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You are here: Home / Archives for Article topics / Battles and operations / WWII operations

WWII operations

History of Service – HMAS Shropshire

A.N. Other · Sep 23, 1989 ·

This was a pictorial article published in September 1983. The format of the original article doesn’t lend itself to the conventional format, so a PDF-format copy of the article is ...

History of Service – HMAS Canberra

A.N. Other · Sep 23, 1989 ·

This was a pictorial article published in September 1983. The format of the original article doesn’t lend itself to the conventional format, so a PDF-format copy of the article is ...

History of Service – HMAS Australia

A.N. Other · Sep 23, 1989 ·

This was a pictorial article published in September 1989. The format of the original article doesn’t lend itself to the conventional format, so a PDF-format copy of the article is ...

The First Battle of Savo Island 8/9 August 1942 – A Correction to the History

Date, John C., RANVR (Rtd) · Sep 16, 1989 ·

On the 8/9 August, 1942, a controversial naval battle took place in the Solomon Islands, South West Pacific. It was a rebounding success for the Japanese and a tragic loss ...

Pages: Page 1 Page 2

The Salvage of the USS New Orleans – 1942

Thomson, Max · Jun 14, 1989 ·

  Ships arrive off Sydney Heads under steam, under sail, under tow and even underwater in the case of submarines. But one ship arrived backwards! Amid dramatic circumstances, it was ...

HMAS Westralia – A brief summary of WW2 Service

Steele, Jock · Mar 12, 1989 ·

Requisitioning and Commissioning January 1940 HMAS Westralia was requisitioned and commissioned by the Commonwealth on 17th January, 1940 as an Armed Merchant Cruiser. Armament: 7 6-inch guns. Speed: 16 knots. ...

Pages: Page 1 Page 2

The War of Words

Thomson, Max · Mar 1, 1989 ·

Few things bugged wartime Australians more than censorship. When it came to news from the far-flung battlefronts where Australians in thousands were involved in the fighting, the lack of knowledge ...

Order of Battle at Midway

A.N. Other · Dec 13, 1988 ·

Japanese Forces 1. Battle Fleet (Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto) Battleships Yamato (flagship), Negato, Mutsu Light aircraft-carrier Hosho Light cruiser Sendai and 9 destroyers Seaplane-carriers Chivoda and Nisshin (transporting midget-submarines) Covering force ...

Pages: Page 1 Page 2

Vampire in the Med.

Stanton, Richard · Sep 27, 1988 ·

Thanks for printing my last article on the post-war Navy. A number of people spoke to me at the Anzac Day reunion about it and I have since had a ...

Pages: Page 1 Page 2

Warramunga to the Rescue of SS Starr King

A.N. Other · Mar 13, 1988 ·

DURING 1943 several Japanese submarines operated off the east coast of Australia. In all about 14 ships were torpedoed by these subs. Surface escorts for ships operating off the coast ...

Leyte: HMAS Shropshire and HMAS Arunta in the Battle of Surigao Strait

Date, John C., RANVR (Rtd) · Mar 13, 1988 ·

IN THE GREATEST SEA BATTLE of all time, near the Philippine Island of Leyte in 1944, overmatched ships fought desperately against three Japanese fleets to keep the hard-won beachheads open. ...

Pages: Page 1 Page 2 Page 3

Man Overboard! Warramunga Saga

Whyte,Sam · Dec 13, 1987 ·

A DREADED CRY, which all sailors hope and trust that they never hear. However it does happen and when it does, all crew members try their hardest to help and ...

Pages: Page 1 Page 2

Island Traders – Four and Twenty Dutchmen

Thomson, Max · Sep 13, 1987 ·

THEY WERE NOT WARSHIPS. They were not even Australian. Yet the contribution they made to Australia’s survival in the dark years of 1942 and 1943 when Japanese forces swept so ...

Pages: Page 1 Page 2

HMAS Waterhen – a history

A.N. Other · Sep 13, 1987 ·

THE LATTER STAGES of the Great War saw the introduction into the Royal Navy of a number of capable and high performance destroyers. To operate with these destroyers the Admiralty ...

Pages: Page 1 Page 2

Perth Survivor story

Bee, W.A. ("Buzzer") · Sep 11, 1987 ·

‘AND THE DAWN CAME UP LIKE THUNDER out of Java across the Bay’. These few words echoing an amended version of the famous song ‘On the Road to Mandalay’, seemed ...

Pages: Page 1 Page 2 Page 3

Strange Orders – in Strange Places

Thomson, Max · Jun 11, 1987 ·

Warships received some strange orders in some strange places during World War II. Midget Submarines and Human Torpedoes: Milne Bay was a pretty forlorn place in the early days of ...

Pages: Page 1 Page 2

Night of Shipboard Terror – HMAS Nizam

Newspaper, The West Australian · Jun 9, 1986 ·

Courtesy of The West Australian Tuesday, February 11, 1986 HUGH SCHMITT REPORTS on a little- known naval tragedy off the West Australian coast 41 years ago today. Able-bodied Seaman Derek ...

Pages: Page 1 Page 2

Sailing Ship Apprentice to Captain of the ‘Queens’

Thomson, Max · Mar 9, 1986 ·

MANY AN AUSSIE SERVICEMAN carved his initials on the wooden guardrail of the massive troopship Queen Mary. Indeed, when she was finally converted back to a luxury trans-Atlantic liner after ...

Pages: Page 1 Page 2

ML 817’s New Guinea Operations

Thomson, Max · Sep 24, 1985 ·

New Meaning put into the word Camouflage WARSHIP CAMOUFLAGE came in some weird and wonderful forms during WW II. But for one of the smaller ships of the RAN it ...

The War Cruises of I27 – Part 2

Bogart, Charles H. · Jun 15, 1985 ·

This history of the Japanese submarine I27 was written by United States member of the Society, Charles H. Bogart. I27’s operations are of particular interest to Australia as she participated ...

Pages: Page 1 Page 2 Page 3

The War Cruises of I27 – Part 1

Bogart, Charles H. · Mar 24, 1985 ·

This history of the Japanese submarine I27 was written by United States member of the Society, Charles H. Bogart. I27’s operations are of particular interest to Australia as she participated ...

Pages: Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6

Ruby Boye – Coastwatcher Heroine

Zammitt, Alan · Sep 9, 1984 ·

MRS. RUBY BOYE-JONES lived with her husband, Mr. Skov Boye, at Vanikoro, a small tropical island in the Santa Cruz group of the then British Solomon Islands Protectorate at the ...

Pages: Page 1 Page 2 Page 3

HMAS Manoora Enters the Pacific War

Chatto, A.K. · Jun 23, 1984 ·

Extracts from the War Diary of former member, the late A.K. Chatto HMAS MANOORA sailed from Sydney at 1800 Saturday, November 22 1941. After clearing the swept channel we took ...

The Ketty Brovig and Coburg Sinking 1941

Bevan, Captain R.H. , RN · Jun 9, 1984 ·

AT 1636 ON 4 MARCH 1941 an emergency report was received from HMAS Canberra’s aircraft of two unknown ships to the south-west steaming north. HMS Leander’s aircraft was at that ...

Pages: Page 1 Page 2

Lingayen Gulf Signals – 6 to 9 July, 1945

A.N. Other · Mar 9, 1984 ·

From CTG 77.3 to Australia ‘Sorry the Hell Birds concentrated on you. My deep regrets for losses in the stout ship’s company.’ From Australia to CTG 77.3 ‘Thank you very ...

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