HMAS Melbourne (1945)

HMS Majestic (R77) was the lead ship of her class of aircraft carriers of the Royal Navy. She was laid down by Vickers-Armstrong Limited at Barrow-in-Furness in England on 15 April 1943 as HMS Majestic and launched on 28 February 1945. Construction was suspended in May 1946 but when it was decided to acquire two aircraft carriers for the Royal Australian Navy in 1947, work was resumed in 1949. On 28 October 1955 she was renamed HMAS Melbourne in a ceremony performed by Lady White, wife of the then Australian High Commissioner in the United Kingdom, Sir Thomas White and commissioned in the Royal Australian Navy.

Related Topics:
Lead ship - Her class - Aircraft carrier - Royal Navy - Vickers-Armstrong - Barrow-in-Furness - England - 15 April - 1943 - 28 February - 1945 - 1946 - Royal Australian Navy - 1947 - 1949 - 28 October - 1955 - High Commissioner - United Kingdom

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During her extensive service she was involved in two major collisions: one with the Daring class destroyer HMAS Voyager off the south coast of New South Wales which sank with the loss of 82 lives on 10 February 1964, and later with the destroyer USS Frank E. Evans which sank in the South China Sea with the loss of 74 of her crew on 3 June 1969. In both cases the destroyers crossed in front of Melbourne's bows while she was at flying stations at night. The ultimate cause of both accidents appears to have been errors on the bridges of the destroyers, but whatever posterity decides, both accidents were great tragedies for those involved and their loved ones.

Related Topics:
Daring class - Destroyer - HMAS ''Voyager'' - New South Wales - 10 February - 1964 - USS ''Frank E. Evans'' - South China Sea - 3 June - 1969

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Melbourne paid off on 30 June 1982 and laid up at Sydney, was sold to China United Shipbuilding Company Limited in February 1985 and broken up in the port of Dalian in China where it is suspected she had been studied to help design a Chinese aircraft carrier.

Related Topics:
30 June - 1982 - Sydney - 1985 - Dalian - China

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See HMS Majestic and HMAS Melbourne for other ships of these names.

Related Topics:
HMS ''Majestic'' - HMAS ''Melbourne''

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