A short history of Australia (II)
With the Great War done and dusted, the big battle-cruiser, which had seen so much action in the front-line, was considered a poor option for retention by the Royal Navy, which was, of course, affected by the huge draw down in both spending and manpower now that peace was once again able to be enjoyed by a wary world.
HMS Princess Royal was paid off into reserve on the 31st May 1919 and by the end of March 1920 was still at anchor at Rosyth, manned by a reserve compliment under Commander Frances Byrne. Already the Grand Fleet was being broken up. HMS Superb and HMS Dreadnought, the ship that spawned the modern battleship, both sold. Chile had agreed to buy back HMS Canada, but could not buy their second dreadnought, which had been converted to the carrier Eagle. Instead, the South American government had been offered a pair of I Class ships. Then, after refusal, Princess Royal, but they had declined that offer as well.
The battle-cruiser was in better condition that her sister, but she had seen hard war service none the less. She was one of many. 16 capital ships languished in reserve and it was obvious most would see the scrapyard.
In January 1920, eighty-five guns of the 12-inch Mark X were offered to the Army and Empire forces for use in coastal batteries, but there was no interest at all and none were transferred. With no active ships mounting such a weapon, or the later Mark XI, it was decided in May 1920 that no further ammunition would be manufactured for this caliber weapon and they would likely soon be declared obsolete.
It was these events that eventually resulted in Australia making an offer in August to purchase the ship, which was accepted by the British government on the 12th December 1920. She was purchased for the knock down price of 76,000 pounds, with another 28,000 pounds to be spend on a brief refit involving removal of the “flying off” platforms on two of her turrets.
It was not until April 1921 that the older Indefatigable Class battle-cruiser HMAS Australia was to arrive at Rosyth. By that stage the G3 battle-cruiser design had been finished and four more dreadnoughts had seen the scrappers. The old HMAS Australia was sold to Alloa Shipbreaking company for 28,000 pounds. On the 13th June 1921, the ex-Princess Royal, now commissioned as HMAS Australia, left Portsmouth on her long voyage back to Sydney.
It was the advent of the Washington Naval Treaty that saw the next challenge for the ship. In early September 1921, the U.S became aware that Britain was planning a conference to discuss the strategic situation in the Pacific and the Far East, a conference that would involve Australia and New Zealand. Warren Harding’s new Presidency was in favour of disarmament. Britain’s post-war financial situation was dire, the world’s financial capital having migrated across the Atlantic. Yet, for all that, the 1921 British Naval Estimates planned four battleships and four battle-cruisers, with another four battleships to follow the subsequent year.
The conference commenced on November 23, 1921 and by the 31st January 1922, the terms had been agreed. Communication of the terms took pace that day. It was on the 2nd February that a problem was discovered. Australia’s enigmatic Prime Minister, Billy Hughes, refused to sanction the scrapping of a warship “essential to Australia’s defence that we just paid 100,000 Pounds for”. He went on to state “the difference between the status of the dominions now and twenty-five years ago is very great. We were colonies, we became dominions. We have been accorded the status of nations. ... What greater advance is conceivable? What remains to us? We are on our own course. How much of our rich territories and would have escaped had Japan been neutral in this last war? How much if she had been our enemy? It is certain the naval power of the Empire could not have saved India and Australia and still been strong enough to hold Germany bottled up in the narrow seas. ... had Japan elected to fight on the side of Germany we should most certainly have been defeated. Therefore, I will not compromise Australian security.”
It was a speech that altered the tenor of relations between the home country and the dominions, bringing forth the Balfour declaration and the Statute of Westminster in 1926.
For the Washington Naval Treaty, it was to delay the planned signing day of the 6th March to the 9th March. The variant to the treaty allowed Australia to keep the battle-cruiser, increasing U.S tonnage to 550,000, allowing them to keep North Dakota. Likewise, Japan was able to keep the older battleship Settsu.
For all the furor the keeping of the ship entailed, her career over the next 15 years was rather a damp squib. The battle cruiser was a large ship to maintain in a country that by the late 1920’s was facing a deteriorating financial situation. She consumed a large proportion of the Navy’s budget and manpower, and as funding was reduced the Navy decided that resources could be better applied elsewhere. She was given a nucleus crew and her role downgraded to that of a gunnery and torpedo drill ship at Flinder's Naval Depot from 1926, with a secondary role as a fixed defensive battery. In November 1927, she returned to Sydney and the following month was paid off into reserve on 12 December 1927, her crew and that of two older Chatham Class cruisers to travel to England to commission the new heavy cruisers Canberra and Melbourne.
Again, she survived the London Navy Treaty as well, not deemed to be a significant unit by April 1930, by which time she had lain idle at Athol Bay Wharf for over two years. She continued to do so until 1934, at which time she was briefly recommissioned for the Royal Visit that year. Again, she went into reserve, until the naval treaties expired at the end of 1936. In 1937, the deteriorating international situation led some to question the wisdom of modernising and recommissioning her. By that time, the cruiser HMAS Brisbane had been scrapped and the cruiser Adelaide was to follow in 1936, stripped of armament, she sailed to the U.K and her crew were transferred to the new light cruiser Sydney.
It was events in Nanking and the Sudetenland crisis that finally convinced the RAN that the old ship had sat idle long enough. Many felt that modernising a ship 26 years old was a poor investment, however, money was now available in better economic times and more importantly, with the world drifting towards war, political will was there as well. Yet, for all that, Australia had limited funds. It was decided to undertake a limited modernisation. It was to be spartan, but would still cost over 480,000 pounds. It was to consist of:
She was not altered to a huge degree, at least from her profile, but was given a Type 279 air search radar, although no surface search radar was available.
HMAS Australia after refit
(shipbucket image by Karle94 altered by Johnboy)
HMS Princess Royal was paid off into reserve on the 31st May 1919 and by the end of March 1920 was still at anchor at Rosyth, manned by a reserve compliment under Commander Frances Byrne. Already the Grand Fleet was being broken up. HMS Superb and HMS Dreadnought, the ship that spawned the modern battleship, both sold. Chile had agreed to buy back HMS Canada, but could not buy their second dreadnought, which had been converted to the carrier Eagle. Instead, the South American government had been offered a pair of I Class ships. Then, after refusal, Princess Royal, but they had declined that offer as well.
The battle-cruiser was in better condition that her sister, but she had seen hard war service none the less. She was one of many. 16 capital ships languished in reserve and it was obvious most would see the scrapyard.
In January 1920, eighty-five guns of the 12-inch Mark X were offered to the Army and Empire forces for use in coastal batteries, but there was no interest at all and none were transferred. With no active ships mounting such a weapon, or the later Mark XI, it was decided in May 1920 that no further ammunition would be manufactured for this caliber weapon and they would likely soon be declared obsolete.
It was these events that eventually resulted in Australia making an offer in August to purchase the ship, which was accepted by the British government on the 12th December 1920. She was purchased for the knock down price of 76,000 pounds, with another 28,000 pounds to be spend on a brief refit involving removal of the “flying off” platforms on two of her turrets.
It was not until April 1921 that the older Indefatigable Class battle-cruiser HMAS Australia was to arrive at Rosyth. By that stage the G3 battle-cruiser design had been finished and four more dreadnoughts had seen the scrappers. The old HMAS Australia was sold to Alloa Shipbreaking company for 28,000 pounds. On the 13th June 1921, the ex-Princess Royal, now commissioned as HMAS Australia, left Portsmouth on her long voyage back to Sydney.
It was the advent of the Washington Naval Treaty that saw the next challenge for the ship. In early September 1921, the U.S became aware that Britain was planning a conference to discuss the strategic situation in the Pacific and the Far East, a conference that would involve Australia and New Zealand. Warren Harding’s new Presidency was in favour of disarmament. Britain’s post-war financial situation was dire, the world’s financial capital having migrated across the Atlantic. Yet, for all that, the 1921 British Naval Estimates planned four battleships and four battle-cruisers, with another four battleships to follow the subsequent year.
The conference commenced on November 23, 1921 and by the 31st January 1922, the terms had been agreed. Communication of the terms took pace that day. It was on the 2nd February that a problem was discovered. Australia’s enigmatic Prime Minister, Billy Hughes, refused to sanction the scrapping of a warship “essential to Australia’s defence that we just paid 100,000 Pounds for”. He went on to state “the difference between the status of the dominions now and twenty-five years ago is very great. We were colonies, we became dominions. We have been accorded the status of nations. ... What greater advance is conceivable? What remains to us? We are on our own course. How much of our rich territories and would have escaped had Japan been neutral in this last war? How much if she had been our enemy? It is certain the naval power of the Empire could not have saved India and Australia and still been strong enough to hold Germany bottled up in the narrow seas. ... had Japan elected to fight on the side of Germany we should most certainly have been defeated. Therefore, I will not compromise Australian security.”
It was a speech that altered the tenor of relations between the home country and the dominions, bringing forth the Balfour declaration and the Statute of Westminster in 1926.
For the Washington Naval Treaty, it was to delay the planned signing day of the 6th March to the 9th March. The variant to the treaty allowed Australia to keep the battle-cruiser, increasing U.S tonnage to 550,000, allowing them to keep North Dakota. Likewise, Japan was able to keep the older battleship Settsu.
For all the furor the keeping of the ship entailed, her career over the next 15 years was rather a damp squib. The battle cruiser was a large ship to maintain in a country that by the late 1920’s was facing a deteriorating financial situation. She consumed a large proportion of the Navy’s budget and manpower, and as funding was reduced the Navy decided that resources could be better applied elsewhere. She was given a nucleus crew and her role downgraded to that of a gunnery and torpedo drill ship at Flinder's Naval Depot from 1926, with a secondary role as a fixed defensive battery. In November 1927, she returned to Sydney and the following month was paid off into reserve on 12 December 1927, her crew and that of two older Chatham Class cruisers to travel to England to commission the new heavy cruisers Canberra and Melbourne.
Again, she survived the London Navy Treaty as well, not deemed to be a significant unit by April 1930, by which time she had lain idle at Athol Bay Wharf for over two years. She continued to do so until 1934, at which time she was briefly recommissioned for the Royal Visit that year. Again, she went into reserve, until the naval treaties expired at the end of 1936. In 1937, the deteriorating international situation led some to question the wisdom of modernising and recommissioning her. By that time, the cruiser HMAS Brisbane had been scrapped and the cruiser Adelaide was to follow in 1936, stripped of armament, she sailed to the U.K and her crew were transferred to the new light cruiser Sydney.
It was events in Nanking and the Sudetenland crisis that finally convinced the RAN that the old ship had sat idle long enough. Many felt that modernising a ship 26 years old was a poor investment, however, money was now available in better economic times and more importantly, with the world drifting towards war, political will was there as well. Yet, for all that, Australia had limited funds. It was decided to undertake a limited modernisation. It was to be spartan, but would still cost over 480,000 pounds. It was to consist of:
- removal of all 4-inch case-mates and plating over the case-mates
- a full dry docking and hull cleaning
- conversion from mixed to oil firing, removing the old 42 Yarrow boilers and replacements with 6 Admiralty 3 drum boilers. Refitted Parson’s steam turbines gave her 82,000 shp, giving her a speed of 29 knots, although she was able to make almost 30 knots on 91,460 shp on speed trials on 26,520 tons
- Funnels trunked into two
- secondary armament 6-inch guns fitted - salvaged from scrapped HMAS Adelaide
- updated AA fit, closer range weapons plus an additional 4 inch mount
- electrical and fire control upgrades
- deck armour upgraded with an extra 1- inch or armour over vital spots
She was not altered to a huge degree, at least from her profile, but was given a Type 279 air search radar, although no surface search radar was available.
HMAS Australia after refit
(shipbucket image by Karle94 altered by Johnboy)
Last edited:
. Yes