Adelaide, Australian Light Cruiser

Specifications:

Displacement

5550 tons standard

Dimensions

462'8" by 49'10" by 15'10"
141.1m by 15.2m by 4.9m

Maximum speed     

24.3 knots

Complement

470

Aircraft

2 seaplanes
1 catapult

Armament

8 6"/45 guns
3 4"/45 dual-purpose guns

Protection

3" (76mm) belt
1.5" (38mm) deck
4" (102mm) conning tower

Bunkerage

1412 tons fuel oil

Range

5800 miles (9300 km) at 15 knots
Modifications

1942-7: Added 6 20mm Oerlikon AA guns and Type 271 radar

1943-9: Removed one 6"/45 and one 4"/45. Added four depth charge throwers and Type 285 and SC radars.


The Adelaide was completed at Cockatoo Dockyard in Sydney in 1922, becoming the first cruiser-sized warship build in Australia, albeit to a 1912 design. Originally designed to burn coal, she remained slow for a cruiser even after being converted to an oil burner. She was extensively refitted in 1939, but remained too obsolete for any purpose but convoy escort.

Adelaide was at Port Moresby when war broke out. She survived the war.

References

Dunnigan and Nofi (1998)

Whitley (1995)

Worth (2001)