Operational History
On 13 December 1916, Brisbane departed on a voyage to the Mediterranean. After reaching Malta on 4 February, the cruiser was recalled to the Indian Ocean to help search for the German raiders Wolf and Seeadler.
In 1917, a Sopwith Baby seaplane was acquired from HMS Raven II; the first aircraft to be used by a RAN ship. This remained aboard until June, when Brisbane was sent back to Australia with orders to patrol the Western Australian coast. From October 1917 to January 1918, the cruiser was assigned to operations in the Western Pacific Ocean, after which she returned to Australian waters. On 30 October 1918, Brisbane departed for the United Kingdom, and was en route when World War I ended. The battle honour "Indian Ocean 1917" recognises the cruiser's wartime service.
The cruiser remained in British waters until 17 April 1919, when she departed from Portsmouth for home. During the return trip, she caught up with the submarine depot ship HMAS Platypus and the six J class submarines transferred from the Royal Navy to the RAN after the war. J5 was experiencing problems, and Brisbane took the boat under tow: the two vessels reached Sydney on 27 June. The cruiser operated in Australian waters until 4 August 1922, when she was decommissioned into reserve.
Brisbane was reactivated on 14 April 1923. From February until August 1925, the ship served with the Royal Navy's China Squadron. The cruiser was placed back in reserve on 7 October, underwent a refit, and recommissioned on 17 November as a training ship attached to Flinders Naval Depot. A longer period of decommissioning and refit ran from 30 October 1926 until 28 June 1928, when she resumed training duties. In August 1928, Brisbane visited Hawaii, and was present for celebrations commemorating the 150th anniversary of the islands' discovery. The cruiser was again decommissioned, on 16 August 1929.
Read more about this topic: HMAS Brisbane (1915)
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“No one can understand Paris and its history who does not understand that its fierceness is the balance and justification of its frivolity. It is called a city of pleasure; but it may also very specially be called a city of pain. The crown of roses is also a crown of thorns. Its people are too prone to hurt others, but quite ready also to hurt themselves. They are martyrs for religion, they are martyrs for irreligion; they are even martyrs for immorality.”
—Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874–1936)