The only Commonwealth ship to sink two friendly warships in peacetime

Countries & Cities · Published 21 October 2026 · Updated 22 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: HMAS Melbourne was a technological marvel that became a maritime enigma. Despite never firing a shot in anger, the carrier was plagued by high-profile collisions with allied vessels, leading many to believe the ship was cursed. Its complex history reveals a vessel caught between wartime design and Cold War demands.

Originally laid down in 1943 as HMS Majestic, the vessel was intended as a 'disposable warship' for World War II. However, the Royal Australian Navy purchased it in 1947 and chose to incorporate cutting-edge technology rather than finishing it as-is. This decision made Melbourne the third ship in the world to be constructed with an angled flight deck, steam catapults, and mirror landing aids. These features were essential for operating heavier jet aircraft, but they pushed the ship's limits; the deck was so small that some foreign pilots refused to land on it because of the narrow clearance for their wingtips.

The carrier's service was defined by two tragic peacetime collisions. In 1964, Melbourne rammed and sank the RAN destroyer HMAS Voyager, killing 82 personnel. In 1969, it struck the USN destroyer USS Frank E. Evans, resulting in 74 American deaths. While investigations did not find Melbourne to be the primary cause of either incident, the repeated accidents, combined with various shipboard mishaps, fueled a persistent reputation for the ship being 'jinxed.'

Operating in the tropics presented further engineering challenges. The ship was originally designed for Arctic climates, and its ventilation systems struggled in the heat, with internal temperatures occasionally soaring to 78 °C (172 °F). After being paid off in 1982, the carrier's final chapter was secretive: it was sold for scrap in 1985 but held back so the People's Liberation Army Navy could study its design to help develop China's own aircraft carrier capabilities.

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