On This Day
1941 > WW2
On This Day - 1941
- February 23, 1941
HMAS CANBERRA, (cruiser), passed within 100 miles of the German pocket battleship ADMIRAL SCHEER, while on patrol in the Indian Ocean.
- February 22, 1941
HMA Ships STUART and VAMPIRE, (destroyers), joined the 1st Battle Squadron screen for an operational sweep towards Rhodes.
- February 19, 1941
HMAS STUART was damaged by the near miss of a German bomb off Benghazi
- February 16, 1941
The German raider supply ship, OLE JACOB, was sighted by an Australian Sunderland flying boat in the Coral Sea. The sighting report was intercepted by the raider ORION, whose captain believed the aircraft was calling in HMAS STUART. Both enemy vessels escaped into the Indian Ocean.
- February 14, 1941
HMS SHROPSHIRE, (cruiser), later HMAS SHROPSHIRE, carried out a point-blank bombardment of enemy troop positions at Kismayu, Italian Somaliland.
- February 12, 1941
Australian troop convoy US.9 departed Fremantle with troopships AQUITANIA (44,786grt), MAURETANIA (35,739grt), NIEUW AMSTERDAM (36,287grt), QUEEN MARY (81,235grt) escorted by HMAS CANBERRA until 20/2/41 off Colombo
- February 11, 1941
HMAS STUART, (destroyer), picked up one survivor from the South African trawler SOUTHERN FLOE at night off Tobruk.
- February 10, 1941
HMAS SYDNEY arrived in her namesake city, Sydney, to an enthusiastic welcome. The Governor-General, Lord Gowrie, thanked the men on behalf of King George VI, and Sydney’s Lord Mayor unveiled a plaque on the quarterdeck, commemorating the victory over the Italian cruiser BARTOLOMEO COLLEONI. Every man in the crew received a replica of the plaque.
Three sailors from the minesweeper HMAS LISMORE drowned in Jervis Bay. They were returning to the ship in one of the ship’s boats that was swamped in heavy seas. Those who lost their lives were ERA Edward Dunn, AB John Irving, and AB Tom Lee.
- February 7, 1941
The Australian Prime Minister, Mr. R. G. Menzies, inspected HMA Ships PERTH, STUART, VAMPIRE, and VOYAGER at Alexandria, Egypt.
- February 5, 1941
HMAS SYDNEY arrived in Fremantle from the Mediterranean.
The destroyers HMAS Stuart and HMS Wryneck departed Alexandria for Tobruk where they were to land minesweeping gear. They arrived off Tobruk the next day in a heavy sandstorm but were able to land the minesweeping gear after which they departed for Alexandria.