HMAS QUIBERON was commissioned at Cowes, Isle of Wight. The auxiliary minesweeper HMAS MERCEDES, was commissioned. MERCEDES, (as HMS MEDUSA), was laid down in Taikoo Dockyard, Singapore, in 1913. The ...
Australian Naval History on 2 July 1942
HMA Ships AUSTRALIA, CANBERRA, and HOBART, joined the Allied Fleet for Operation Watchtower, the invasion of the Solomon Islands. ...
Australian Naval History on 1 July 1942
The unmarked POW transport MONTEVIDEO MARU, was torpedoed and sunk by USS STURGEON, (submarine), off Luzon, Philippines. Onboard were 1035 Australian POW’s, including 835 men from the 2/22 Infantry Battalion, ...
Australian Naval History on 30 June 1942
From the outbreak of WWII, to 30 June 1942, Australian naval dockyards fitted 288 merchant ships with defensive armament, 275 with para-vane mine protection gear, and degaussed 296 vessels. In ...
Australian Naval History on 29 June 1942
The Bathurst class minesweeper, (corvette), HMAS IPSWICH, (LCDR J.S. McBryde, RANR) was commissioned. IPSWICH was laid down in Evans Deakin Yard, Brisbane, on 6 March 1941, and launched on 11 ...
Australian Naval History on 26 June 1942
LCDR G. M. Haynes, RAN, commanded No. 828 Squadron, Fleet Air Arm, in attacks on Axis shipping in the Mediterranean. He was awarded the DSO for conspicuous gallantry in leading ...
Australian Naval History on 23 June 1942
HMAS BANGALOW, (survey tender), was commissioned. The vessel was also employed as minesweeper, and a troop transport, in forward areas. HMAS KAPUNDA, (minesweeper), was launched at Poole & Steel, Sydney. ...
Australian Naval History on 22 June 1942
RADM Muirhead Gould, reported that four Japanese midget submarines had entered Sydney Harbour on the night of 31 May-1 June. Examination of enemy records after the war, showed that only ...
Australian Naval History on 19 June 1942
HMAS LATROBE, (minesweeper), was launched at Mort’s Dock, Sydney. ...
Australian Naval History on 17 June 1942
The Bathurst class minesweeper, (corvette), HMAS CASTLEMAINE, (LCDR P. J. Sullivan, RANR(S)), was commissioned. CASTLEMAINE was laid down in Williamstown Dockyard, Melbourne, on 17 February 1941, and launched on 7 ...
Australian Naval History on 16 June 1942
Australian Coastwatcher SBLT Cornelius Lyons Page, RANVR, was captured by the Japanese on Tabar Island. Page was later executed. The tug HMAS ELWING was commissioned. ELWING was laid down in ...
Australian Naval History on 15 June 1942
HMAS NESTOR was severely damaged when near-missed by two heavy bombs, 100 miles north of Tobruk. NESTOR was an escort for the Operation Vigorous convoy to Malta. The destroyer was ...
Australian Naval History on 14 June 1942
HMA Ships NAPIER, NIZAM, NESTOR, and NORMAN, (destroyers), were subjected to ceaseless air attacks whilst escorting an eleven-ship eastern Mediterranean convoy, and were forced to turn back to Alexandria, well ...
Australian Naval History on 13 June 1942
RADM V. A. C. Crutchley, VC, DSC, RN, was appointed to command the Australian Squadron. He had been awarded his VC for services in HMS VINDICTIVE, during the raid on ...
Australian Naval History on 12 June 1942
The Japanese submarine I-24, torpedoed and sank the Panamanian steamer GUATEMALA, 40 miles north-east of Sydney. The crew of 51 were picked up by HMAS DOOMBA. ...
Australian Naval History on 11 June 1942
The Bathurst class minesweeper, (corvette), HMAS ARMIDALE, (LCDR D. H. Richards, RANR(S)), was commissioned. ARMIDALE was laid down in Mort’s Dock, Balmain, Sydney, on 1 September 1941, and launched on ...
Australian Naval History on 10 June 1942
CMDR J. C. R. Proud, CBE, VRD, RANVR, was appointed Director of FELO. This organisation conducted the propaganda war in the Pacific for the Allies. One of its first operations ...
Australian Naval History on 9 June 1942
The bodies of four crew members of the midget submarines sunk in Sydney Harbour were cremated with full military honours, at Rookwood Cemetery, Sydney. The ashes were later taken back ...
Australian Naval History on 8 June 1942
HMA Ships ARUNTA, KALGOORLIE, ROCKHAMPTON, DOOMBA, MORESBY, BINGERA, YANDRA, KYBRA, and WHYALLA were assigned to convoy escort duties from Sydney as a result of the Japanese raid on Sydney Harbour. ...
Australian Naval History on 7 June 1942
The Japanese submarine I-24 shelled the eastern suburbs of Sydney. On the same night I-21 shelled Newcastle. Damage in both attacks was negligible. ...
Australian Naval History on 6 June 1942
The Japanese submarine I-24 attacked the merchant vessel ECHUNGA, 17 miles south-east of Port Kembla, but was kept at bay by the ship’s gun, until HMAS KALGOORLIE, (corvette),arrived on the ...
Australian Naval History on 5 June 1942
Japanese Radio announced the loss of three midget submarines in an attack on Allied shipping in Sydney Harbour. ...
Australian Naval History on 4 June 1942
The Australian merchant ship IRON CROWN, was attacked and sunk by the Japanese submarine I-24, near Gabo Island. Loaded with manganese ore, the ship sank within a minute, and 37 ...
Australian Naval History on 3 June 1942
At 2200 hours the Australian coastal steamer AGE, came under attack from gunfire from a Japanese submarine, near Norah Head, NSW. The ship reached Newcastle without being hit. At midnight ...
Australian Naval History on 1 June 1942
During the attack on Sydney Harbour by Japanese midget submarines, a torpedo fired by one of the submarines at USS CHICAGO, (cruiser), missed the target and struck the sea wall ...
