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You are here: Home / Archives for Article topics / Naval history

Naval history

Occasional Paper 9: THE SINKING OF HMAS ARMIDALE ON 1st DECEMBER 1942

A.N. Other · May 16, 2025 ·

The following address was delivered by Dr Kevin Smith OAM to members of the Naval Historical Society of Australia in Sydney 18 April 2017. In 1798 at the Battle of ...

Occasional Paper 8: THE GUSTAVO STEFANINI STORY

A.N. Other · May 16, 2025 ·

The following story was provided by Commander Stephen Youll, OAM RAN Retd in relation to the matter of the first RAN ship to sink a submarine in World War 2. ...

Occasional Paper 7: HMAS VAMPIRE MEMORIAL ADDRESS 9 APRIL 2017

Editorial Staff · May 16, 2025 ·

On 9 April 1942, HMAS VAMPIRE (I) was sunk by Japanese bombers in the vicinity of Batticaloa, Ceylon (Sri Lanka) with the loss of eight lives.  This action was commemorated ...

Occasional Paper 6: Royal Australian Navy Ships Honour Roll

Editorial Staff · May 15, 2025 ·

Given the 75th anniversary commemoration events taking place around Australia and overseas in 2017 to honour ships lost in the RAN’s darkest year, 1942 it is timely to reproduce the ...

Occasional Paper 5: Ken Brown:  Service in HMAS Nestor

A.N. Other · May 15, 2025 ·

  By Warrant Officer Martin Grogan SBLT Ken Brown, RAN Mr Ken BROWN (aged 95) a retired RAN Lieutenant Commander and World War Two veteran was recently awarded the British ...

Occasional Paper 4: Naval Historical Society of Australia PRESENTATION– 26 SEPTEMBER 2016 HMAS MELBOURNE II

A.N. Other · May 15, 2025 ·

By Tom de Voil Introduction I recently had a brief article about HMAS MELBOURNE, the aircraft carrier, published and consequent on that I was asked to give this talk. It ...

Occasional Paper 3: TOBRUK – THE LIFTING OF THE SEIGE

Editorial Staff · May 15, 2025 ·

December 9, 2016 is the 75th anniversary of the lifting of the siege of Tobruk, the port on the north coast of Libya, that proved such a thorn in Rommel’s ...

Occasional Paper 2: Operation DAMASK – HMA Ships BRISBANE and SYDNEY  

A.N. Other · May 15, 2025 ·

The following story was contributed by Hugh Hyland.  Hugh worked for the variously named Defence departments for over 50 years until retiring in December 2015.  He held numerous positions in ...

Occasional Paper 1: Battle of Australia Day Commemoration – Sydney 7 Sep 16

A.N. Other · May 15, 2025 ·

By Commander Rebecca Jeffcoat  RAN Distinguished Guests, Ladies andGentlemen First I would like to acknowledge the Gadigal people, the Traditional Custodians of this Land on which we are gathered, and ...

Occasional Paper 193: The First Naval Dockyard of the Royal Australian Navy Cockatoo Island, Shipbuilding, 1870 to 1986

David Michael · May 7, 2025 ·

Cockatoo Island is the largest Island in Sydney Harbour and is located at the junction of the Parramatta and Lane Cove Rivers, about 3.7 km west of the Sydney Harbour ...

Occasional Paper 192: Exploring a Diorama: The RAN Bridging Train at Suvla Bay during the Gallipoli Campaign

A.N. Other · May 7, 2025 ·

By Geoff Barnes The following story by Geoff Barnes who created a diorama of the RAN Bridging Team at Suvla Bay in 1915 was first published as a blog by ...

Occasional Paper 191: Aviation in the Royal Australian Navy, the first 65 Years, 1917 to 1982

Editorial Staff · Mar 1, 2025 ·

Sopwith Pup from HMAS Sydney with HMAS Melbourne in the background

The following story is based on a Royal Australian Navy News story first published on Friday 23 April 1982, page 4. Australian Naval aviation this month celebrated the 65th anniversary ...

Occasional Paper 190: Captain Cook Graving Dock 80th Anniversary: Engineering and Art

Editorial Staff · Mar 1, 2025 ·

By Lorraine Fildes and Colin Randall This paper was compiled to mark the 80th anniversary of the opening of the Captain Cook Graving Dock at Garden Island in Sydney Harbour ...

The RAN and Cyclone Tracy 1974

David Stratton · Dec 26, 2024 ·

During the early hours of Christmas Day 1974, devastated the city of Darwin with winds in excess of 160 knots, killing 49 people ashore and a further 16 at sea. ...

Naval Art: Well Worth the Visit

David Michael · Dec 12, 2024 ·

This story was first published in the Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM) Volunteers’ quarterly magazine,  ‘All Hands’, Issue 129 in December 2024. The author, Geoff Barnes is a volunteer with ...

History of Australian Defence Landing Craft and the Balikpapan Class Landing Craft Heavy (LCH) 1971 – 2014

David Michael · Dec 12, 2024 ·

This Historical Booklet (Monograph 200) by Bjarne Kristensen was published by the Naval Historical Society of Australia in December 2024. This paper discusses the history of Australian Defence Amphibious vessels ...

Australian Submarines in the Cold War — A force Multiplier in the West

Dr Tom Lewis OAM · Dec 3, 2024 ·

This Historical Booklet (Monograph 199) by Dr Tom Lewis was published by the Naval Historical Society of Australia in September 2024. This paper discusses the role of the Royal Australian ...

Occasional Paper 188: Highlights of RAN History: Two Busy Decades 1950 to 1970

A.N. Other · Nov 12, 2024 ·

RAN Guided Missile Destroyers (DDG) HMA Ships Hobart, Peth and Brisbane. RAN image

The following is adapted from the Royal Australian Navy News, 17 April 1970 edition, page 4. 1950 to 1960 From1950 onwards the post-war tempo Naval growth quickened. The outbreak of ...

Bathurst Class Corvettes

David Stratton · Nov 10, 2024 ·

When war looked imminent after the Munich crisis in 1938, the Royal Australian Navy realised it needed a fleet of escort ships to guard convoys and keep the sea lanes ...

Book Review: Salt Horse

Kingsley Perry · Jun 2, 2024 ·

Salt Horse – Memoir of a Maverick Admiral, Claude Lionel Cumberlege. Published by Whittles Publishing Ltd, Dunbeath, Caithness KW6 6EG, Scotland. Admiral Claude Cumberlege RN wrote his memoirs in 1936-38, ...

The Naval Graves Project

Kingsley Perry · Jun 2, 2024 ·

By Kingsley Perry  In the December 2023 edition of this journal there was an article titled Rookwood. It described the location and extent of this large cemetery in Sydney and ...

Occasional Paper 185: Fiji Coup 1987 – RAN on the ground

A.N. Other · May 1, 2024 ·

By Commander David Jordan CSC RANR On 14 May 1987 the Military of Fiji took control of the country in a bloodless coup d’état. In response to the coup, the ...

Occasional Paper 184: History of HMA Naval Dockyard, Williamstown.

David Michael · Apr 4, 2024 ·

With the discovery of gold in Victoria in the decade 1851-1861, the population increased sevenfold. The large fleet of vessels that brought these people into the Port of Melbourne overwhelmed ...

Occasional Paper 183: The RAN Bridging Train – Dry Land Sailors

David Michael · Apr 4, 2024 ·

The Bridging Train which existed as a small but highly effective unit of the RAN operated essentially on dry land as field engineers between 1915 and 1917. They served with ...

Book Review: Abide With Me – The HMAS Voyager Tragedy

Kingsley Perry · Mar 23, 2024 ·

Abide With Me – The HMAS Voyager Tragedy by Elizabeth McCarthy This year marks the sixtieth anniversary of the collision between HMAS Melbourne and HMAS Voyager off the New South ...

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