| Navy | The Royal Australian Navy |
| Type | Destroyer |
| Class | Admiralty Leader |
| Pennant | D 00 |
| Built by | Cammell Laird Shipyard (Birkenhead, U.K.) |
| Ordered | |
| Laid down | 18 Oct, 1917 |
| Launched | 22 Aug, 1918 |
| Commissioned | 11 Oct, 1933 |
| End service | 27 Apr, 1946 |
| Loss position | |
| History | Commissioned as HMS Stuart on 21 December 1918. Transferred to Australia and commissioned in the Royal Australian Navy on 11 October 1933. Decommissioned to reserve before the Second World War but recommissioned for war service on 1 September 1939.
Went to the Mediterranean in December 1939 together with the four Australian V-class destroyer to form the 19th Destroyer Division for service with the Mediterranean fleet. In July 1940 HMAS Stuart was present at the Battle of Calabria and on 17 August 1940 she took part in the operation of bombarding Italian troop concentrations near Bardia, Lybia. During the night of 19/30 September 1940 HMAS Stuart attacked the Italian submarine Gondar with depth charges. The submarine was forced to surface the next morning and scuttled by her crew. In January 1941 HMAS Stuart supported the capture of Tobruk. In March 1941 she was present at the famous Battle of Matapan. In April she escorted troop-convoys to Greece and the following month she participated in the evacuation from Greece and Crete. In June she took part in convoy operations to the beleaguered city of Tobruk. HMAS Stuart left the Mediterranean for Fremantle on 22 August 1941. The ship was badly in need for a refit, she had sailed home on one engine, and was under refit at Melbourne until April 1942. From April 1942 untill October 1942 she escorted coastal convoys and from October 1942 untill March 1942 she escorted convoys from Australia to New Guinea. For the remainder of 1943 and 1944 she again escorted coastal convoys in her Home waters. During March and April 1945 she was converted to a store and troop carrying vessel and served in this role of New Guinea. Stuart was decomissioned at Sydney on 27 April 1946 and on 3 February 1947 she was sold to T. Carr and Co.,Ltd. of Sydney to be broken up for scrap. |
| Former name | HMS Stuart |
| Noteable events involving Stuart include: 17 Aug, 1940 30 Sep, 1940 8 Oct, 1940 A British convoy with the merchants Memnon (7506 GRT), Lanarkshire (11275 GRT), Clan Macauley (10492 GRT) and Clan Ferguson (7347 GRT) left Alexandria for Malta on 8 October 1940. This convoy was escorted by the British Anti-Aircraft cruisers HMS Calcutta (Capt. D.M. Lees, DSO, RN), HMS Coventry (Capt. D. Gilmour, RN) and the Australian destroyers HMS Stuart (Capt. H.M.L. Waller, DSO, RAN), HMS Voyager (Cdr. J.C. Morrow, DSO, RAN), HMS Waterhen (Lt.Cdr. J.H. Swain, RAN) and the British destroyer HMS Wryneck (Cdr. R.H.D. Lane, RN). Cover was provided by the Mediterranean Fleet (Admiral Cunningham) with the British battleships HMS Warspite (Capt. D.B. Fisher, CBE, RN), HMS Valiant (Capt. H.B. Rawlings, OBE, RN), HMS Malaya (Capt. A.F.E. Palliser, DSC, RN), HMS Ramillies (Capt. H.T. Baillie-Grohman, OBE, DSO, RN), the British aircraft carriers HMS Illustrious (Capt. D.W. Boyd, DSC, RN), HMS Eagle (Capt. A.R.M. Bridge, RN), the British heavy cruiser HMS York (Capt. R.H. Portal, DSC, RN), the British light cruisers HMS Gloucester (Capt. H.A. Rowley, RN), HMS Liverpool (Capt. P.A. Read, RN), HMS Ajax (Capt. E.D. McCarthy, RN), HMS Orion (Capt. G.R.B. Back, RN), the Australian light cruiser HMAS Sydney (Capt. J.A. Collins, CB, RAN)escorted by the British destroyers HMS Hyperion (Cdr. H.St.L. Nicolson, DSO and Bar, RN), HMS Havock (Cdr. R.E. Courage, DSO, DSC, RN), HMS Hero (Cdr. H.W. Biggs, DSO, RN), HMS Hereward (Lt.Cdr. C.W. Greening, RN), HMS Hasty, (Lt.Cdr. L.R.K. Tyrwhitt, RN), HMS Ilex (Lt.Cdr. P.L. Saumarez, DSC, RN), HMS Imperial (Lt.Cdr. C.A.deW. Kitcat, RN), HMS Jervis (Capt. P.J. Mack, DSO, RN), HMS Janus (Cdr. J.A.W. Tothill, RN), HMS Juno (Cdr. W.E. Wilson, RN), HMS Nubian (Cdr. R.W. Ravenhill, RN), HMS Dainty (Cdr. M.S. Thomas, DSO, RN), HMS Decoy (Cdr. E.G. McGregor, DSO, RN), HMS Defender (Lt.Cdr. St.J.R.J. Tyrwhitt, RN) and the Australian destroyers HMAS Vampire (Cdr. J.A. Walsh, RAN) and HMAS Vendetta (Cdr. R. Rhoades RAN). The convoy was not spotted and arrived safe at Malta on 11 October. The only damage sustaned was to the destroyer HMS Imperial that was mined off Malta and was out of action for over 6 months. While on the return trip the Mediterranean Fleet was sighted by an Italian aircraft. The Italian Navy tried to intercept them in the Ionian Sea. In the night of 11/12 October the first Italian torpedo boat flottilla with Airone, Alcione and Ariel attacked HMS Ajax. The attack failed and Ajax sank Airone and Ariel, Alcione escaped. A little while later the Italian 11th destroyer flottilla, with Artigliere, Aviere, Camicia Nera and Geniere arrived at the scene. They were suprised by the radar-directed gunfire from HMS Ajax. Artigliere was heavily damaged and Aviere was lightly damaged. Camicia Nere tried to tow Artigliere away but she was sighted by a British Sunderland aircraft that homed in 3 Swordfish aircraft from HMS Illustrious. However, the torpedoes they fired didn't hit the Italian ships. Later the Britsh heavy cruiser HMS York arrived at the scene. Camicia Nera quickly slipped the towing line and sped off. After her crew had left the ship Artiglire was sunk by York. While the Mediterranean Fleet was still on the return trip aircraft from HMS Illustrious and HMS Eagle attacked Leros and in the evening of the 14th the British light cruiser HMS Liverpool while south-east off Crete was hit in the bow by a torpedo from an Italian aircraft. The cruiser was heavily damaged and was repaired at the Mare Island Navy Yard in the USA. HMS Liverpool was not operational again until January 1942. 28 Mar, 1941 24 Apr, 1941 26 Apr, 1941 21 May, 1941 25 May, 1941 29 May, 1941 |