20 DCs | |||||
| Sensors: nil | |||||
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |||||
| Armour: | |||||
| Waterline Belt: 1.5–3 in (38–76 mm) Rolled cemented armour | |||||
| Magazine: 0.5 in (13mm) RHA | |||||
| Deck: 0.4–1.5 in (10–38 mm) RHA | |||||
| Gun turrets: 1 in (25mm) RHA |
Sources
Gillett, R. (1983). Australian and New Zealand Warships 1914-1945 (pp.31-34, 76-79)
G. H. Gill. (1957). Royal Australian Navy 1939-1942 (pp 47, 260-266)
HMAS Adelaide (1918) - Wikipedia
Occasional Paper 143: HMAS Adelaide: The Final Years in Neutral Bay - Naval Historical Society of Australia
HMAS Adelaide (D 47) of the Royal Australian Navy - Australian Light cruiser of the Birmingham class - Allied Warships of WWII - uboat.net