ADELAIDE light cruiser (1922)
Adelaide 1942
| Name | No | Yard No | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Comp | Fate |
| Adelaide | Cockatoo DYd | 20.11.1915 | 27.7.1922 | 31.7.1922 | depot ship 5.1945, sold for BU 2.1949 |
|
Displacement normal, t |
5550 |
|
Displacement full, t |
6160 |
|
Length, m |
141.0 |
|
Breadth, m |
15.2 |
|
Draught, m |
4.90 |
|
No of shafts |
2 |
|
Machinery |
2 sets Parsons geared steam turbines, 12 Yarrow boilers |
|
Power, h. p. |
25500 |
|
Max speed, kts |
25.5 |
|
Fuel, t |
coal 860 + oil 550 |
| Endurance, nm(kts) | 4140(16) |
| Armour, mm |
belt: 51 on 25mm plating, deck: 38 - 10, CT: 102, gun shields: 102 |
|
Armament |
9 x 1 - 152/45 BL Mk XII, 1 x 1 - 76/45 20cwt QF Mk I, 1 x 1 - 76/40 12pdr 12cwt QF Mk I, 4 x 1 - 47/40 3pdr Hotchkiss Mk I, 2 - 533 TT (beam, sub) |
|
Complement |
480 |
Project history: For the 1912 Programme three near-repeats of the Chatham class were approved. The only alterations were to add a second 152mm on the forecastle, side by side to improve ahead fire, and additional flare of the forecastle to reduce spray. Also they received new 45cal 152mm guns. Like the Chatham class they proved highly successful in service and they were retained in the post-war Navy.
Adelaide was the oldest cruiser (considering from the moment of the design approval and laid down date) of British Empire served in the Second World War. She was built in Australia for its Navy under the design of cruiser Birmingham from 1910 and become obsolete in days of the First World War, because of last circumstance completion was conducted very slowly.
Protection: Armoured belt protected ship at full length, its thickness was 76mm (summary) abreast machinery spaces and 51mm at ship ends. It extended to main deck (and to upper deck abreast machinery). Protective deck was 19mm thick over machinery and 38mm over steering gear. Its thickness over other ship parts was 10 mm.
Modernizations: 1937: - 1 x 1 - 76/40
(Cockatoo, 1938 - 3.1939): Two boilers with their funnel were removed, other boilers were only oil-fired. Fuel stowage was 1420t of oil, engines power felt to 23500hp and maximal speed to 24.3kts; - 1 x 1 - 152/45, 2 - 533 TT; + 3 x 1 - 102/45 QF Mk V
7/1942: + 6 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon Mk II/IV, type 271 radar
9/1943: - 1 x 1 - 152/45, 1 x 1 - 102/45; + 4 DCT, type 285, SC radars. Gun shields were changed to new more light ones.
Naval service: No significant events.
© Ivan Gogin, 2015