.PNG)
HMAS Brabant (ADV-1908 (1930-mod))
The two Australis Navy Duke class armoured cruisers differed in the number and layout of the main armament. Where the Dukes had a mixed armament of 9.2" and either 7.5" or 6" secondary guns, the two Australis Dukes were started later and took the Dreadnought thought and fitted a homogenous set of 7.5" weapons. An armament of 12 x 7.5" in 2 x twin turrets fore and aft and a further 4 single turrets down each side. The same twin turret was used in the later Dunedin class armoured cruisers.
At the age of 13 the ships had to be reduced to training ships as they were too far over the Washington treaty limits to be acceptable. Boilers were disconnected, funnels removed and the aft turrets were removed and replaced with single open 4" for training purposes. The weapons removed were incorporated into the newly designed and laid down Canberra class cruisers. At 20 years of age they followed the example of the Coromandel and were rebuilt as Area Defence vessels. These were perfect for conversion to the ADV type, with long, broad hulls that had plenty of room for both a decent main armament and the space for the aircraft handling facilities and hangar. For use as training ships they were given cruiser type bridge superstructures.
| Displacement | 13,500 tons std, 15,600 tons full load |
| Length | 557.5 ft |
| Breadth | 74 ft |
| Draught | 28 ft |
| Machinery | 2 shaft Steam turbines, 30,000shp |
| Speed | 24 knots |
| Range | 4,000 miles at 12 knots |
| Armour | 6" side 2" deck, 5.5/3" turrets |
| Armament | 6 x 7.5" (1x2 4x1) 6 x 4" (3x2) 20 x 2pd (5x4) 6 x 20mm (2x2 2x1) |
| Aircraft | 7 |
| Torpedoes | nil |
| Complement | 840 |
| Notes | HMAS Brabant 1908 HMAS Drenthe 1909 |
Single 7.5" removed from this class awaiting retrieval of the single guns.
