Photos and the story

Hobart

Class	Modified Leander class
Type	Light cruiser (CL)
Hull	D63
Fate	Afloat. Torpedoed by a Japanese submarine off the New Hebrides in July 1943. Thirteen men were killed. Not sunk. She was in Tokyo Bay for the surrender. The submarine has not been identified.
Armament (class)	Modified Leander. Four twin 6-inch turrets and two funnels.
Command	Howden, Harry Leslie Captain from 28 August 1939 Showers, Henry Arthur Captain from 8 June 1942 Cook, Frederick Captain from 18 October 1943 Dowling, Roy Russell Captain from 8 November 1944

Laid down, displacement, length, beam, draft, speed, and complement are not stored for each hull, so this table leaves them out.

The armament line is the class drawing, not a measurement of this hull.

HMAS Hobart (D63) was a Modified Leander-class light cruiser of the Royal Australian Navy. She survived the war.

Harry Leslie Howden became her captain on 28 August 1939. He was still in command when she reached the Battle of the Coral Sea.

On 8 May 1942 Hobart was at the Coral Sea with Crace. She came through that battle afloat. Henry Arthur Showers relieved Howden as captain on 8 June 1942. Later she was at Guadalcanal, on the eastern screen. She was not in the Savo Island night fight.

In July 1943 a Japanese submarine torpedoed her off the New Hebrides. Thirteen men were killed. The cruiser was not sunk, and the submarine has not been identified. Showers remained in command until Frederick Cook became captain on 18 October 1943.

Roy Russell Dowling took command on 8 November 1944. Hobart was in Tokyo Bay for the surrender. A later Australian warship named Hobart was a different hull.

The pictures on this page are the originals.