On This Day
1941 > WW2
On This Day - 1941
- July 2, 1941
HMAS PERTH and HM Ships NAIAD, KANDAHAR, KINGSTON, HAVOCK, and GRIFFIN shelled French positions east of Damur. HMAS PERTH was attacked in error by British aircraft, but no damage resulted
- July 1, 1941
The examination vessel HMAS GERARD, was commissioned. GERARD, (as the schooner EDDA), was laid down in Kiel, Germany, in 1925. She was requisitioned for the RAN, from her owners, R Fricker & Co Ltd, Adelaide, on 5 April 1941.
- June 30, 1941
HMAS WATERHEN, (destroyer), was heavily damaged in a bombing attack by German aircraft, east of Tobruk. HMS DEFENDER, in going along side to pass a tow to WATERHEN, narrowly averted a collision with a surfaced German submarine. WATERHEN later rolled over and sank while under tow.
HMAS LAUNCESTON, (minesweeper), was launched at Evans Deakin Yard, Brisbane. The ship was transferred to the Turkish Navy in 1946, and renamed AYANCIK.
- June 29, 1941
HMAS WATERHEN, (destroyer), sailed on her 13th and last voyage to Tobruk. WATERHEN was sunk off Salum. ‘Chook’, as she was called by her crew, was attacked by dive bombers, but suffered no casualties.
- June 28, 1941
HMAS PERTH, (cruiser), in company with HM ships, bombarded Damur, Syria. PERTH destroyed an enemy gun battery and a wireless station.
- June 26, 1941
HMAS ROCKHAMPTON, (minesweeper), was launched at Walker’s Yard, Brisbane.
- June 24, 1941
HMAS PARRAMATTA, (sloop), picked up 164 survivors from HMS AUCKLAND, sunk by German dive bombers off Tobruk. They were escorting the small petrol carrier PASS OF BAHAMA to Tobruk.
- June 23, 1941
HMAS NIZAM, (destroyer), and HM Ships NAIAD, LEANDER, JAGUAR, and KINGSTON, engaged the French destroyers GUEPARD and VALMY, in a running battle 10 miles north of Beirut, Syria, (now Lebanon). The enemy vessels withdrew into port.
- June 18, 1941
The examination vessel HMAS SOUTHERN CROSS, was commissioned. SOUTHERN CROSS was laid down in 1933. She was requisitioned for the RAN from her owners the Melanesian Mission on 29 March 1941.
HMAS NIZAM, (destroyer), patrolled the coasts of Syria and Lebanon, in support of Australian advances on Damour.
- June 17, 1941
CAPT J. A. Collins, CB, RAN, was appointed Assistant Chief of Staff to the C in C, China.