On This Day

1919-1938 > Depresssion and between the wars

June 14, 1921

RADM John Saumarez Dumaresq, CB, CVO, was appointed Flag Officer Commanding His Majesty’s Australian Squadron.

April 25, 1921

A Royal Commission was constituted to investigate shipbuilding and ship repair at Garden Island and Cockatoo Island Naval Dockyards, Sydney.

April 23, 1921

HMAS MOMBAH, (coal storage vessel), was launched at Cockatoo Island, Sydney.

April 1, 1921

Flinders Naval Depot, (HMAS CERBERUS), was officially opened. This date is now accepted as the commissioning date for HMAS CERBERUS.

1921 HMAS PROTECTOR, (gunboat), was re-commissioned as HMAS CERBERUS, and posted to Flinders Naval Depot as a tender.

March 31, 1921

The RAAF was formed as a separate service, (created from the Australian Flying Corps, which was an Army unit formed in 1914). From then until 1948, when the Fleet Air Arm was formed, all pilots and aircraft maintenance staff in RAN warships were provided by the RAAF. The RAN however continued to provide observers, (navigators), and telegraphist air gunners, (known as TAG’s).

March 13, 1921

HMAS CERBERUS, (former HMC turret ship), was moved to Corio Bay, VIC, and was re-commissioned as HMAS PLATYPUS II, (submarine tender).

January 21, 1921

HMAS Melbourne was involved in the dramatic rescue of 18 people from the sinking US registered schooner Helen B Sterling. The Helen B Sterling had departed Newcastle in early January bound for San Francisco with a cargo of coal. The schooner encountered a storm north of New Zealand and began to sink. Fortunately the Helen B Sterling had a wireless onboard and sent out a distress call which was received by Melbourne, then on a deployment to New Zealand waters

January 4, 1921

The following ships were laid up in reserve in Sydney: HMA Ships ENCOUNTER, (cruiser), PARRAMATTA, YARRA, WARREGO, HUON, SWAN, and TORRENS, (destroyers), and MALLOW, (sloop).

November 10, 1920

HMS Verdun (destroyer) transported the body of the Unknown Warrior from France to England.

Correction:
November 2014 – This entry previously said that HMS Vendetta (later HMAS Vendetta) transported the body of the Unknown Warrior. This was incorrect.

 

November 1, 1920

The Ex-Navalmens Association was inaugurated in Melbourne, with approximately 100 members. In 1922, the China Naval Contingent Association, (which had been formed in 1901), was amalgamated with the Association. In 1960 the name was changed to The Naval Association of Australia, and currently has 90 sub-sections throughout Australia, and 52 Ship Associations which are affiliated with the Association.

October 1, 1920

The Hydrographic Department of the RAN was established under CAPT J F. Robins, RN.

September 30, 1920

HMAS Encounter paid off into reserve . She was assigned to the naval base at Garden Island as a depot ship in May 1923, and was renamed HMAS Penguin

September 1, 1920

Flinders Naval Depot was commissioned as a training establishment for the RAN. It was officially renamed HMAS CERBERUS in December 1962.

August 18, 1920

HMVS NELSON was broken up.

July 19, 1920

HMAS Torrens was paid off into reserve. The destroyer was relocated to Flinders Naval Depot in July 1924, and although not recommissioned, was used for the training of naval reservists. Torrens was later transferred to Port Adelaide, where she was again used for training until March 1925. The ship returned to Sydney on 11 May, with occasional use for reservist training. During the general reduction in naval activity imposed by lack of finance during the Great Depression, it was decided to scrap Torrens and her five sister ships. On 24 November 1930, after being stripped of useful materials, Torrens was towed outside Sydney Heads by the tug Heroic, and was used for gunnery target practice. The destroyer withstood considerable shelling before being scuttled by a charge of gelignite.

July 5, 1920

The fleet collier HMAS BILOELA, was commissioned. BILOELA was laid down in Cockatoo Island Dockyard, Sydney, 21 October 1918, and launched on 10 April 1919.

June 24, 1920

HMS STUART, (destroyer), operated with the British Fleet deployed in the Sea of Marmara, to put down a Turkish rebellion.

May 3, 1920

The RAN reached its highest peacetime strength. Metric Main SpeedShips Class Tonnage Armament (knots)AUSTRALIA Battle cruiser 19,507 30.5cm 25 SYDNEY Light cruiser 5486 15.2cm 25.5 MELBOURNE Light cruiser 5486 15.2cm 25.5 BRISBANE Light cruiser 5486 15.2cm 25.5 ENCOUNTER Light cruiser 5894 15.2cm 20 PIONEER Cruiser 2235 10.2 cm 20.5 PROTECTOR Gunboat 934 15.2cm 14 ANZAC Flotilla leader 1331 10.2cm 34 TASMANIA Destroyer 1092 10.2 cm 36 SWORDSMAN Destroyer 1092 10.2cm 36 SUCCESS Destroyer 1092 10.2cm 36 STALWART Destroyer 1092 10.2cm 36 TATTOO Destroyer 1092 10.2cm 36 PARRAMATTA Destroyer 711 10.2cm 26 YARRA Destroyer 711 10.2cm 26 WARREGO Destroyer 711 10.2cm 26 TORRENS Destroyer 711 10.2cm 26 HUON Destroyer 711 10.2cm 26 SWAN Destroyer 711 10.2cm 26 MALLOW Sloop 1219 5.5kg 16.5 MARGUERITE Sloop 1269 10.2cm 16.5 . GERANIUM Sloop 1269 10.2cm 16.5 FANTOME Gunboat 1087 1.4kg 13 COUNTESS OF HOPETOWN Torpedo boat 76 – -PLATYPUS Submarine depot ship 3531 11.9cm 15.5 UNA (ex KOMET) Sloop 1460 10.2 cm 16 J1 J2 J3 J4 J5 J6 J7 Submarines 1848 10.2cm gun 19 surface 45.7cm tubes 9.5 submergedAuxiliaries CERBERUS Coast defence 3220 25.4 cm 9 PENGUIN Depot ship 1147 4572 kg 11 TINGIRA (ex-SOBRAON) Training ship 2165 KURUMBA Oiler 4041 – 12FRANKLIN Yacht – – 12.5Under Construction ADELAIDE Light cruiser 5181 15.2cm 25.5 BILOELA Collier 5684 10.2cm 11

February 25, 1920

Navy Order 27 introduced an Australian code of discipline to the RAN. The order was issued as a consequence of the inquiry into a mutiny in HMAS AUSTRALIA in 1919.

February 19, 1920

HMAS SLEUTH, (patrol vessel), was sold out of service and renamed AURORA.

February 7, 1920

Major S. J. Goble, the RAN’s representative on the Commonwealth Air Board, recommended the adoption of Admiral Jellicoe’s proposals for an Australian Naval Air Service. The proposals allowed for one squadron of ship-borne seaplanes, a squadron of fighters, a squadron of torpedo bombers and 11.5 squadrons of flying boats.

January 28, 1920

The S class destroyer, HMAS TASMANIA, (LCDR H. O. Joyce, RN), was commissioned. TASMANIA was laid down in William Breadmore Yard, UK, on 23 November 1918.

January 27, 1920

The Marksman class destroyer, (flotilla leader), HMAS ANZAC, (CMDR S. H. Simpson, RN), was commissioned. ANZAC was laid down in Denny Bros. Yard, UK, on 11 January 1917. In 1919 ANZAC was gifted to the RAN along with five S class destroyers.

The S class destroyer, HMAS TASMANIA, (LCDR H. O. Joyce, RN), was commissioned. TASMANIA was laid down in William Breadmore Yard on 23 November 1918.

The S class destroyer, HMAS TATTOO, (LCDR A. M. Roberts, DSO, RN), was commissioned. TATTOO was laid down in William Breadmore Yard, UK, on 21 December 1918.

The S class destroyer, HMAS SWORDSMAN, (LCDR C. E. Hughes-White, DSC, RN), was commissioned. SWORDSMAN was laid down in Scotts Yard, UK, on 28 December 1918.

The S class destroyer, HMAS SUCCESS, (LEUT O. R. Wace, RN), was commissioned. SUCCESS was laid down in Doxford Yard, UK, on 29 June 1918.

The S class destroyer, HMAS STALWART, was commissioned. STALWART was laid down in Swan Hunter Yard, UK, on 23 October 1918.

January 14, 1920

The Australian Government constituted a temporary Air Board to advise the Minister for Defence on military aviation. Two naval officers were members of the Board.

December 20, 1919

After an exchange of messages between the Australian Government and the British Admiralty, it was announced that the balance of the sentences, handed down as a result of the mutiny on 1 June 1919 on board HMAS AUSTRALIA, (battle-cruiser), would be remitted.

This action led to the two most senior officers in the RAN, RADM Sir Edmund Grant, (First Naval Member of the Naval Board), and CDRE Dumaresq, (Commander of the Fleet), tendering their resignations.

Both officers withdrew their resignations and the matter ended there.