The Japanese submarine I-26 torpedoed the merchant vessel KOWARRA off Sandy Cape, NSW. ...
Australian Naval History on 20 April 1943
USS CANBERRA, (cruiser), was launched at Quincey, USA, by Lady Dixon, wife of the Australian Minister to the USA. The ship was named in honour of HMAS CANBERRA, (cruiser), lost ...
Australian Naval History on 15 April 1943
Japanese bombers attacked naval installations at Darwin, NT. The bombers were met by strong fighter defence. HMS MAJESTIC which later was commissioned as HMAS MELBOURNE, was laid down at Barrow-in-Furness, ...
Australian Naval History on 14 April 1943
HMA Ships KAPUNDA, WAGGA, and WHYALLA, (minesweepers), fought off repeated attacks by 100 Japanese aircraft at Milne Bay, New Guinea. ...
Australian Naval History on 11 April 1943
The Japanese submarine I-177 torpedoed the Yugoslav merchant ship RECINA, 19 miles off Cape Howe. Nine survivors were picked up by HMAS MORESBY, (survey ship). The minesweeper HMAS PIRIE, (LCDR ...
Australian Naval History on 10 April 1943
LEUT L. V. Goldsworthy, RANVR, recovered ground, magnetic and acoustic mines from ports in England. He was awarded the GC for his bravery and gallantry in rendering safe mines between ...
Australian Naval History on 3 April 1943
HMAS STAWELL, (minesweeper), was launched at Williamstown Dockyard, VIC. ...
Australian Naval History on 28 March 1943
Australian transports BANTAM and MASAYA were sunk by Japanese dive bombers at Oro Bay, New Guinea. BANTAM was later salvaged and towed to Sydney. ...
Australian Naval History on 24 March 1943
The Bathurst class minesweeper, (corvette), HMAS FREMANTLE, (LEUT A. N. Boulton, RANR(S)), was commissioned. FREMANTLE was laid down in Evans Deakin Yard, Brisbane, on 11 February 1942, and launched on ...
Australian Naval History on 23 March 1943
Task Force 74 was constituted at Challenge Bay. It consisted of Task Group 74-1, HMA Ships AUSTRALIA and HOBART, (cruisers), and Task Group 74-2, HMA Ships ARUNTA and WARRAMUNGA, (destroyers), ...
Australian Naval History on 22 March 1943
The Bathurst class minesweeper (corvette), HMAS GLADSTONE, (LEUT J. W. Penny RANR(S)), was commissioned. GLADSTONE, was laid down in Walker’s Yard, Maryborough, QLD, on 4 August 1942, and launched on ...
Australian Naval History on 21 March 1943
HMAS QUICKMATCH, (destroyer), escorted the former RAN seaplane carrier, HMS ALBATROSS from Durban to Madagascar. ...
Australian Naval History on 20 March 1943
The examination vessel HMAS ELLAN, was commissioned. ELLAN was laid down in 1942, and requisitioned from her owner W. F. Hobson, Sydney. ...
Australian Naval History on 1 March 1943
Stoker Cecil Stokes of HMAS PERTH, dies from Malaria on the Thai Burma Railway. He was the first PERTH survivor to succumb to disease and ill treatment during the construction ...
Australian Naval History on 25 February 1943
General Patch, Commanding General at Guadalcanal, signalled the Australian Coastwatchers: “Your magnificent and courageous work has contributed in great measure to success of operations on Guadalcanal”. ADML Turner, Commanding US ...
Australian Naval History on 22 February 1943
Convoy Pamphlet, consisting of the super liners QUEEN MARY, AQUITANIA, ILE DE FRANCE and NIEUW AMSTERDAM, and the armed merchant cruiser QUEEN OF BERMUDA, sailed from Fremantle to the Middle ...
Australian Naval History on 20 February 1943
HMAS GASCOYNE, (frigate), was launched at Mort’s Dock, Sydney, and HMAS ATARAT, (minesweeper), was launched at Evans Deakin, QLD. ARARAT was the only Australian minesweeper to bear a ‘K’ pennant ...
Australian Naval History on 12 February 1943
CMDR G. G. O. Gatacre, DSC, RAN, was awarded a Bar to the DSC for conspicuous gallantry while serving in HMAS AUSTRALIA during the Battle of the Solomon Islands. LEUT ...
Australian Naval History on 10 February 1943
HMAS WARRAMUNGA, (Tribal class destroyer), picked up survivors from the merchant-ship STARR KING, torpedoed and sunk by the Japanese submarine I-21 east of Sydney. ...
Australian Naval History on 8 February 1943
HMA Ships TOWNSVILLE and MILDURA, (corvettes), were escorting a convoy when the Japanese submarine I-21, (CAPT Matsumura), torpedoed the Australian merchant ship IRON KNIGHT, off Montague Island, NSW. Some survivors ...
Australian Naval History on 5 February 1943
Reverend L. N. Kentish, Methodist missionary, was executed by Japanese troops on Dobo Island in the Arafura Sea. The Japanese rescued Kentish from the sea after HMAS PATRICIA CAM was ...
Australian Naval History on 2 February 1943
HMAS MANOORA returned to service after conversion from an armed merchant cruiser to a landing ship, infantry. HMAS WHYALLA, (minesweeper), bombarded Japanese fortifications at McLaren Harbour, New Guinea. ...
Australian Naval History on 1 February 1943
HMS WELSHMAN, (minelayer), was sunk off Crete. LCDR L. Gellatly, DSC, RAN was serving in the ship when she was lost, but he survived the sinking. He had been awarded ...
Australian Naval History on 29 January 1943
HMAS KURU, (patrol vessel), rescued 16 survivors of HMAS PATRICIA CAM from Marchinbar Island in the Arafura Sea. ...
Australian Naval History on 28 January 1943
The examination vessel HMAS JOHN OXLEY was commissioned. JOHN OXLEY was laid down in Bow, McLachlan & Co, Paisley, Scotland, in 1927, and requisitioned from her owners, the Queensland Government ...
