On This Day

1940 > WW2

June 9, 1940

LEUT G. L. Fowle, RAN, commanded the former Dutch schuyt HMS DOGGER BANK, in the evacuation of troops from Cherbourg and St Malo. He later brought out civilians from the Channel Islands, hours before the German occupation. Fowle was later awarded the DSC for gallantry while serving in HMAS HOBART, (cruiser), in the Philippines.

June 3, 1940

HMAS VENDETTA, (destroyer), commenced a long refit at Malta. During this time her ships company were loaned to the Army, and became part of the force ready to repel a possible invasion of the island by enemy forces.

May 31, 1940

Convoy US3, escorted by HMA Ships CANBERRA and AUSTRALIA, (cruisers), headed north from Cape Town.

May 27, 1940

The 19th Destroyer Division (Stuart (I), Vampire, Voyager (I), Vendetta (I) and Waterhen (I)) and the 20th Destroyer Division (HM Ships Dainty, Diamond, Decoy and Defender) combined to form the 10th Destroyer Flotilla under the command of Commander Hec Waller.

May 26, 1940

The cruiser HMAS SYDNEY, (CAPT J. A. Collins, RAN), joined the 7th Cruiser Squadron operating in the Mediterranean.

LEUT F. N. Cook, RAN, was rescued from the sea off Narvik, following the sinking of his ship, HMS CURLEW, (anti-aircraft cruiser), by German bombers. This was LEUT Cook’s second sinking in less then a year. He was also a survivor from the sinking of HMS ROYAL OAK, (battleship), which had been sunk at Scapa Flow, Scotland, by a German U-Boat, (U-47), in October 1939.

May 22, 1940

The cruiser HMAS SYDNEY, (CAPT J. A. Collins, RAN), arrived at Aden, en-route to the Mediterranean. During the ship’s passage from Sydney, she had struck, and cut in half, a whale.

HMAS NAPIER, (destroyer), was launched at Fairfield’s Yard, England.

HMS MELBOURNE, (armed trawler), was sunk by German aircraft during the battle for Narvik, Norway. The battle honour ‘Narvik’ is now carried by all RAN ships to carry the name MELBOURNE.

May 21, 1940

The Australian Government approved the building of the Captain Cook Graving Dock between Potts Point and Garden Island Navy Base, Sydney.

May 20, 1940

HMS SHROPSHIRE, (cruiser), relieved HMAS CANBERRA, (cruiser), as escort for troop convoy US3, in the Indian Ocean. SHROPSHIRE was commissioned into the RAN as a replacement for CANBERRA in 1943.

May 17, 1940

The Australian War Cabinet accepted the Admiralty offer of HMS CERES and HMS COLOMBO, (cruisers), for service in Australian waters. The decision was reversed a week later.

May 15, 1940

HMA Ships CANBERRA and AUSTRALIA, (cruisers), were escorting convoy US3, when about halfway between Fremantle and Colombo, The British Admiralty ordered it alter course for Britain via the Cape Town.

May 12, 1940

Australian Troop Convoy US.2 was met off Aden on the 12th by HMAS Hobart and destroyers HMS Decoy and HMS Defender. HMAS Sydney departed Colombo to join convoy US.3 in the area of the Coco Islands but was recalled to Colombo to sail for the Mediterranean.

May 9, 1940

PO Augustus Joseph Fisher,  RAN , SN 14400, was awarded the DSM for daring, endurance, and resource, while serving in HM Submarine TRUANT. Fifteen months later he was MID for skill and enterprise in the same submarine.

May 7, 1940

Destroyers Vendetta, Voyager, Waterhen departed Malta as escorts for HMS Warspite. They arrivd at Alexandria on the 10th

May 5, 1940

Australian troop convoy US3, consisting of liners QUEEN MARY, AQUITANIA, EMPRESS OF JAPAN, EMPRESS OF BRITAIN, MAURETANIA, and ANDES, escorted by HMA Ships CANBERRA and PERTH, and HMS LEANDER, sailed from Sydney.

May 4, 1940

HMAS KANGAROO, (boom defence vessel), was launched at Cockatoo Island, Sydney.

May 1, 1940

ANZAC troop convoy US.3 departed Wellington with troopships Aquitania (45,647grt), Empress of Britain (42,348grt), and Empress of Japan (26,032grt), escorted by HMAS Australia and HMNZS Leander.

April 25, 1940

HMAS Sydney steamed around convoy US.2 flying the signal ”RAN congratulates AIF on ANZAC Day

April 24, 1940

The Cunard liner QUEEN MARY commenced conversion to a troop ship at Sydney.

April 22, 1940

Troop convoy US.2, with 5 troopships, left Fremantle, escorted by HMAS Sydney and HMS ships Ramillies

April 21, 1940

HMAS Adelaide left convoy US.2 after being part of escort with HMS Ramilies from Melbourne to Fremantle

April 19, 1940

HMAS Sydney joined the escort of Anzac convoy US 2 off Albany, and remained with the convoy until it reached the Cocos Island on 28 April and was replaced by French cruiser Suffren

April 13, 1940

HMAS SWAN, (sloop), intercepted the Norwegian ship SOLHEIM off Fremantle, and escorted the vessel into port.

HMAS HOBART, (cruiser), intercepted the Danish merchant vessel AFRIKA between Colombo and Aden. A prize crew steamed the ship to Colombo.

April 12, 1940

HMAS WESTRALIA captured Norwegian steamer FERNLANE (4310grt) north of Australia and sent her under a prize crew to Singapore.
HMAS MANOORA intercepted the Norwegian tanker HARBOR, and escorted her to Darwin.

April 9, 1940

AB A. Kennedy, RAN, survived the sinking of the destroyer HMS GURKHA by dive bombers off Norway. Kennedy was the only Australian in the crew.

April 8, 1940

The Grimbsy type escort sloop HMAS PARRAMATTA, (LCDR J.H. Walker, RAN), was commissioned. PARRAMATTA was laid down at Cockatoo Island Dockyard, Sydney, on 9 November 1938, and launched on 18 June 1939. Mrs G.A. Street, (wife of the Federal Minister for Defence), performed the launching ceremony.

HMAS VAMPIRE, (destroyer), took off the crew of the tanker BRITISH LORD, which had been disabled by German bombers north of Crete. The tanker was then safely towed safely to the port of Gavdhos.

HMS GLOWWORM, (destroyer), was sunk in a gallant but one sided fight against the German cruiser HIPPER, off the coast of Norway. AB R.E. Bampton, an RAN rating, was among those who lost his life when GLOWWORM was sunk.