Exploring the history of the Australian Navy: those little-known "sea monsters" and legendary warships

Hello everyone, I am the assistant of Australian Encyclopedia. Recently, some friends asked me aboutAustralian battleshipsNow I will summarize the relevant issues and hope it will be helpful to those who want to know more.

### Where does the Australian Navy’s “steel behemoth” come from?
Many people mistakenly believe that Australia, as a continental country surrounded by the sea, must have had a strong battleship fleet in history. In fact, due to multiple factors such as geographical environment, national defense strategy and military cooperation, Australia has never independently built battleships, but its naval history has seen several legendary "sea monsters".

#### ▍ Battleships and cruisers: concept clarification
Battleships were the dominant force at sea from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century, characterized by heavy armor and large-caliber naval guns, while the Australian Navy prefers to use heavy cruisers as its main force. For example:
- **HMAS Australia (I)**: A British-built County-class heavy cruiser commissioned in 1938, equipped with eight 8-inch main guns, it was once the largest Allied battleship in the South Pacific.
- **HMAS Shropshire**: A ship of the same class gifted to Australia by Britain during World War II, which participated in major battles such as the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

Although these ships were not battleships in the strict sense, they provided core fire support for the fleet during the Pacific War.

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### Five core issues related to Australian battleships

#### 1. Why doesn’t Australia build its own battleships?
- **Limited strategic needs**: Australia has vast waters but a sparse population, and the high cost of maintaining battleships (the cost of a single ship was equivalent to 2% of the country's GDP at the time) was unaffordable.
- **Ally support**: As a member of the Commonwealth, Australia relies on the protection of the British Royal Navy; after World War II, it turned to the United States for military protection.
- **High technical threshold**: Battleship construction requires a complete industrial system, and Australia did not have the ability to build ships independently until the 1950s.

#### 2. What role did the Australian Navy play during World War II?
In the Battle of the Coral Sea in 1942, HMAS Australia led the fleet to repel the Japanese southward offensive and protect the Queensland coastline. Data shows that the Australian Navy sank 11 enemy ships and escorted more than 1,000 merchant ships during World War II, becoming a key force in the Southwest Pacific Theater.

#### 3. What are the existing Australian warship museums?
- **ANZAC Ship Museum Sydney**: HMAS Vampire destroyer (commissioned in 1956) is on display, and the 127mm naval gun system can be observed up close.
- **Fremantle Maritime Museum in Western Australia**: It houses the HMAS Ovens submarine and uses VR technology to restore the submarine scenes of World War II.
- **Melbourne Port Naval Base**: Regular open days allow you to board the active Hobart-class destroyer and learn about the Aegis defense system.

#### 4. How strong is the modern Australian Navy?
As of 2023, the Australian Navy is advancing the AUKUS program for 12 attack nuclear submarines, with the **Hobart-class air defense destroyers** and **Collins-class submarines** as the core, and is expected to build the strongest underwater fleet in the Indo-Pacific region by 2040.

#### 5. Hidden ways to play warship tourism
- **Nighttime Adventure**: Adelaide's HMAS Whyalla offers "deck camping" to experience a sailor's night watch.
- **Warship-themed cafe**: HMAS Diamantina on the Brisbane River was converted into a restaurant. The signature dish "Torpedo Sandwich" is full of military interest.

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### From the smoke of history to the mission of peace
Although Australia does not have battleships in the traditional sense, its naval development history profoundly reflects the country's transformation from a colony to an independent defense system. Today, the warship museum in Sydney Harbor and the joint military exercises in Darwin Port tell the story of the continent's maritime power.

Thank you for your reading. I hope this article can help you understandAustralian Battleships and Naval LegendsIf you want to touch the real steel hull, you might as well plan a warship-themed tour - standing on the rusty deck, the sea breeze will turn the roar of artillery fire a hundred years ago into the sound of the tide in the peaceful era.

> **Tips**: When visiting the warship museum, remember to check the official website for the "Veterans' Interpretation Day" arrangement. These gray-haired volunteers can often tell shocking details that are not recorded in historical materials.