View source for His Majesty's Australian Ship

{{Short description|Ship prefix}}
{{use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{use Australian English|date=February 2022}}
{{Also|List of ships of the Royal Australian Navy}}
'''His Majesty's Australian Ship''' ('''HMAS''') (or '''Her Majesty's Australian Ship''' when the monarch is female) is a [[ship prefix]] used for commissioned units of the [[Royal Australian Navy]] (RAN). This prefix is derived from [[His Majesty's Ship|HMS (Her/His Majesty's Ship)]], the prefix used by the [[Royal Navy]] of the [[United Kingdom]], and can be equally applied to warships and shore bases (as Australia follows the British tradition of referring to naval establishments as [[stone frigate]]s).{{cn|date=February 2022}}
By the early 21st century, especially when RAN vessels were deployed as part of international coalitions, an unofficial, alternative prefix was sometimes used: "'''Australian navy ship'''" (which was not abbreviated).  This was typically used in communications at sea with other navies or merchant vessels. This avoided any confusion that may have resulted from RAN ("HMAS") vessels serving alongside British RN ("HMS)" vessels and/or those of other Commonwealth navies.{{cn|date=September 2023}}
On 10 July 1911, [[George V of the United Kingdom|King George V]] granted the title of Royal Australian Navy to the naval forces of Australia.<ref name=Frame96>{{cite book |last=Frame |first=Tom |authorlink=Tom Frame (bishop) |title=No Pleasure Cruise: the story of the Royal Australian Navy |url=https://archive.org/details/nopleasurecruise00fram |url-access=limited |year=2004 |publisher=Allen & Unwin |location=Crows Nest, NSW |isbn=1-74114-233-4 |oclc=55980812 |page=[https://archive.org/details/nopleasurecruise00fram/page/n109 96]}}</ref> At the same time, the prefix and acronym were approved for use in identifying units commissioned into the RAN.<ref name=Frame96/> The prefix had been used prior to formal approval, with the [[torpedo-boat destroyer]] {{HMAS|Parramatta|D55|2}} commissioned with the HMAS prefix on 1 March 1911.<ref>{{cite book |last=Cassells |first=Vic |title=The Destroyers: their battles and their badges |year=2000 |publisher=Simon & Schuster |location=East Roseville, NSW |isbn=0-7318-0893-2 |oclc=46829686 |page=75}}</ref>
The prefix now refers to the [[Monarchy in Australia|monarch of Australia]], who is also the King or Queen of the United Kingdom.
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* [https://www.navy.gov.au/fleet/ships-boats-craft/current-ships List of current Royal Australian Navy Ships]
{{Portal bar|Australia|Royal Australian Navy}}
{{Royal Australian Navy}}
[[Category:Royal Australian Navy]]
[[Category:Ship prefixes]]