HMAS

Success

(I)

Success was one of 55 S Class destroyers built for the British Admiralty under the Emergency Shipbuilding Program of World War I. She commissioned into the Royal Navy (RN) as HMS Success in April 1919. She was not long in commission, however, when she and her sister ships, Stalwart, Swordsman, Tasmania and Tattoo, along with the flotilla leader, Anzac, were gifted to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) as replacements for the RAN’s obsolete River Class destroyers.

She recommissioned into the RAN as HMAS Success at Devonport on 27 January 1920 under the command of Lieutenant OR Wace, RN. She sailed for Australia on 20 February in company with Swordsman, Tasmania and Tattoo, and arrived in Sydney on 29 April via Gibraltar, Malta, Port Said, Suez, Aden, Bombay, Colombo, Singapore, Sourabaya and Thursday Island. However, Success’ second commission was only marginally longer than her first as post-war cuts to defence spending saw a number of RAN vessels decommissioned. Success was one of those affected and she decommissioned at Sydney on 6 October 1921 and was placed into reserve.

Success recommissioned on 1 December 1925. She subsequently served in waters around Australia, with the exception of Western Australia, making a brief visit to Port Moresby in May 1926.

She decommissioned again on 21 May 1930 and was once more placed into reserve. She was eventually sold for breaking up on 4 June 1937.

Able seamen aboard Success, circa 1930.

 

Left: Success. Right: Success viewed from its port quarter (AWM P09219.009).

Left: A dog wearing a studded collar and a naval cap with a HMAS Success tally band, appearing to play a small piano. Original caption reads "Sons of the Sea' sung by 'Jack' mascot HMAS Success Sydney 11-5-20." (AWM P09219.029) Right: Success sweeping through rough seas, for torpedos fired from HMAS Canberra. (AWM P09219.006)

HMAS Success, circa 1929.

 

Success firing a Mk II torpedo during exercises.

Success. (Allan C Green, State Library of Victoria).