On This Day
1940 > WW2
On This Day - 1940
- July 17, 1940
HMAS FALIE, (transport and stores ship), was commissioned.
The cruiser HMAS SYDNEY, (CAPT J. A. Collins, RAN), returned from the fleet action in the central Mediterranean to Alexandria, was immediately readied for sea again, after being refuelled, ammunitioned, and having a bottom clean.
- July 15, 1940
The examination vessel HMAS KING BAY, was commissioned. KING BAY was laid down in Fremantle, WA, in 1938. She was requisitioned for the RAN on 8 July 1940, from her owners, Cossack Lightering and Trades Ltd, Perth, WA.
The examination vessel HMAS WONGALA, was commissioned. WONGALA was laid down in Norway in 1919 as the wooden steamer FANEFJORD. She later became HMAS WYATT EARP in November 1947.
- July 13, 1940
HMAS AUSTRALIA, (cruiser), joined the 1st Cruiser Squadron at Scappa Flow, Scotland.
- July 11, 1940
Gunner(T) Mr. J. H. Endicott, RN, in HMAS VAMPIRE, (destroyer), was killed in an Italian air attack on the ship. He was the RAN’s first battle casualty in WWII.
- July 9, 1940
HMA Ships SYDNEY, (cruiser), STUART, VAMPIRE, and VOYAGER, (destroyers), participated in the Battle of Calabria. The signal, ‘Enemy battle fleet in sight,’ was hoisted for the first time in the Mediterranean since the Napoleonic Wars.
HMAS NESTOR, (destroyer), was launched at Fairfield’s Yard, UK.
HMAS AUSTRALIA, (cruiser), left the Dakar force and proceeded to the Clyde.
- July 8, 1940
HMAS SYDNEY, (cruiser), came under air attack whilst preparing for the Battle of Calibria.
- July 7, 1940
HMAS SYDNEY, (cruiser), was straddled by a stick of bombs while operating with the Mediterranean Fleet. The C in C, ADML A.B. Cunningham, recorded in his journal: ‘On this day I saw the SYDNEY, which was in company, disappear in a line of towering pillars of spray as high as church steeples, to emerge unharmed’.
HMAS AUSTRALIA, (cruiser), and HM Ships DORSETSHIRE, (cruiser), and HERMES, (aircraft carrier), covered the attack on the French battleship RICHELIEU at Dakar, by a British Fleet. After a preliminary bombardment by guns of the fleet a motorboat entered the enemy harbour and dropped depth charges under the battleship’s stern, but because of the shallow water they failed to explode. A flight of torpedo bombers from HERMES then attacked the enemy battleship causing damage to her stern.
- July 6, 1940
LCDR O. Becher, RAN, was awarded the DSC for conspicuous gallantry in the evacuation of troops from Namsos, Norway, while serving in HMS DEVONSHIRE.
- July 4, 1940
HMAS NIZAM, (destroyer), was launched at John Brown’s, Yard, Scotland.
HMAS SYDNEY, (cruiser), engaged in the removal of the French fleet from the Mediterranean, records in her war diary, ‘Situation with French very critical’.
- July 1, 1940
HMAS HOBART, (cruiser), landed 687 officers and men of a Punjabi battalion at Berbera, to reinforce British Somaliland.