HMAS Australia (D84)

1070: 1894: 1653: 2478: 723: 33: 55: 5925: 5834: 5729: 2287: 5883: 5785: 2663: 854: 2351: 2734: 2596: 5667: 1741:, and engage any Japanese ships found en route to Port Moresby, while several US carrier groups engaged a Japanese force headed for the Solomon Islands. The ships reached their patrol area around 14:00, fired on a group of eleven unidentified aircraft at maximum range with no damage dealt at 14:27, and were attacked themselves by twelve Japanese twin-engine torpedo bombers at 15:06. 2395:, before striking the cruiser's foremast with its wingroot. Although the bulk of the aircraft fell overboard, the bridge and forward superstructure were showered with debris and burning fuel. Seven officers (including Captain Dechaineux) and twenty-three sailors were killed by the collision, while another nine officers (including Commodore Collins), fifty-two sailors, and an 2643:, and transport him to the mainland for treatment. Given only 24 hours notice, the ship's company loaded provisions and cold-weather gear, while removing all unnecessary equipment to improve fuel consumption, before sailing on 27 July. Better-than-expected weather on the outbound voyage was countered by poor conditions at Heard Island, with 1622:'s aggressive prosecution of the two men, he successfully requested that the death sentences be put off at least until the ship returned home. As the men were convicted under British military law, the matter of commuting their sentences was out of Australian hands until an appeal for clemency was made to King 2547:

during the operation struck; although it intended to take out the cruiser's bridge, the aircraft hit a mast strut and the forward exhaust funnel, and fell overboard. Although there were no casualties, the crash damaged the funnel, radar, and wireless systems, and the decision was made to withdraw the

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role, saw little activity during 7 January. The next day, she was attacked twice by kamikazes in quick succession: at 07:20, a twin-engine bomber hit the water 20 yards (18 m) from the cruiser and skidded to connect with the ship's port flank, then a second aircraft attacked at 07:39, again shot

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was not damaged in the attack. Crutchley's force was withdrawn on 6 June to replenish at Humboldt Bay, then returned the next day. Aerial sightings of a Japanese force (three destroyers towing landing barges and three destroyers escorting, one of which was sunk by air attack) had been made during the

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hit the beach unopposed just after 08:00. Despite the efforts of the carrier air groups and interdiction attacks on Japanese air bases, the first of several retaliatory air attacks against Squadron X occurred at 13:23; each was driven off by the squadron's massed anti-aircraft fire, with no damage to

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had commenced pre-landing bombardment. A second kamikaze rammed the cruiser at 17:34 between the starboard 4-inch guns, killing 14 and wounding 26. The casualties again consisted primarily of gun crews, and after this point, there were only enough trained personnel to man one 4-inch gun on each side

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as sovereign governments capable of amending or repealing previous British legislation affecting them, while preventing the British government from legislating on the Dominions' behalf unless requested. Prompted by the murder, along with issues relating to the legal control of shipping in Australian

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The propulsion machinery consisted of eight Yarrow superheated boilers feeding Curtis high-pressure and Parsons low-pressure geared turbines. This delivered up to 80,000 shaft horsepower to the cruiser's four three-bladed propellers. The cruiser's top speed was 31 knots (57 km/h; 36 mph),

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was struck portside amidships at 17:35 on 5 January. 25 were killed and 30 were wounded (officer casualties numbered 3 and 1 respectively), mostly from the gun crews of the port-side secondary and anti-aircraft guns, but the physical damage was not considered severe enough to withdraw her from the

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flying boat which crashed off Greenock, Scotland during a gale; the other four were carried away by the heavy seas during the rescue. The cruiser underwent a refit in Liverpool during November and December. During a German air raid on the night of 20 December, a 3,500-pound (1,600 kg) torpedo

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was designed with eight 8-inch (200 mm) guns in four twin turrets ('A' and 'B' forward, 'X' and 'Y' aft) as primary armament, with 150 shells per gun. Secondary armament consisted of four 4-inch (100 mm) guns in four single mounts, with 200 shells per gun, and four 2-pounder pom-poms for

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and the other cruisers into range. The Japanese ships cast off their barges, turned, and fled, and Crutchley ordered the Allied destroyers to chase until 02:30 on 8 June, then retire; the cruisers broke off almost immediately as could not match the Japanese destroyers' speed. The Japanese escaped

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sailed to Sydney via Manus for permanent repairs and a refit, arriving home on 28 January. Two days later, she docked at Cockatoo Island for repair and the preliminary stages of the refit, including the removal of 'X' turret and the aircraft catapult, and the shortening of the funnels by 5 feet

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and nearby Allied ships differed in their opinions of the collision; some thought that it was an accident, while the majority considered it to be a deliberate ramming aimed at the bridge. Following the attack, commander Harley C. Wright assumed temporary control of the ship. Although historian

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that the French ship would complete the voyage unescorted, and the Australian cruiser sailed to intercept the main body of the Allied fleet, which was met the next day. On the morning of 23 September, the cruiser was fired on by shore batteries at Dakar while intercepting and driving back two

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disagree as it was not a preplanned suicide attack (the first attack where the pilots were ordered to ram their targets occurred four days later), but was most likely performed on the pilot's own initiative, and similar attacks by damaged aircraft had occurred as early as 1942.

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reached Nouméa on 13 August. The ships of Task Force 44 were replenished at Nouméa, then sailed to rejoin the three carrier groups on 19 August, in response to intelligence that a large Japanese fleet was sailing to the Solomon Islands. After arrival on 21 August, Crutchley and

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was initially limited to an armour deck over the machinery spaces and magazines, ranging from 1.5 to 3 inches (38 to 76 mm) in thickness. Armour plate was also fitted to the turrets (up to 2 inches (51 mm) thick) and the conning tower (3 inches (76 mm) thick).

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The close-range anti-aircraft armament of the ship fluctuated during her career. During the mid-1930s, two quadruple 0.5-inch (13 mm) machine gun mounts were installed to supplement the 0.303-inch (7.7 mm) weapons. These were replaced in late 1943 by seven single

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and the rest of Task Force 44 were removed from patrol duties on 10 January 1943; no Japanese aircraft or ships were sighted during the three months on station. Task Force 44 was pulled back and split into smaller groups: two rapid response forces, and a third (made up of

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and Task Force 74, then form a combined fleet with Task Force 75, which was to take up station northeast of Biak nightly from 4 June and intercept any Japanese forces encountered. On the evening of 4 June, while en route, the fleet was attacked by Japanese dive-bombers;

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incident had happened. With no new orders, Crace decided to relocate his ships during the night to a point 220 nautical miles (410 km; 250 mi) from Port Moresby, to better intercept a Japanese invasion force if it came through either the Jomard Passage or the

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led Task Force 74 to Aitape, where the warships were to provide naval gunfire support for Allied forces ashore, help in the interdiction of Japanese troop movements by barge along the coast, and destroy gun emplacements covering the surrounding waterways. On 14 July,

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leading Squadron X (with four other cruisers, nine destroyers, nine transports, and six store ships) towards the main landing site, on the north side of Guadalcanal. During the early morning of 7 August, Squadron X transited the channel between Guadalcanal and

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commenced shelling targets prior to the amphibious landings, then was positioned to provide gunfire support and attack targets of opportunity throughout the day. At around 06:00 on 21 October, Japanese aircraft attacked attempted to bomb the Allied ships in

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measuring up to 4.5 inches (110 mm) thick was fitted over the machinery spaces, and handling arrangements for the ship's aircraft and boats were improved. Although the modernisation was scheduled for completion in March 1939, inconsistencies between

2184:. The task force left the troopships (which were also being escorted by Task Force 75) at 04:30 on 17 May, and commenced an hour-long shore bombardment of the area around Sawar and Sarmi just after 06:00. The task forces provided fire support during the 1821:

from 28 to 31 July. They met the rest of the attack force (three carrier groups and more transports) south of Fiji on the evening of 1 August, then headed for the Solomon Islands. The various elements began to head for their positions on 6 August, with

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was held between 15 and 18 March, while the ship was anchored at Nouméa. The stokers were found guilty of the first ever murder aboard an Australian warship; under British naval regulations (which the RAN was operating under), the men were to be

1761:) were from shrapnel. A few minutes later, the ships were attacked by another three heavy bombers, flying at a higher altitude to the first group; the bombing was much less accurate. It was later learned that the three aircraft belonged to the 2067:. The counterattack did not come, and the two ships sailed for Brisbane on 21 October, where the task force was built up to two cruisers and four destroyers. The ships then sailed for Milne Bay, where they remained until they were ordered to 2312:

as lead ship of Task Group 75.2, part of the escort and bombardment force. The cruiser shelled the area around the landing site on Cape Gila from 06:50 to 07:40 on 15 September; this was cut short by ten minutes, as shell fragments from

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for jubilee celebrations. In July, the cruiser visited New Caledonia. During 1952, the cruiser visited New Guinea, New Britain, and the Solomon Islands, and undertook a training cruise to New Zealand from mid September to 6 October.

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for her wartime service: "Atlantic 1940–41", "Pacific 1941–43", "Coral Sea 1942", "Savo Island 1942", "Guadalcanal 1942", "New Guinea 1942–44", "Leyte Gulf 1944", and "Lingayen Gulf 1945". According to naval historian John Bastock,

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was able to carry out the day's assigned bombardments. The landing force arrived on 9 January, and at 08:30, the cruiser began shelling targets in preparation for the amphibious assault. At 13:11, the fifth suicide aircraft to hit

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during the night. Before dying, the stoker informed the ship's surgeon that he had threatened to expose the homosexual relationship between two other stokers, which led to the attack. The two accused stokers were imprisoned, and a

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sailed for Sydney with two troopships, arriving on 24 March. The cruiser then escorted Convoy US10 for the first leg of the Australia to Suez run, after which she sailed to Singapore at the end of the month to collect Admiral

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joined other Allied ships in shelling Dakar and the French warships in the harbour; during the withdrawal to the rest of the fleet, the Australian cruiser was unsuccessfully attacked by high-altitude bombers. On 25 September,

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for the first time when a French aircraft flew near the Allied ships and dropped bombs with no effect. The Australian cruiser left Dakar on 9 July, and caught up to an England-bound convoy two days later. They arrived at the

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was berthed in, but this landed alongside the ship and did not explode. The ship was damaged during an air raid the following night: the blast from a 500-pound (230 kg) bomb landing near the port side cracked several

839:-class ships, it was found that smoke from the boilers was affecting the bridge and aft control position. The funnel design was subsequently lengthened by 15 feet (4.6 m); the taller funnels on the under-construction 2554:

joined several Allied ships damaged by kamikaze strikes in escorting the transport ships back to Leyte on the evening of 9 January. Temporary repairs were made to the cruiser, and after Farncomb transferred his flag to

1092:, excluding a visit to Melbourne in November. The warship sailed to New Zealand in April 1937, then in July departed on a three-month northern cruise, with visits to ports in Queensland, New Guinea, and New Britain. 657:

with a range of 2,270 nautical miles (4,200 km; 2,610 mi), while her economical range and cruising speed was 10,000 nautical miles (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) at 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph).

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and the ships under her command provided cover patrols and fire support for Allied forces ashore. Predicting a heavy naval response from the Japanese, Crutchley was ordered on 1 June to return to Humboldt Bay with

1859:, and two destroyers on patrol of the southern waters, a second group of three heavy cruisers and two destroyers to patrol the northern passage, while the rest of the ships protected the transports or served as 2464:

was completed by 28 November, and she rejoined the joint Australian-American task force (at that point operating under the designation 74.1) on 4 December. Five days later, Farncomb, now a commodore, rejoined

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The cruiser departed Sydney on 26 August in the company of twelve other ships from Task Forces 74 and 75; the combined force reached Seeadler Harbour on 1 September. Collins reembarked on 3 September, and

224: 1936:, where Allied ships and shore positions had been attacked several times by Japanese warships. Task Force 44 did not make contact with any enemy vessels. After this, the ships were assigned to patrol the 772:

was not installed until September 1935, the Seagull was initially lowered into the water by the ship's recovery crane to launch under its own power. The catapult and Walrus were removed in October 1944.

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day, and the Allied ships made radar contact at 23:19. At 23:31, just after the Japanese ships fired torpedoes, Crutchley ordered the destroyers under his command to close and attack, while he brought

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were able to manoeuvre out of the torpedoes' paths, and at least five aircraft were destroyed. At 15:16, nineteen Japanese heavy bombers dropped their payload on the Allied ships. Although accurate (

707:. During her 1939 modernisation, the four single 4-inch (100 mm) guns were replaced by four twin Mark XVI guns. The torpedo tubes were removed in 1942, and the 'X' turret was taken off in 1945. 1513:

during searches for German commerce raiders, and after finding evidence of enemy activity, deployed magnetic sea mines in case they returned. As of 2008, the mines were still present. Prompted by

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in Scotland in 1925, and entered service in 1928. Apart from an exchange deployment to the Mediterranean from 1934 to 1936, during which she became involved in the planned British response to the

1863:. Nothing occurred during the night of 7–8 August, and the same arrangement was assumed at 18:30 for the night of 8–9 August. At 20:45, Crutchley was recalled to meet urgently with US Admiral 2655:

conditions, the Australian government announced that RAN vessels would not be deployed for similar incidents in the future, although the RAN performed three medical evacuations at the nearby

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The cruiser returned to Sydney on 16 February 1946, and she was placed into reserve for the rest of the year, during which the final components of the refit were completed. On 16 June 1947,

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left the dock on 17 May and sailed on 24 May for England via the Panama Canal. The cruiser arrived at Plymouth on 2 July, and was docked for a major refit which ran from August to December.

958:. During the voyage, the cruiser visited Canada, the United States of America, several Pacific islands, and New Zealand before she reached Sydney on 23 October. Following the start of the 1798:; the lack of reports and intelligence concerning either the Americans or Japanese led him to conclude that both forces had withdrawn, and there was no immediate threat to Port Moresby. 1417:

was hit by two 6-inch shells and her Walrus was shot down with all aboard killed, after which the two ships withdrew. Operation Menace was abandoned as a failure on 26 September, and

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or the other warships having to engage directly. On 31 August, Task Force 44 was detached from the carrier groups and sailed for Brisbane, arriving on 3 September. Four days later,

2614:. She remained in the region until the end of the year, and returned to Australia on 10 December. With the exceptions of visits to New Zealand in 1948 and New Guinea in 1949, 2324:, which was positioned to cover the landings from the other side of the cape. The cruiser remained on station to provide fire support until the evening of 16 September, when 2534:

down just before it hit the port side at the waterline. A bomb carried by the second attacker opened a 14-by-8-foot (4.3 by 2.4 m) hole in the hull, causing a 5-degree

1782:. Instructions from the American commander of the operation were still not forthcoming, and Crace was forced to rely on intercepted radio messages to track the progress of 1675:

returned to Sydney in late April for a week of repairs and maintenance, primarily to the outer port propeller shaft. Around this time, the Americans learned of an imminent

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in Japan, and participated in several port visits to other nations, before being retasked as a training ship in 1950. The cruiser was decommissioned in 1954, and sold for

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was paid off and marked for disposal. She had been in service for 26 years, the longest career of a RAN warship to that date. The ship was sold on 25 January 1955 to the

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repeated her November visit to Melbourne, and cruised to Hobart in February 1938, before being placed in reserve on 24 April 1938. She underwent a modernisation refit at

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bombarded the Yakamal area of Aitape, then shelled the Marubian area on 17 July, before attacking Yakamal again on 20 July. On 22 July, Collins transferred his flag to

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of 630 feet 4 inches (192.13 m), a beam of 68 feet 3 inches (20.80 m), and a maximum draught of 21 feet 4 inches (6.50 m).

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spent the first part of January 1941 escorting Convoy WS5B from the British Isles to the Middle East via South Africa. On 22 January, after handing the convoy over to

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forced to loiter for a day before a boat could be safely launched to collect the doctor. The cruiser reached Fremantle on 14 August. Because of structural damage to

2426: 1567:. However, on 7 March, the ships for the operation were recalled, and were used three days later to provide long-range protection for the American aircraft carriers 909:

depicted in the design. No motto was given to the ship, but when the badge design was updated prior to the planned 1983 acquisition of the British aircraft carrier

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The cruiser remained near Australia until mid-1940, when she was deployed for duties in the eastern Atlantic, including hunts for German ships and participation in

2391:, but broke away after heavy anti-aircraft fire was directed at it. The Aichi, damaged by Bofors fire, turned and flew at low level up the port side of the nearby 1649:

was passed on 9 October and backdated to the start of the war. The sentences of the two stokers were reduced several times, and they were freed in September 1950.

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brought up the rear of the Task Group when it sailed from Leyte on the morning of 3 January, and was to be tasked with providing fire support for the landings at

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operated in support of United States naval and amphibious operations throughout South-East Asia until the start of 1945, including involvement in the battles at

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and the task force arrived on 13 November, they were ordered to return to Milne Bay two days later, as a USN cruiser division had arrived. On 15 December 1943,

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for replenishment. On 25 May, the task force was temporarily redesignated Task Group 77.2, and sailed at 22:00 to provide escort, then fire support, for the

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reached the rendezvous in the early morning of 5 July. Attempts to disable the battleship were made by boat and air during 7 and 8 July; on the second day,

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at long range, but the speed of the task force may have been underestimated, causing the torpedoes to miss the heavy cruiser, while one hit the following

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seas, and to assist any transports in these areas. After encountering no Japanese forces and receiving no calls for assistance, the ships withdrew to the

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was back in Australian waters. At the start of the month, the cruiser was the only ship assigned to Task Force 74, but she was joined by the destroyer

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The ship's company consisted of 64 officers and 678 sailors in 1930; this dropped to 45 officers and 654 sailors from 1937 to 1941. While operating as

2002:, but found no evidence of Japanese activity. The ships of the task force continued on with convoy escorting, refits, and patrols until 29 June, when 2618:

remained in home waters for the next three-and-a-half years. During 1949, the designation of Flagship was transferred to the light aircraft carrier

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returned to Milne Bay, before sailing to Sydney on 12 January for an eight-week refit. During the refit, Captain Farncomb was replaced by Captain

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and the other ships were assigned to Espiritu Santo's western waters. At sunset on 20 July, Task Force 74 was returning to Espiritu Santo when

1791: 1059:, before the two ships sailed for Australia. They arrived in Sydney on 11 August. During the cruiser's time on exchange, the British cruiser 999:

for the state's centenary of foundation the month previous, aboard. The cruiser reached Portsmouth on 28 March 1935, and was assigned to the

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on 13 October, and the two ships arrived at Milne Bay two days later, in case of retaliatory sea attacks on the recently captured town of

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and Task Force 74 rendezvoused with three other task forces of the Seventh Fleet off Manus Island: the combined force was to support the

5542: 1626:, who downgraded the sentence to life imprisonment. This situation had arisen because the Australian government had not yet adopted the 2166:

led two destroyers along the coastline, destroying any Japanese barges or supply dumps they encountered. Task Force 74 remained in the

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left the patrol group. The meeting concluded at 01:15 on 9 August, and instead of returning to the southern patrol, Crutchley ordered

1265:, four days later. During late July, the cruiser joined British ships off Norway in an unsuccessful search for the German battleship 5474: 2694:

made a port visit to New Zealand in October 1953. During February and March 1954, the cruiser served as part of the escort for the

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spent most of June in harbour, and sailed on 24 June with Task Forces 74 and 75 to perform a pre-landing shore bombardment for the

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and the rest of the task force remained in their assigned area until 01:00 on 10 May, when Crace ordered them to withdraw south to

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was recommissioned and designated flagship of the Australia Squadron. On 18 August, the cruiser sailed to Tokyo to serve with the

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up to 4.5 inches (110 mm) thick was fitted along the waterline to provide additional protection to the propulsion machinery.

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commenced a two-and-a-half-hour shelling of targets near the Gloucester airstrip prior to the landing, after which she sailed to

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was accepted for service in European waters, although she spent most of June escorting ship around southern and western Africa.

2159: 2538:, but despite the explosion and a large quantity of debris and shrapnel, casualties were limited to a few cases of shock, and 2158:

led a half-hour shore bombardment to cover the first wave of the amphibious landing. After the bombardment, which allowed the

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and the other warships fired on shore targets sporadically, then commenced a coordinated bombardment before the first wave of

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Task Force 74 was absorbed on 11 October into Task Unit 77.3.2, assigned to provide close cover for the landing force in the

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bombarded Noemfoor Island, then was released before midday to sail for Hollandia, then on to Seeadler Harbour. on 12 July,

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were placed in command of the carriers' combined surface defence group, including several cruisers and the battleship

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in September 1944. This area was damaged when a Japanese bomber collided with the ship on 21 October 1944. Captain

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in mid-July. The ship was then assigned to the South Atlantic Station. During November, the cruiser sailed to the

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and the surrounding islands. The force left New Zealand for Fiji on 22 July, and conducted rehearsal landings at

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s group sailed to Sydney, where the cruiser was fitted with a new radar, then proceeded on 17 February to meet

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sailed from Sydney to Wellington. In February 1942, the Australian cruiser became flagship of the newly formed

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caused delays. The cruiser was recommissioned on 28 August, but did not leave the dockyard until 28 September.

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and the ships under her command were absorbed into Task Group 77.2, the escort and fire support force for the

1356:, which the French cruiser agreed to. The two ships remained together until the morning of 21 September, when 5685: 5430: 2806:

The layout of the ship's badge depicted here was designed after World War II for any future ships named HMAS

2787: 2460:. On 24 October, the Australian ships proceeded to Manus, then sailed to Espiritu Santo for repairs. Work on 1844:. Anticipating a naval attack to occur during the night, Crutchley split his forces around Savo Island, with 1762: 959: 646: 1890:

was irreparably damaged. Three US cruisers were lost in the subsequent attack on the northern patrol force.

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Goldrick, James. "World War II: The War Against Germany and Italy"; "World War II: The war against Japan".

2344: 1335: 4694: 2682: 1991: 1628: 1266: 1223: 1069: 821: 369: 5367:. The Australian Centenary History of Defence (vol III). South Melbourne, VIC: Oxford University Press. 2635:

visited New Zealand from 24 February to 31 March 1950. The cruiser was deployed on a 'mercy mission' to

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On 15 March 1943, a new numbering system for USN fleets saw Task Force 44 become Task Force 74 of the

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led Task Force 44 from Brisbane to rendezvous in Wellington with the amphibious assault force for the

1532:, then make for home. On 29 December, the cruiser was designated Flagship of the Australian Squadron. 2587:"probably fought more actions and steamed more miles than any other ship of the RAN" during the war. 2493: 2100: 2023: 1369: 1193:

to Cape Town. After arriving on 31 May, the two ships were offered for service under the Royal Navy;

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vessels saw the Australian cruiser sail to England for repairs, where she was at the end of the war.

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to land with minimal opposition, the warships withdrew to protect the transports. Later in the day,

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escorted a group of troop transports returning from Gibraltar to the United Kingdom. On 29 October,

2786:. A memorial to the ship's company, particularly those killed during World War II, was unveiled at 2759:

for scrapping. On 26 March, the cruiser was towed from Sydney Harbour by the Dutch-flagged tugboat

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on 21 March, three days after she rejoined Task Force 74 at Milne Bay. On the morning of 20 April,

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under way during sea trials. The original, shorter exhaust funnels are still fitted to the cruiser.

376: 2783: 2745: 1783: 745: 572: 479: 391: 223: 163: 2504:. Numerous kamikaze attacks were attempted on the invasion force as it sailed to Lingayen Gulf; 1893: 1174:

as the cruiser assigned to the western coast until 6 February, when she was in turn relieved by

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Once the transports completed unloading, the naval force withdrew over the course of 9 August;

1770: 1514: 801: 700: 401: 382: 275: 151: 87: 2567:(1.5 m) each. However, Australian shipyards had been instructed to prioritise repairs to 343:

10,000 nautical miles (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) at 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph)

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shelled French ships anchored at Dakar. They damaged a destroyer and several cruisers before

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2,270 nautical miles (4,200 km; 2,610 mi) at 31 knots (57 km/h; 36 mph)

246: 187: 175: 32: 2370:, and departed that day for Hollandia. At 15:30 on 13 October, Task Group 77.3 (including 2243:

as commander of both the Australian Squadron and Task Force 74; the first graduate of the

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was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine: Crutchley believed that the submarine had fired at

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was sent to investigate rumours of Japanese landings along the south-eastern shore of the

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from the Middle East. The convoy arrived in Fremantle on 18 February, then sailed for the

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was ordered in 1924 as part of a five-year plan to develop the RAN. She was laid down by

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and her escorts met them. The ships reached Sydney on 27 February without incident, and

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area for the rest of the month to provide support to the landed forces, and arrived in

1968: 1864: 1724: 1694: 1302: 938:(also constructed by John Brown) were the only County-class vessels built in Scotland. 869: 782: 749: 486: 458: 1831:, and reached the assault point off Lunga Point at 06:47. While moving into position, 5749: 5645: 5628: 5618: 5599: 5378: 5368: 5349: 5332: 5322: 5300: 5290: 5271: 5261: 5244: 5221: 5198: 5188: 5168: 5158: 5141: 5131: 5114: 5104: 2764: 2656: 2619: 2556: 2328:

and the other ships normally assigned to Task Force 74 were permitted to withdraw to

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On 12 June, the combined task force returned to Seeadler Harbour, and Crutchley left

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began to shadow until losing sight in the dark. One of the French ships, the cruiser

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The Two-Ocean War: A Short History of the United States Navy in the Second World War

2079:, on 11 November to serve as support for the Third Fleet following the start of the 1769:

made plans to train aircrews in naval vessel recognition in response, USAAF General

687:(7.7 mm) were carried for close defence work: initially this consisted of four 5938: 5770: 5742: 2686: 2359: 2171: 2124: 2103:, departing from Milne Bay on the evening of 25 December. At 06:00 on 26 December, 1802: 1766: 1433: 1298: 1276: 906: 548: 537: 5234: 5211: 980:

destroyers would remain active at a time, with a reduced ship's company. In 1932,

5861: 5847: 5591: 5316: 5284: 2810:. The badge used by this ship consisted only of the rope circle and its contents. 2374:

and her companions) began the seven-day voyage to Leyte. At 09:00 on 20 October,

2367: 2185: 2092: 2076: 1619: 1205: 1159:

as it proceeded from Sydney to Fremantle, then sailed with it to the edge of the

1060: 903: 865: 813: 2180:

and Task Force 74 returned to Tanahmerah Bay on 16 May, to escort troopships to

2095:, through escorting the landing force, then performing pre-landing bombardment. 5896: 5868: 5458: 2678: 2652: 2438: 2294: 2193: 2151: 2128: 2072: 2019: 2015: 1738: 1657: 1552: 1380: 1245: 1113: 809: 650: 560: 281: 20: 2662: 1882:

to patrol around the transports. Just before 02:00, the southern patrol force

1463:, the cruiser joined the unsuccessful search for the German pocket battleship 853: 6035: 5763: 2776: 2772: 2579: 2535: 2525:, itself damaged by kamikaze strikes during the day, before it could strike. 1836: 1774: 1606: 1545: 1487: 1314: 1283: 1133:

was initially assigned to Australian waters. From 28 November to 1 December,

712: 615: 564: 452: 5382: 5336: 5304: 5275: 5202: 5172: 5118: 923:

The warship was commissioned into the RAN on 24 April 1928. Construction of

808:, Scotland, on 26 August 1925. The cruiser was launched on 17 March 1927 by 5632: 5568: 5145: 2710: 2702: 2640: 2636: 2337: 2189: 2181: 1779: 1676: 1306: 1230: 1077: 1034: 1030: 1011: 1007:

returned to England from 21 June to 12 September to represent Australia at

954:

left Portsmouth for her namesake country on 3 August 1928 after completing

704: 696: 684: 394: 5225: 544:

operated in local and South-West Pacific waters until World War II began.

5248: 2336:

remained there until 27 September, when Task Forces 74 and 75 sailed for

2329: 2201: 2064: 2011: 1957: 1828: 1818: 1601: 1564: 1506: 1250: 1101: 1100:, during which her single 4-inch guns were replaced with twin mountings, 786: 463: 5677: 2733: 2509:

operation. The ships reached the gulf early on 6 January, and by 11:00,

2350: 1757:), none of the ships were hit directly, and the only casualties (aboard 894:, and requested new designs. On 26 July 1927, it was decided to use the 827:

The cruiser was initially fitted with short exhaust funnels, but during

671:

s company was 710. During wartime, the ship's company increased to 815.

5930: 5839: 5734: 5098: 2154:. The flotilla arrived off the bay at 03:00 on 22 April, and at 06:00, 2068: 1502: 1353: 1262: 1089: 446: 2595: 1600:, one of the ship's stokers was stabbed fourteen times, and died from 2384: 1937: 1933: 1867:, overall commander of the amphibious landings, aboard the transport 1690: 1623: 1049: 1044:. The crisis eased before the need for British involvement occurred. 955: 828: 805: 692: 533: 91: 1590: 5516:"Navy Marks 109th Birthday With Historic Changes To Battle Honours" 5420:"The Statute of Westminster and the murder in HMAS Australia, 1942" 2779:'s Shipbreaking Yard at Barrow-in-Furness over the course of 1956. 2417: 2167: 1805:

as commander of Task Force 44 and the flag officer embarked aboard

1667:

On 22 April, the Anzac Squadron was reclassified as Task Force 44;

1637: 1443: 661: 592: 563:

in early 1942. As part of this force (which was later redesignated

556: 5391:

Sears, Jason. "An Imperial Service"; "Depression and Rearmament".

2782:

One of the cruiser's 8-inch gun barrels is on display outside the

2763:. The ships were later joined by two other tugs for the voyage to 2127:. On the morning of 7 February, Crutchley transferred his flag to 984:

cruised to the Pacific islands. In 1933, she visited New Zealand.

888:

disapproved of the design previously carried by the battlecruiser

4985:

Navy Marks 109th Birthday With Historic Changes To Battle Honours

3609: