The naval tug HMAS FORCEFUL was commissioned. FORCEFUL was laid down in Alex Stephen & Sons, Govan, Scotland, and launched on 20 November 1925, for MacDonald Hamilton & Co. She transferred to William & Co Pty, Brisbane, in October 1927. FORCEFUL was requisitioned for the RAN on 31 January 1942. The vessel was preserved by the Queensland Maritime Museum in 1970. In early 2023 the Queensland Maritime Museum Association concluded that it could no longer afford to retain Forceful. As a result, the association decided to seek proposals from companies to scrap the ship during April or May 2023.Between September and November 2023, Forceful was scrapped
HMA Ships SWAN and WARREGO, (sloops), and the US Ships HOUSTON and PEARY, fought off determined attacks by waves of Japanese bombers between Darwin and Timor. The convoy was recalled to Darwin when it was learnt that enemy surface forces were in the area.
LCDR R. W. Rankin, RAN assumed command of the Australian Flotilla in the Dutch East Indies at Oosthaven. The flotilla consisted of HMA Ships YARRA GOULBURN, and BURNIE, (corvettes).