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You are here: Home / Archives for Article topics / Naval history / History - WW2

History - WW2

Letters – Operational Snakecraft

Letter Writer · Dec 19, 1989 ·

On reading the recent publication “Fair Winds to Australia”, author Mr Lew Lind, and subsequent article regarding Services Reconnaissance Department in Naval Historical Review (December 1988), I feel obliged to inform Mr ...

The Loss of the SS Ceramic – December 1942

Gordon, John · Sep 16, 1989 ·

This account is written from memory, after reading it in “We Captured a U-Boat” by Rear Admiral Gallery, USN. First published in about 1960. The Ceramic was sunk about 400 ...

Pages: Page 1 Page 2

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

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

Services Reconnaissance Department Memorial

Lind, L.J. · Dec 10, 1988 ·

Perhaps the least known of service memorials in Australia is that to the Services Reconnaissance Department which is located on Garden Island, Western Australia. It is appropriate the memorial has ...

Changi and the HMAS Perth Survivors

Thomson, Max · Mar 16, 1988 ·

HMAS PERTH SURVIVORS probably never got to hear about it! Even today, they are probably still unaware. But they were the subject of a special request tabled to authorities when ...

Pages: Page 1 Page 2

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

HMAS Platypus & The Darwin Raid – 1942

Gale, Lieutenant Commander M.B. , VRD, RANR (Retd.) · Jun 11, 1987 ·

THE PLATYPUS (Plats) was a WWI submarine depot Ship which, together with five ‘J’ class submarines, was presented by the RN to the RAN in 1919. She was later paid ...

Pages: Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7

Wartime Submarine Service

Piggott, Lieut. Cdr. F.M., RD, MNI, RNR. Rtd., · Mar 11, 1987 ·

Recollections of Lieut. Cdr. Piggott of his wartime service in submarines. PRIOR TO WORLD WAR II and general hostilities I had been serving as an officer in the Merchant Service ...

Pages: Page 1 Page 2

HMAS Perth POW – Moji Maru Incident

Bee, W.A. ("Buzzer") · Mar 11, 1987 ·

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN TWO MONTHS since our group arrived in Singapore from Java when the news was received that we were on the move again. Although rumours were strong ...

Pages: Page 1 Page 2 Page 3

Perth and the Aftermath

Noble, SBA A.M. · Jun 9, 1986 ·

SBA Noble joined HMAS Perth three months before she sunk. His story is simple and frank but reflects the hardships suffered by her survivors. For his work in attending the ...

Pages: Page 1 Page 2 Page 3

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 ...

HMAS Platypus in Darwin during blitz 19 February 1942

Ireland, G.W. · Mar 24, 1985 ·

HMAS PLATYPUS was built in England during WWI as a Submarine Tender to the ’J’ class Submarines and as such she had workshops, oil stowage and storage for torpedoes. Platypus ...

Naval Chapel Windows for Cruisers Unveiled

Zammitt, Alan · Dec 9, 1984 ·

On October 21st, 1984, the 40th Anniversary of the Battle of Leyte, the Naval Dockyard Chapel at Garden Island had standing room only, as ex-Naval men and their families (some ...

Pages: Page 1 Page 2

Richelieu – The Ship That Never Fought

Slocombe, George · Sep 9, 1984 ·

THIS IS ONE of the most tragic stories in the history of naval warfare. It is the story of the Richelieu, the fighting ship that never fought. The Richelieu was ...

Pages: Page 1 Page 2

Prisoner of War Rescues

Whyte,Sam · Sep 9, 1984 ·

IMMEDIATELY AFTER the surrender ceremony aboard the USS Missouri on the 2nd of September 1945, steps were taken for the rescue and repatriation of prisoners of war from Japanese prison ...

Pages: Page 1 Page 2

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 ...

Gunboats on the Yangtse: 1920 to 1937

Taylor, R.A. CPO, RN · Mar 6, 1984 ·

A transcript of an address presented to The Naval Historical Society of Australia by CPO R.A. Taylor, RN. TO DESCRIBE CHINA in any form of speech, with all its complexities ...

Pages: Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4

Book Review: Yield Not To The Wind

Book reviewer · Mar 21, 1983 ·

Yield Not To The Wind By: Margaret Clarence. Published by the author This is an easy book to read, as the subject is extremely interesting, and once you pick it ...

HMNZS Irirangi – NZ Naval Base

Tonson, A.E. · Jun 1, 1982 ·

THE ENTRY OF THE JAPANESE into the war in 1941 brought unexpected communication problems for New Zealand, for there had previously been no major war in the South Pacific region. ...

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

Burra Bra — Ferry and Warship

Gillett, Ross · Mar 23, 1981 ·

A SLEEK PASSENGER FERRY for the Sydney to Manly service was launched at the shipyards of Morts Dock & Engineering Co. Ltd., Woolwich, New South Wales, on 17th June 1908. ...

Bomb Alley, 1942

Max Darling, RANVR · Jun 23, 1980 ·

IN 1942 THE BOMB ALLEY of this story extended 400 miles along the central Mediterranean with every mile within 30 minutes of enemy airfields. At the eastern end the strategically ...

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