HMAS Adelaide (1918)
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HMAS Adelaide was a Town-class light cruiser of the Royal Australian Navy, named after Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia. She was laid down by HMA Naval Dockyard at Cockatoo Island, Sydney on November 20, 1915 and launched on July 27, 1918 by Lady Helen Munro Ferguson, the wife of the Governor-General. Fitting out and completion were delayed due to the loss of important machinery parts, as a result of enemy action, which gave rise to the nickname "Long Delayed". Adelaide was completed on July 31, 1922 and commissioned on August 5 1922.
Following the outbreak of World War II, Adelaide was despatched in 1940 to the French colony of New Caledonia, to intervene if Vichy France was able to take control. "88 Lord Caldecote, U.K. Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs, to Sir Geoffrey Whiskard, U.K. High Commissioner in Australia http://www.info.dfat.gov.au/info/historical/HistDocs.nsf/(LookupVolNoNumber)/4~88 Cablegram 291 LONDON, 30 August 1940, 11.10 p.m." "sloop DUMONT D'URVILLE was ordered by the Vichy Government to proceed from Papeete to New Caledonia."
"130 Captain H. A. Showers, Commanding Officer of H.M.A.S. Adelaide, to Commonwealth Naval Board Naval signal 0357Z/21 NOUMEA, 21 September 1940, 3.57 a.m. Received 21 September 1940, 6.21 a.m.http://www.info.dfat.gov.au/info/historical/HistDocs.nsf/(LookupVolNoNumber)/4~130 "Situation ashore still unstable mainly due to presence of 'DUMONT D'URVILLE' and lack of any military officer above rank of Lieutenant to give active assistance to SAUTOT."
On 28 November 1942, Adelaide, in company with the Dutch cruiser Jacob van Heemskerk, identified and damaged the German supply vessel and blockade runner Ramses, which then scuttled itself, in the Indian Ocean.
Adelaide was paid off on May 13 1946 and was sold to Australian Iron and Steel Pty Ltd January 24 1949. On 2 April 1949 the hulk was towed to Port Kembla, NSW and broken up.
See HMAS Adelaide for other ships of this name.
| Town-class cruiser |
| Royal Navy |
| Bristol subclass |
| Bristol |Glasgow | Gloucester | Liverpool | Newcastle |
| Weymouth subclass |
| Weymouth | Yarmouth| Dartmouth | | Falmouth |
| Chatham subclass |
| Chatham - Dublin - Southampton |
| Birmingham subclass |
| Birmingham | Lowestoft | Nottingham |
| Birkenhead subclass |
| Birkenhead -Chester
|
| Royal Australian Navy |
| Adelaide | Brisbane | Melbourne | Sydney |
| List of cruisers of the Royal Navy List of major warship classes of the Royal Australian Navy |
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