Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:47:07-2:49:06

When Australian Hawkins-type cruisers could enter service

Ordering Australian heavy cruisers alongside Hawkins in 1916 creates a plausible completion window from 1919 into the early 1920s.

Cockatoo Island DockyardHawkins Class Heavy CruisersHeavy CruisersRoyal Australian NavyShipbuildingWorld War I
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Question

When could Australian-built Hawkins-type cruisers enter service if ordered during the First World War?

Short answer

A 1916 start suggests roughly 1919 to 1924, depending on yard capacity and whether construction keeps pace with the British Hawkins program.

Notes

The timing depends less on the later design date imagined by the question than on when construction actually begins. Using the historical Hawkins program as the benchmark, hulls laid down in 1916 might commission as early as 1919, while slower Australian construction or wartime disruption could push delivery toward 1924.