On This Day
1940 > WW2
On This Day - 1940
- November 28, 1940
The N class destroyer HMAS NAPIER, (CAPT S. H. T. Arliss, RN, CAPT(D), 7th flotilla), was commissioned. NAPIER was laid down in Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering co Ltd, Govan, Scotland, on 26 July 1939, and launched on 22 May 1940. CAPT Arliss was the brother of the actor George Arliss.
- November 27, 1940
Australian troop convoy US 7 departed Fremantle with Polish liner BATORY (14287grt) and British liners ORION (23371grt), STRATHMORE (23428grt), STRATHEDEN (23722grt), escorted by HMAS PERTH. HMAS CANBERRA joined the convoy on the 28th and escorted it until 3 December when she returned to Fremantle.
- November 22, 1940
HMAS CANBERRA, (cruiser), picked up three boatloads of survivors from the merchant ship PORT BRISBANE, in the Indian Ocean. PORT BRISBANE was sunk by the German raider PINGUIN.
- November 20, 1940
HMAS GOORANGAI, (auxiliary minesweeper), was sunk in a collision with the liner DUNTROON, in Port Phillip Bay, VIC. The full complement of 24 from GOORANGAI were lost. This was the first RAN loss of WWII.
- November 16, 1940
HMAS GOULBURN, (minesweeper), was launched at Cockatoo Island, Sydney.
HMAS SYDNEY, (CAPT J. Collins, RAN), took part in troop transport operations to Greece.
- November 14, 1940
The following awards were made to the crew of HMAS STUART for the sinking of the Italian submarine GONDAR:- DSO: LEUT N. J. M. Teacher, RN; DSC: LEUT J. G. Griffin, RANVR; LEUT T. S. Cree, RANVR; DSM: PO R. A. H. MacDonald; PO L. T. Pike;
- November 12, 1940
The auxiliary patrol vessel HMAS VIGILANT, was commissioned. VIGILANT was laid down in Cockatoo Island Dockyard, Sydney, and launched on 12 February 1938. She was renamed SLEUTH in April 1944, and HAWK on 13 March 1945.
HMAS SYDNEY, with HMS Orion, HMS Nubian and HMS Mohawsk attacked an Italian convoy of four merchant vessels and two destroyers, north of Otranto. All four merchant ships were sunk, and the destroyers were driven off. When SYDNEY rejoined the Mediterranean Fleet, the C-in-C, ADML A. B. Cunningham, signalled:- ‘Did you have a wild Australian night?’
- November 11, 1940
The cruiser HMAS SYDNEY, (CAPT J. Collins, RAN), joined in a raid into the Straight of Otranto, with HM Ships ORION and AJAX, (cruisers), NUBIAN and MOWHAWK, (destroyers), as a subsidiary raid to the Battle of Taranto. They sunk 4 merchant ships, without damage to any of the raiding force.
- November 9, 1940
HMAS ORARA, (minesweeper), picked up three boatloads of survivors from the mined merchant ship CAMBRIDGE, off Wilsons Promontory, VIC.
- November 7, 1940
HMA Ships SYDNEY, (cruiser), VAMPIRE and WATERHEN, (destroyers), landed troops and stores at Suda Bay, Crete.