On This Day
1941 > WW2
On This Day - 1941
- May 28, 1941
HMAS PERTH, (cruiser), embarked two landing barges, and sailed for Crete with HM Ships PHOEBE, CALCUTTA, COVENTRY, GLENGYLE, JERVIS, JANUS, and HASTY.
The auxiliary minesweeper HMAS BOMBO, was commissioned. BOMBO was laid down in 1930, and owned by Quarries Pty Ltd, NSW. She re-commissioned as a store-carrier on 27 January 1944.
HMA Ships NAPIER and NIZAM, (destroyers), with HM Ships KELVIN and KANDAHAR, landed stores and ammunition at Sfakia, Crete. The Australian ships evacuated over 400 troops. NAPIER landed LEUT L.M. Hinchliffe, RAN, as Beachmaster. LEUT Hinchliffe’s work as Beachmaster was recognised by the award of the DSC.
- May 27, 1941
The German battleship BISMARCK was sunk in the North Atlantic Ocean. HMAS NESTOR, (destroyer), was one of the ships involved in the hunt. Other RAN personnel, then serving in British warships, were also involved in the action, including LCDR G. G. O. Gatacre, RAN, who was serving in HMS RODNEY, (battleship). Gatacre was later awarded the DSC for his conspicuous gallantry in this action.
- May 26, 1941
HMA Ships VOYAGER and VENDETTA, (destroyers), along with HM Ships HEREWARD and DECOY, (destroyers), escorted the damaged HMS FORMIDABLE, (aircraft carrier), to Alexandria.
HMAS NIZAM, (destroyer), and HM Ships ABDIEL and HERO, landed reinforcements at Suda Bay, Crete. They also evacuated over 900 wounded troops on the same day.
- May 25, 1941
HMA Ships VENDETTA and VOYAGER, (destroyers), were part of the screen protecting the 1st Battle Fleet in its air strikes on Scarpanto, in the eastern Mediterranean. Aircraft from HMS FORMIDABLE launched attacks on the islands airfields, which were being used by the Germans to re-supply their troops on Crete.
- May 24, 1941
The sloop HMAS YARRA, (CMDR W. H. Harrington, RAN), was involved in the attack on Iraqi positions at Habib Shawi, and landed Gurkha troops to neutralize the position. On completion, the troops were re-embarked. HMAS NAPIER was sent to relieve destroyers and joined in a sweep. Four members of RAN killed when HMS Hood was sunk – HALL, David G, Ordinary Seaman (RANVR) HALL, George W, Ordinary Seaman (RANVR), SHANNON, John D, Ordinary Seaman (RANVR) and STARTUP, Ian G E, Ordinary Seaman (RANVR),
- May 23, 1941
HMA Ships STUART, VOYAGER, and VENDETTA were sent to help HMS FIJI reported sinking after aircraft attack.
Ordinary Seaman Ian Rhodes, a RAN Volunteer Reserve sailor, was awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal for courage in action when HMS Kashmir was sunk during operations to defend Crete. Ordinary Seaman Rhodes was part of the gun crew for the Aft Port Oerlikon gun. With the water rising up around the weapon as the ship sank, and under fire from German aircraft which strafed the ship and survivors already in the sea alongside, Ian Rhodes climbed up to the weapon on the other side of the ship and commenced returning fire, shooting down an aircraft. For his courage in action, he was awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal, the award for gallantry second only to the Victoria Cross for sailors, and the only Australian Sailor to receive the decoration during both world war.
HMAS WATERHEN delivered stores to Tobruk during the night of 23/24 May- May 22, 1941
Six ratings from HMAS YARRA, (sloop), disguised as Arab fishermen, carried out a daring reconnaissance of Maqil, Iraq. This was in preparation for Operation Scoop, which was the British invasion of Iraq to prevent the country siding with Germany.
HMAS PERTH, (cruiser), sank a caique loaded with troops, north of Crete, and together with HMAS NAIAD, (destroyer), engaged enemy destroyers. During the day the ship was under continuous German air attack. A signal was received from the C-in-C, Mediterranean, that night; ‘Stick it out. Navy must not let the Army down. No enemy force must reach Crete by sea’. In the next 24 hours the Luftwaffe sank two cruisers and two destroyers, and damaged two battleships and two destroyers.
- May 21, 1941
HMAS NIZAM, (destroyer), in company with HM Ships JERVIS and ILEX, bombarded enemy airfields at Scarpanto, which were being used by the Germans to re-supply their forces in Crete.
HMAS PERTH, (cruiser), fought off an attack by two German E-Boats, to the west of Crete.
- May 20, 1941
The Battle of Crete commenced, and lasted until 31 May, 1941. HMA Ships PERTH, STUART, VAMPIRE, VENDETTA, VOYAGER, WATERHEN, NAPIER and NIZAM, (destroyers), were all involved in evacuating Allied troops from the island. LEUT L. M. Hinchliffe, RAN, (from HMAS NAPIER), was landed at Sfakia Beach, and took control as the Beachmaster, and coordinated evacuations from that port. He was later awarded the DSC for his conspicuous service during this time.
- May 18, 1941
The sloop HMAS YARRA, (LCDR W. H. Harrington, RAN), provided close support for British troops landing at Basra, Iraq, during the Allied takeover of the country. HM Ships FALMOUTH, COCKCHAFER, EMERALD and LEANDER, were also involved in the landing.