Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!att!cbnews!cbnews!military From: swilliam@dtoa1.dt.navy.mil (Williams) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: A-12, Australian Carrier? A-4's.. Message-ID: <1990Dec28.031318.2038@cbnews.att.com> Date: 28 Dec 90 03:13:18 GMT References: <1990Dec21.025243.9704@cbnews.att.com> Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker) Organization: David Taylor Research Center, Bethesda, MD Lines: 48 Approved: military@att.att.com From: swilliam@dtoa1.dt.navy.mil (Williams) >I believe the Royal Australian Navy had a CV a while back. The HMAS Melbourne, >I think it was. Or was it a heli carrier? Yeah, the Royal Australian Navy did have an aircraft carrier back then, It was the Melbourne. It was ex-Majestic, built by Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow-in-Furness. She was laid down in April 15, 1943, launched February 28, 1945, and commissioned on October 28, 1955. At the end of the Second World War, when she was still incomplete, work on this ship was brought to a standstill pending a decision as to future naval requirements. When full-scale work was resumed during 1949-55, and after her design had several times been re-cast, she underwent reconstruction in Great Britian, including the fitting of the angled deck, steam catapult and mirror deck landing sights, and was transferred to the RAN on completion. She was commissioned and renamed at Barrow-in- Furness on October 28, 1955, sailed from Portsmouth on March 5, 1956, and arrived at Fremantle, Australia, on April 23, 1956. She became flagship of the Royal Australian Navy at Sydney on May 14, 1956. She cost LA8,309,000. Displacement, tons 16,000 standard; 19,966 full load Length, feet (metres) 650.0 (198.1) wl (waterlength) Beam, feet (metres) 80.2 (24.5) hull Draught, feet (metres) 25.5 (7.8) Width, feet (metres) 80.0 (24.4) flight deck 126.0 (38.4) including 6 deg. angled deck and mirrors Hanger, feet (metres) 444x52x17.5 (135.3x15.8x5.3) Aircraft 8 Sky Hawk jet fighters 6 Tracker aircraft 10 Westland Wessex A/S helicopters Guns, AA 12-40mm (4 twin, 4 single) Bofors Boilers 4 Admiralty 3-drum type Main engines Parsons single reduction geared turbines; 2 shafts; 42,000 shp Speed, knots 24; sea speed 23 max Range, miles 12,000 at 14 knots; 6,200 at 23 knots Complement 1,335 (includes 347 Carrier Air Group personnel); 1,070 (75 officers and 995 sailers as Flagship MELBOURNE was paid off for disposal on June 30, 1982 and broken up at South Korea on August, 1984. Sources: Jane's Fighting Ships 1974-75 & 1985-86