Thanks to Sea Power Centre - Australia

HMAS DUCHESS, a Daring Class Destroyer, was built for the Royal Navy by Messrs J.I Thornycroft & Co Ltd of Woolston, Southampton. She joined the Home Fleet in Febru­ary 1953, and in March of the same year took part in combined Home and Mediterra­nean Fleet exercises. This was the largest British naval formation which had been seen in the Mediterranean since the end of war.

DUCHESS later served in the Far East and in 1964 following the loss of HMAS VOY­AGER, DUCHESS was loaned to the Royal Australian Navy and re-commissioned as HMAS DUCHESS.

She initially served as a fleet destroyer but was subsequently converted to a training ship after being purchased by the RAN in 1972. DUCHESS served n this role until 1977. She was paid off on 27 October 1977.

Displacement:   2,800 tons (5), 3,600 (FL)

Length: 366 feet Beam: 43 feet

Draught: 14 Feet (mean), 17 feet (maximum)

Laid Down: 2 July 1948 Completed: 23 October 1952 Launched: 9 April 1951

Guns: 6 x 4.5 in Twin Turrets. 2 Forward, 4 x 40mm Bofors AA

4 x 3 pdr Saluting Guns on the After 4.5 inch Gun Deck

Torpedo Tubes: 5 x 21 inch

Anti-Submarine Weapons:

Squid Triple Barrelled Depth Charge

Triple Mortar

Machinery:

Parsons Double Reduction Geared Turbines Boilers:

2 Foster-Wheeler

Complement: 278

Radius: 3,000 miles at 20 knots

Re-commissioned RAN: 8 May 1964