HMAS Hamilton (CLE-1913 (1936))
The Australis navy had built 6 of the Weymouth to Birmingham "Town" class cruisers. The oldest pair HMAS Hamilton 1913 and HMAS Bathurst 1913 were pretty much worn out by 1930 and if it had not been for the Japanese threat to the region they would have been discarded in the 1930's. As it was they soldiered on with the armament getting smaller, reducing from the original 8 x 6" to eventually 3 x 6" and 4 x 4" AA guns. As they were turbine powered they were converted to oil firing in the early 20's.
Based in Darwin these ships undertook anti-piracy patrols in the Arafura Sea and Timor Sea areas while acting as training ships.
| Displacement | 5,250 tons std, 6,300 tons full load |
| Length | 453 ft |
| Breadth | 48.5 ft |
| Draught | 16 ft |
| Machinery | 2 shaft steam turbines 24,000shp |
| Speed | 25 knots |
| Range | 3500 at 15 knots |
| Armour | 3" side, 1.5" deck |
| Armament | 3 x 6" (3x1) 4 x 4" (4x1) 4 x 2pd (1x4) 6 x 20mm (6x1) |
| Aircraft | nil |
| Torpedoes | 4 x 21" (2x2) |
| Complement | 380 |
| Notes |
