HMAS Hobart (1939)

HMAS "Hobart" was a Modified "Leander" class light cruiser which served in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) during World War II. These ships are sometimes known as the "Perth" class" or the "Amphion" class". "Hobart" was built for the Royal Navy as HMS "Apollo", and was obtained by Australia and renamed upon commissioning.

"Hobart" was the second of its class to be modified for Australian service, and the first ship to be named after the city of Hobart in Tasmania. The ship was partially paid for by the transfer of the seaplane tender HMAS "Albatross" to the Royal Navy.

The one noticeable visible difference between the ships transferred to Australia and those still in the British Navy was that the British ships had one broad smokestack, whereas the Australian had two narrower funnels.

Operational History

After World War II broke out, "Hobart" escorted convoys between Australia, Singapore, Java, Ceylon, and Bombay, frequently accompanied by the destroyer HMS "Electra".

On 18 August 1940, HMAS "Hobart" was involved in the evacuation of British Commonwealth troops from British Somaliland following the Italian invasion.

In February 1942, she missed sailing with the rest of the attack force heading for the Battle of the Java Sea because of damage suffered by the tanker that she was refueling from.

"Hobart" participated in the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942, as part of the Allied cruiser force shielding Port Moresby. Aside from being mistakenly bombed by American B-17s, the force saw no action.

On 20 July 1943 in the Solomon Islands, "Hobart" took a direct hit from a torpedo aimed at HMAS "Australia". She lost 13 crew in the attack and one US officer who was on board; seven others were seriously injured. The damage included a huge hole in the side, a badly distorted forward deck and stern, both portside propellers blown off by the impact, many pipes broken, bulkheads crushed and power cables severed. "Hobart" was taken out of service for repairs and modernisation at Cockatoo Island Dockyard in Sydney.

She was back in service by December 1944, in time to participate in the amphibious assaults on the Philippines, Borneo, and Wewak. She was present in Tokyo Bay on Victory over Japan Day (2 September 1945), when the Japanese Instrument of Surrender was signed. [cite web |url=http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq69-2.htm |title=Allied Ships Present in Tokyo Bay During the Surrender Ceremony, 2 September 1945 |accessdate=2007-01-13 |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date=27 May 2005|publisher=Naval Historical Center - U.S. Navy|quote=Taken from "Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet and Pacific Ocean Areas (CINCPAC/CINCPOA) A16-3/FF12 Serial 0395, 11 February 1946: Report of Surrender and Occupation of Japan"]

"Hobart" was made part of the Navy Reserve following the war, and was decommissioned in 1962. She was sold for scrap in the same year.

ee also

* List of World War II ships

References

External links

* [http://www.navy.gov.au/HMAS_Hobart_(I) HMAS Hobart I - Sea Power Centre]
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-fornv/austral/aussh-hl/hobart.htm HMAS Hobart history and images] , U. S. Naval Historical Center