NAVYPEDIA

Photo

Sydney 1974

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Sydney (ex-Terrible)	R17, 1969- 17		Devonport DYd, UK	19.4.1943	30.9.1944	5.2.1949	stricken 7.1973, sold 10.1975
Melbourne (ex-Majestic)	R21, 1969- 21		Vickers-Armstrong, Barrow, UK	15.4.1943	28.2.1945	8.11.1955	stricken 11.1983, BU 1985

Technical data

Data variant	R17	R21
Displacement standard, t	14000	16000
Displacement full, t	17780	19966
Length, m	192.0 pp 211.8 oa	198.1 pp 213.8 oa
Breadth, m	24.4	24.5 hull, 38.4 fd
Draught, m	7.01 deep load	7.80
No of shafts	2	2
Machinery	2 sets Parsons geared steam turbines, 4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers	2 sets Parsons geared steam turbines, 4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers
Power, h. p.	40000	42000
Max speed, kts	25	24
Fuel, t	oil 3480	oil 3200
Endurance, nm(kts)	12000(14)	12000(14)
Armament	6 x 2 - 40/60 RP.50 Mk V, 18 x 1 - 40/60 Mk VII, 26 aircraft (Sea Fury, Firefly fighters)	7 x 2 - 40/60 Mk 5, 11 x 1 - 40/60 Mk 7, 24 aircraft (Sea Fury, Firefly fighters, Firefly, Gannet ASW planes, Sea Otter rescue amphibians)
Electronic equipment	2x type 277Q, type 293M, type 960/281BQ, type 961 radars	3x type 277Q, type 293Q, type 978 radars
Complement	1300	1417 as flagship

Air group

Year	Fighters	Attackers	other planes	Helicopters
1950, Sydney	12 Sea Fury FB.11,	---	22 Firefly AS.4, 2 Sea Otter	---
1951, Sydney	22 Sea Fury FB.11	---	12 Firefly AS.4	---
1956, Melbourne	8 Sea Venom FAW.53	---	17 Gannet AS.1	2 Sycamore HR.50
1963, Melbourne	10 Sea Venom FAW.53	---	10 Gannet AS.1	8 Wessex HAS.31
1975, Melbourne	---	8 A-4G Skyhawk	6 S-2E Tracker	10 Wessex HAS.31B
1980, Melbourne	---	8 A-4G Skyhawk	4 S-2G Tracker	5 Sea King HAS.50

Standard scale images

Graphics

Aircraft facilities

 Sydney: (fd - 5,131m², ha - 2,142m² / 11,355m³), Flight deck: 210.3x24.4m; hangar: 135.6x15.8x 5.3m. Two lifts: 16.5x10.4m, 6.8t. 1 catapult BH-III (6.4t plane was launched at 122 km/h). Aircraft fuel stowage: 303,000l.

Melbourne:(fd ~ 6,500m², ha - 2,142m² / 11,355m³), Flight deck: 213.8x38.4m; hangar: 135.3x15.8x 5.3m. Two lifts: 17.7x12.2m, 11t. 1 catapult BS-4. Aircraft fuel stowage: 802,000l of jet fuel and 18,900l of petrol.

Project history

Majestic class HMS Terrible became HMAS Sydney.

Work was resumed on HMS Majestic in 1949 after her purchase by the Australian government, and the opportunity was taken to incorporate as many new ideas as possible, including a steam catapult, a 6° angled deck and mirror landing sights. However, apart from a lattice mast and whip aerials she looked similar to the original Majestics.

A greatly enhanced radar suite was incorporated, including three Type 277Q height-finding sets.

Protection

There were mantlets around aircraft torpedoes warheads rooms only. Their thickness was 10mm. Longitudinal watertight bulkheads covered the machinery.

Modernizations

1963, Sydney: became fast military transport: - 6 x 2 - 40/60, 14 x 1 - 40/60; vehicles were carried on deck, hangar was used for troop accommodation

11/1968, Melbourne: - 3 x 2 - 40/60, 7 x 1 - 40/60; + LW-02, ZW, SPN-35 radars, ECM equipment

1969, Sydney: + 6 LCPU (on davits)

1971, Melbourne: catapult was rebuilt, deck was strengthened.

Naval service

HMAS Sydney saw considerable active service in the Korean War alongside her British sisters. Melbourne was laid up to reserve in 1976. Melbourne sunk two destroyers by collisions (HMAS Voyager 10.2.1964 in Tasman Sea and USS Frank E. Evans 3.6.1969 in South China Sea), receiving nickname 'destroyer killer'.