Rodondo's little Australian AU(1910-1950)

Thanks Rowdy!

Coming this week; Darwin Class Light Cruisers, Australia Class Battlecruisers post 1927 refit, Ballarat's Air wing, Perth Class Cruiser (Rowdy you should know this very well!)

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Work list(Current)
Miscellaneous|Victorian Colonial Navy|Murray Riverboats|Colony of Victoria AU|Project Sail-fixing SB's sail shortage
How to mentally pronounce my usernameRow-(as in a boat)Don-(as in the short form of Donald)Dough-(bread)
"Loitering on the High Seas" (Named after the good ship Rodondo)
There's no such thing as "nothing left to draw" If you can down 10 pints and draw, you're doing alright by my standards

My little Birthday present to Shipbucket

Perth Class
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This is Rowdy's creation, I been given permission to use it i this AU, only inklings of back stories but I can give you their names at the present
Perth,Hobart,Brisbane,Melbourne and Sydney (yes there is a trend

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Australia (sub)Class Battlecruiser 1911 and 1927
1911
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1927

(Still a WIP)
These battlecruisers were part of the Anglo-Australiasian Pact which delivered the HMAS Australia in 1911 and the HMAS Federation in 1913. The class were inherently flawed and after 1916 this was reliased from the evidence at Jutland which both sisters partipated in, The first modernization was in 1926 when Federation ran aground in Sydney Harbour at speed, severely damaging her obsolete ram. Following this,a modernization was brought forwards, which would see the ships forecastle increased, some light AA implemented, a new bridge structure, conversion to oil, and replacement of the engines. These improvements where carried out in 1927 on the Australia. After which both ships emerged entirely different.

Australia
Federation's sistership, also sister to the Indefatigable and the New Zealand.Flagship of the Australian Fleet from 1911-1926, 1928-1948. She served mainly as a deterrent through both both wars but served at Jutland, the hunt for the Graf Spee and the retaking of Timor and Papua. Still in commission in 1950. More to come here

Federation
Australia's sistership, also sister to the Indefatigable and the New Zealand. Flagship of the Fleet in 1927. Considered to be in the shadow of the Australia, especially after 1926 when she ran aground in Sydney Harbour at speed, severely damaging her obsolete ram.As the Australia was under refit, she served a 9 month long stint as flagship before the Australia returned. She served the war without much distinction with the exception of helping shell numerous positions in the pacific. She was in reserve in 1950

1911-1926 specifications
Length-179.8m
Beam-24.4m
Draught-9.3
Displacement-18,500-22,310 tons
Speed-25knots
Armament-8x12",16x 4", other small calibre close range weapons

1928-1934 specifications
Length-190.5
Beam-24.4m
Draught-9.3
Displacement-23,500-25,700 tons
Speed-29 knots
Armament-8x12",16x 4", 13x 1.75" AA, 2x 3 pounder saluting guns

Also due to the excellent variety of aircraft everyone has suggested, I still can't decide which aircraft to choose!

Redondo/Rowdy. Brilliant alteranative HMAS Perth; she looks 'bonzer, beaut, and cute'. Now, re the Australia battlecruiser, not bad, but if I may offer an alternative for modernisation?

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I was going to do this myself sometime, but it would fit in well with your AU

Wow! I was thinking a renown/KGV style rebuild for 1934-1935, this should prove a great source, Thanks PB, thought I will retain the cruiser bow for the rebuild

Yes, that would make sense, having already done a major rebuild. Of course, in real life this was never an option, but as a stop gap in you AU, until you have something better, it would at least provide something to reassure the locals when confronting Japan

True! Do you know what caliber the secondary armament was in the rebuild?

Ballarat's Airwing (Thought I will post my first concept before committing to incorporating it in the drawings)
1939-1942= 10x Brewster Buffaloes, 10x CAC Wirraways, 5x Fairy Swordfish
1942-1945=10x Gruman Wildcat, 10x CAC Boomerangs, 6x not sure here?
1945-1948=8x CAC "Crocodile"? (Navalized CAC Kangaroo), 10x CAC Boomerangs, 5x not sure here?

Looks good

What role do you have the Boomerangs performing? I thought their performance was fairly similar to the Wildcat - though slightly slower...Also what about the Grumman Avenger (if they fit) as a strike/anti-submarine aircraft?

Boomerangs are fighters/dive bombers

Avenger is my biggest candidate at the moment for said position

Best bet for a British aircraft would be the Fairey Barracuda dive/torpedo bomber (then you could even replace the CAC Boomerangs to have a larger number of a single type of attack aircraft). If not, then either the TBF, TBY or SB2C.

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Worklist:
Puerto Oeste - AU - WWI-WWII

Grumman Avenger, and Fairey Barracuda: both were second generation torpedo bombers, contemporary with the Hellcat and Corsair; and as such it would be illogical to have them shipped alongside such types as the Buffalo or Wildcat. Apart from the success with the Swordfish against the Bismark and Taranto, early torpedo bombers suffered badly, especially against the Japanese; and I believe the Avenger was used primarily as a bomber.

Shipbucket

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