HMAS Melbourne
From Our Contribution
 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | HMAS Melbourne |
| Owner | Australian Navy |
| Builder | Cammell Laird & Co, Birkenhead |
| Launched | 30 May 1912 |
| In service | 18 Jan 1913 |
| Out of service | 23 Apr 1928 |
| Reclassified | Town Class Light cruiser (4 screws) |
| Fate | broken up in 1929 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Light Cruiser |
| Tonnage | 5,400 tons |
| Length | 456.9 ft (139.3m) |
| Beam | 49.9 ft (15.2m) |
| Depth | 19.6 ft (6.0m) |
| Speed | 23.2 knots (43 Kmph) |
| Capacity | Crew 485 |
Armament
- 8 x 6-inch 50 calibre guns
- 4 x 3-pounder guns
- 1 x 12-pounder gun
- 2 x .303-inch Maxim guns
- 8 x .303-inch Lewis guns
- Torpedoes - 8 x 21-inch torpedo tubes (submerged)
Remarks
Town class light cruiser launched in 1913 and commissioned in 1913. Early in the war the Melbourne spent time in the Pacific and Indian Oceans searching for the German East India Squadron, before joining the escort of the first convoy of troops to Egypt. She remained guarding the convoy while the HMAS Sydney went to the Cocos Island group to fight the Emden.
In December 1914, Melbourne was deployed to the Caribbean and based at Bermuda. For the next 18 months, she carried out patrol duties between the islands of the West Indies and along the east coast of North America, in concert with HMAS Sydney.
From September 1916 she served with the British Grand Fleet in the North Sea, based at Scapa Flow. Melbourne was present at the surrender of the German High Seas Fleet on 21 November 1918. She returned to Australia in April 1919.
List of local crew members
Signaller Richard William Thomas Boyle