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HMAS Bathurst (DD-1930+ (1937+mod)
The Australis Navy watched with interest the UK trials of HMS Amazon & Ambuscade. This ship was the basis for destroyer construction for the next 10 years and was the inspiration for the Emergency War Destroyers. The Australis Navy built the Bathurst class as one class with only minor adjustments between vessels until the 4.5" twin turret became available from 1934. The last two half flotillas laid down in 1934 and 1935 were completed as shown below while the earlier ships were refitted with the same turrets as they became available.
While the Royal Navy built seperate leaders for each of the A-I classes, the Australis Navy did not, deeming the ships big enough to carry extra flotilla personell as required. The ships formed the backbone of the destroyer squadrons operating with the battlefleet, and the old L Class destroyers were sold or discarded on completion of these units. The Arunta class leaders were used as flotilla leaders for these ships as required in the 2nd World War.
The first 4 were laid down in 1928 and 1929, none in 1930-31 because of the Depression, the class restarted in 1932 (4), 1933 (4) - all batch 1, 1934(4), 1935 (double class of 8 ships), 1936 (4) for a total of 32 units.
| Displacement | 1400 tons std, 1900 tons full load | |
| Length | 321 ft | |
| Breadth | 33 ft | |
| Draught | 12 ft | |
| Machinery | 2 shaft steam turbines, 38,000shp | |
| Speed | 35 knots | |
| Range | 6000 miles at 15 knots | |
| Armour | nil | |
| Armament | 4 x 4.5" (2x2) 4 x 2pd (1x4) 4 x 20mm (4x1) 1 x Hedgehog |
|
| Aircraft | nil | |
| Torpedoes | 8 x 21" (2x4) | |
| Complement | 150 | |
| Notes | HMAS Bathurst HMAS Blenheim HMAS Bellarine HMAS Broken Hill HMAS Gosford HMAS Ashburton HMAS Alice Springs HMAS Tennant Creek HMAS Traralgon HMAS Mt Isa HMAS Charleville HMAS Cooktown HMAS Rotorua HMAS Gisborne HMAS Yarra HMAS Petone |
HMAS Echuca HMAS Eden HMAS Elliston HMAS Ellsmore HMAS Fitzroy HMAS Forbes HMAS Forrest HMAS Forsayth HMAS Georgetown HMAS Gibson HMAS Glendene HMAS Goulburn HMAS Hastings HMAS Hungerford HMAS Hayden HMAS Heywood |
First generation as completed with single 4.7" and no light AA armament fitted.