Z Special Force, (Operation Jaywick), operatives enter Singapore Harbour in kayaks, and planted limpet mines on seven Japanese merchant ships. They then escaped undetected, to rendezvous with HMAS KRAIT. The ...
Australian Naval History on 22 September 1943
LCDR J. M. Bland, RANR(S), commanding a naval beach party, landed with the first wave, and guided troops ashore under heavy enemy fire, at Finschhafen, New Guinea. Bland was killed ...
Australian Naval History on 17 September 1943
LEUT L. V. Goldsworthy, RANVR, rendered safe and removed a German aerial mine which had lain dormant under a coaling wharf at Southampton, England. Goldsworthy was awarded the GM for ...
Australian Naval History on 13 September 1943
Australian Coastwatcher SBLT A. Kirkwall Smith, RANVR, led a 12-day reconnaissance of Cape Gloucester, New Britain, to gather information on terrain, beaches and enemy defences for the planned landing of ...
Australian Naval History on 12 September 1943
HMAS WOLLONGONG, (corvette), shared the sinking of the German submarine U617, in the Straits of Gibraltar, with HM Ships HAARLEM and HYANCINTH, and two Wellington bombers. ...
Australian Naval History on 4 September 1943
Engaged in the Allied landing at Lae, New Guinea, HMA Ships SHEPPARTON and BENALLA, (corvettes), carried out a close bombardment of enemy troop positions. A preliminary survey of the landing ...
Australian Naval History on 3 September 1943
HMAS SHEPPARTON and ML 817, were straddled in a heavy attack by Japanese bombers at Morobe, New Guinea. Neither ship suffered casualties, but 50 holes were counted above the waterline ...
Australian Naval History on 2 September 1943
The Australian Commando vessel KRAIT, (LEUT H. E. Carse, RANVR), sailed from Exmouth Gulf, WA, to attack Japanese shipping in Singapore Harbour. The commander of Operation Jaywick was Major I ...
Australian Naval History on 27 August 1943
Aerial image of RFA BISHOPDALE by the RAAF showing her deck layout including her defensive armament – 12 pounder gun forward, 4 inch AA aft, single oerlikon AA guns are ...
Australian Naval History on 26 August 1943
HMAS BARCOO, (frigate), was launched at Cockatoo Island, Sydney. ...
Australian Naval History on 13 August 1943
35 German Heinkel HE 111 torpedo bombers, and 12 Junkers JU 88 escorts from Kampfgruppe 26, (a specialist torpedo bomber squadron), attacked a convoy being escorted by HMA Ships GAWLER, ...
Australian Naval History on 12 August 1943
HRH King George VI inspected HMAS SHROPSHIRE, (cruiser), at Scapa Flow, Scotland. ...
Australian Naval History on 6 August 1943
Coastwatcher LEUT Evans, RANVR, rescued the Captain of the US vessel, PT109, (torpedo boat), LEUT John F. Kennedy, and his crew, on Wana Wana Island. The future President of the ...
Australian Naval History on 4 August 1943
Japanese bombers attacked HMAS COOTAMUNDRA, (corvette), and the merchant ship MACUMBA, off Thursday Island. ...
Australian Naval History on 3 August 1943
The GC was awarded to LEUT Hugh Randall Syme, GM and Bar, RANVR, for conspicuous bravery in bomb and mine disposal. ...
Australian Naval History on 2 August 1943
HMAS HOBART, (cruiser), underwent temporary repairs at Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides after being torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. Four of HOBART’S officers, and nine other ranks, were killed. ...
Australian Naval History on 31 July 1943
The Brisbane based USS GUARDFISH, (submarine), landed a survey party in Japanese occupied territory on the west coast of Bougainville. The Fremantle based USS GRAYLING, (submarine), landed a ton of ...
Australian Naval History on 25 July 1943
HMA Ships GAWLER, IPSWICH, LISMORE, and MARYBOROUGH, were on anti submarine patrol off Syracuse, Sicily, when the Luftwaffe attacked the city, shipping in the harbour, and the anti-submarine patrol. IPSWICH ...
Australian Naval History on 24 July 1943
The seine trawler June commissioned in the RAN as HMAS June. She was renamed HMAS Winter in October 1943 to avoid confusion with the minesweeper HMAS Junee HMAS HAWKESBURY was ...
Australian Naval History on 24 July 1943
HMAS HAWKESBURY, (frigate), was launched at Mort’s Dock, Sydney. ...
Australian Naval History on 20 July 1943
HMAS HOBART was torpedoed by the Japanese submarine I-G011, while steaming to Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides. The torpedo struck aft on the port side causing considerable damage in ...
Australian Naval History on 13 July 1943
HMAS AUSTRALIA, (cruiser), was the only Australian ship engaged in the second battle of Kolombangara, Solomon Islands. HMA Ships GERALDTON, CAIRNS, CESSNOCK, and WOLLONGONG, (minesweepers), patrolled off the beaches of ...
Australian Naval History on 12 July 1943
HMAS STRAHAN, (minesweeper), was launched at Newcastle, NSW. ...
Australian Naval History on 10 July 1943
The invasion of Sicily, (Operation Husky), began. Among the escort ships for the troop convoys were HMA Ships CAIRNS, CESSNOCK, GAWLER, GERALDTON, IPSWICH, LISMORE, MARYBOROUGH, and WOLLONGONG, (corvettes). Over the ...
Australian Naval History on 9 July 1943
HMAS GAWLER, (minesweeper), escorting a convoy for the invasion of Sicily, (Operation Husky), dropped back to investigate a transport which had fallen behind. GAWLER signalled ‘Follow father’. At first light ...