On This Day

1940 > WW2

March 31, 1940

HMAS PERTH arrived at Sydney. She had departed the Caribbean on 2 March 1940 and passed through the Panama Canal on 3 March 1940.

March 27, 1940

HMAS STUART, (destroyer), salvaged the tanker TROCAS in heavy seas in the Mediterranean.

March 24, 1940

Volunteers from ships of Australia’s “Scrap Iron Flotilla”, in the Mediterranean, embarked on a mission to block the Danube River at a feature known as the Iron Gates. The operation was planned by DNI from a suggestion made by LCDR M. Minshall, RNVR, who had voyaged down the river on an intelligence mission shortly before the outbreak of hostilities. Coordinator for the operation was LCDR Ian Fleming, creator of the fictional hero James Bond. LCDR Fleming smuggled 14 tons of explosives across Europe on the Orient Express. The operation was discovered by German agents before the RAN-manned barges reached the target. In the withdrawal one barge loaded with explosives was detonated beneath a railway viaduct. All Australian members of the Commando-style mission succeeded in returning to their ships.

March 15, 1940

HMS KANIMBLA, largely manned by the RAN, seized Soviet steamer VLADIMIR MAIAKOVSKY (3972grt) in the Sea of Japan and took her into control because she was carrying a cargo of copper from the United States to Germany

March 14, 1940

HMS RAMILLIES, (battleship), was refitted at Garden Island Naval Dockyard, Sydney.

A. G. Cameron was appointed to the post of Australian Minister for the Navy.

February 29, 1940

HMS Kanimbla, largely manned by the RAN, arrived at Yokohama to release German technicians captured by HMS Liverpool on a Japanese ship. The Japanese liner ASAMA MARU had departed San Francisco on the 6/1/1940 with 51 German seamen from the crew of German liner COLUMBUS. On the 21/1/1940 HMS LIVERPOOL stopped her 35 miles off Nojima Zaki near Yokosuka and removed 21 German technicians. After strong protests from Japan and Germany nine were finally released.

February 17, 1940

HMAS HOBART, (cruiser), embarked eight Midshipmen at Aden for transfer to the battleship HMS RAMILLIES. One of the midshipmen was HRH Prince Philip of Greece, later to become the Duke of Edinburgh.

February 10, 1940

HMAS WARREGO, (sloop), was launched at Cockatoo Island, Sydney.

February 7, 1940

The boom working vessel HMAS KOALA, was commissioned. KOALA was laid down in Cockatoo Island Dockyard, Sydney, on 21 June 1939, and launched on 21 November 1939. Mrs Custance, (Wife of RADM W. N. Custance, RN), performed the launching ceremony.

February 5, 1940

The auxiliary anti-submarine vessel HMAS BINGERA, was commissioned. BINGERA was laid down in Denny Bros Ltd, Dumbarton, Scotland, in 1935, for the Australian Steam Navigation Co Ltd, and requisitioned for the RAN on 2 December 1939.

The auxiliary minesweeper HMAS BONTHORPE was commissioned. BONTHORPE was laid down in 1927 as a fishing trawler.

January 30, 1940

The troop convoy US1 reached Colombo. HMAS HOBART, (cruiser), joined the convoy as an escort, for part of the voyage.

January 20, 1940

The troop convoy US1, left Fremantle, escorted by HM Ships RAMILLES, (battleship), and KENT, (cruiser), and the French cruiser SUFFREN. Australia had refused a request to involve HMA Ships CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA, and SYDNEY, (cruisers), for fear of depleting defences in local coastal waters.

January 19, 1940

A rating in HMAS STUART, (destroyer), wrote: “I always count those early months in the Mediterranean before Italy came in as the worst period of the war. The Australian destroyers operated in exceptionally cold weather and high seas. Lifelines were rigged and the decks were buried in green water. Below decks was a chaos of floating clothes and gear”.

January 17, 1940

HMAS Westralia commissioned after conversion to Armed Merchant Cruiser.

January 15, 1940

The auxiliary patrol vessel HMAS ST. GILES was commissioned. ST. GILES was built in 1919 at Ferguson Bros. Scotland. In 1922 ST. GILES was purchased by J. & A. Brown of Newcastle, NSW, and brought to Australia. She was requisitioned for naval service in 1939.

January 12, 1940

The Australian tug HEROS, (escort vessel), was commissioned into the RAN. She was re-commissioned on 12 February 1943 as a naval salvage tug.

January 10, 1940

The first Australian and New Zealand troop convoy of the Second World War, US 1, sailed from Sydney for the Middle East. The escort consisted of HMA Ships CANBERRA and SYDNEY,(cruisers), and HMS RAMILLIES, (battleship).

The auxiliary minesweeper HMAS NAMBUCCA was commissioned. NAMBUCCA was built as a wooden coastal steamer by E. Wright, Tuncurry, NSW, for the North Coast Steam Navigation Co. NAMBUCCA was requisitioned for naval service on 7 November 1939. The ship was transferred to the USN on 19 April 1943.

January 3, 1940

HMA Ships VENDETTA and WATERHEN departed Marseilles escorting convoy K.6 consisting of  troopships ROHNA (8602grt), TAIREA (7933grt), DEVONSHIRE (11,275grt), DILWARA (11,080grt), RAJULA (8478grt) and TALAMBA (8018grt).

January 2, 1940

The 5 destroyers of the Scrap Iron flotilla were organised as the 19th Destroyer Division of the Mediterranean Fleet. They had arrived at Malta between the 17th and 24th of December 1939