On This Day

1941 > WW2

November 19, 1941

HMA Ships HOBART NAPIER and NIZAM, (destroyers), supported the Battle Fleet in the bombardment of key German and Italian defences in the Halfaya Pass, Libya.

The cruiser HMAS SYDNEY, (CAPT J. Burnett, RAN), was lost with all hands, (41 RAN officer, 1 RAAF officer, 592 RAN ratings, 2 RN ratings, 4 NAAFI personnel, 5 RAAF aircrew), in an engagement with the German raider KORMORAN, approximately 130 miles off the coast of WA (26-34S, 111-00E). KORMORAN sank soon after the battle, but her captain and 314 other crew survived. Both wrecks were discovered in March 2008 off the WA coast.

SBLT R. J. Hardstaff, RAN, was serving in HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH, (battleship), when she and HMS VALIANT were sunk by Italian frogmen-charioteers in Alexandria Harbour. He was serving in HMAS HOBART when she was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in 1943.

November 17, 1941

The cruiser HMAS SYDNEY, (CAPT J. Burnett, RAN), handed over the escort of the troop ship ZEALANDIA, to HMS DURBAN in Sunda Strait.

November 15, 1941

HMAS CANBERRA, (cruiser), was damaged in a collision with the transport KATOOMBA, at Fremantle, WA.

HMAS VAMPIRE, (destroyer), was damaged in a collision with the steamer PERAK, off Keppel Harbour, Singapore. VAMPIRE, which had just completed a long refit, returned to the dockyard for repairs.

November 13, 1941

HMS ARK ROYAL, (aircraft carrier), was torpedo by the German submarine U81, 25 miles east of Gibraltar. LEUT V. A. T. Smith, RAN, was awarded the DSC for outstanding service in the ship, between April 1941, and the date of the sinking. Smith was an observer in the carrier, and was shot down twice by German aircraft during operations in the Mediterranean.

November 11, 1941

HMAS SYDNEY, (cruiser), sailed on her last voyage as escort to the transport ZEALANDIA.

November 3, 1941

LEUT Ashley-Brown, while commanding a boat from HMAS AUSTRALIA, (cruiser), found the abandoned French sealing vessel L’ESPERANCE, grounded on Cat Island in the Kerguelen Group. The ship had been abandoned in a hurry, and a large hole had been blown in her bottom by a German demolition charge. Three graves were found on the beach nearby.

HMA Ships NAPIER and NIZAM, (destroyers), landed troops of the British 50th Division at Famagusta, Cyprus.

November 1, 1941

HMAS AUSTRALIA arrived at Desolation Island to search for a German raider. The cruiser laid a minefield before departing. Post-war records showed the island had been used by the raider ORION for a refit, some time before AUSTRALIA’s visit.

CMDR A. S. Rosenthal, RAN, was awarded the DSO for outstanding gallantry while commanding HMAS NESTOR during Operation Substance, the passing of a convoy from the west to Malta, on 15 December

CMDR A. S. Rosenthal, RAN, was awarded a Bar to the DSO for the sinking of a German submarine in the Atlantic.

HMAS Ballarat (I) sailed for Jervis Bay to give anti-submarine protection to the transport Queen Mary. That ship and another giant liner of the Cunard Line, Queen Elizabeth, were to comprise Convoy US13 to the Middle East, the troops embarked being mainly from the 6th, 7th and 9th Australian Divisions

October 30, 1941

The cable repair ship HMAS INNISFAIL, was commissioned. INNISFAIL was laid down in Mackie & Thompson Ltd, Govan, Scotland, in 1912. She was requisitioned for the RAN, from her owners, Australian Steamships Pty Ltd, Melbourne, on 3 September 1941.

October 27, 1941

The destroyer HMAS NORMAN, (CMDR Henry Burrell, RAN), embarked a British Trade Union delegation at Archangel, Russia, for passage to England.

October 26, 1941

The Bathurst class minesweeper, (corvette), HMAS WOLLONGONG, (LEUT G. A. Keith, RANVR), was commissioned. WOLLONGONG was laid down in Cockatoo Island Dockyard, Sydney, on 29 January 1941, and launched on 5 July 1941. Mrs J. A. Beasley, (Wife of the Minister for Supply and Shipping), performed the launching ceremony.

October 24, 1941

CAPT H. M. L. Waller, DSO and Bar, RAN, was appointed to HMAS PERTH, (cruiser).

October 22, 1941

CAPT J. Burnett, RAN, informed the crew of HMAS SYDNEY, (cruiser), that a German raider was operating in Australasian waters. The identity of the raider, STIERMARK, (the original name of the KORMORAN), was known to the Australian Naval Board on 17 October 1941. CAPT Burnett concluded his address with an exhortation to his crew that he expected every man to be up to the highest pitch of training.

October 20, 1941

HMAS VENDETTA departed Alexandria for Singapore and passed through the Suez Canal on the 21st.
HMAS HOBART and HM Ships AJAX and GALATEA bombarded enemy batteries east of Tobruk.

October 17, 1941

HMAS CESSNOCK, (minesweeper), was launched at Cockatoo Island, Sydney. CESSNOCK was sold out of service in 1947, and was renamed NAN-AU

October 14, 1941

HMAS Lithgow swept a German mineoff Tasman Island

October 9, 1941

The Bathurst class minesweeper, (corvette), HMAS TOOWOOMBA, (LCDR P. H. Hurst, RAN), was commissioned. TOOWOOMBA was laid down in Walker’s Yard, Maryborough, QLD, on 6 August 1940, and launched on 26 March 1941.

The auxiliary minesweeper HMAS ORARA, was commissioned. ORARA was laid down in Kinghorn, Scotland, in 1907. She was requisitioned for the RAN, from her owners the North Coast Steam Navigation Co, NSW, in September 1939.

October 7, 1941

N. J. O. Makin became Minister for the Navy, succeeding W. M. Hughes.

HMAS CAIRNS, (minesweeper), was launched at Walker’s, QLD. The ship was transferred to the Royal Netherlands Navy in 1946, and renamed AMBON.

HMAS NORMAN, (destroyer), sailed for Sevdhisfjord, Iceland, to transport a British Trade Union Congress Delegation to Archangel, Russia.

October 6, 1941

HMAS BROOME, (minesweeper), was launched at Evans Deakin, QLD.

October 4, 1941

The German submarine U111 was sunk by HMS LADY SHIRLEY, (trawler), off the Canary Islands. Forty German prisoners were taken by the trawler. For outstanding courage in the action, the following awards were made:

• DSO – LCDR A. H. Callaway, RANVR
• DSC – LEUT I. Boucaut, RANVR.

HMAS GAWLER, (minesweeper), was launched at Whyalla, SA.

September 30, 1941

HMAS NESTOR, (destroyer), arrived at Devonport, England, for docking and repairs after being damaged by a premature depth charge explosion off Gambier. Several turbine feet were broken, and structural damage was sustained.

September 27, 1941

HMAS STUART, (destroyer), arrived home at Williamstown, VIC, for a refit

September 25, 1941

HMAS VOYAGER, (destroyer), arrived home at Sydney for a refit.

September 24, 1941

The auxiliary minesweeper HMAS WARRAWEE, was commissioned. WARRAWEE was laid down in 1909.

September 23, 1941

The Bathurst class minesweeper, (corvette), HMAS WARRNAMBOOL, (LEUT E. J. Barren, RANR(S)), was commissioned. WARRNAMBOOL was laid down in Mort’s Dock, Sydney, on 13 November 1940, and launched on 8 May 1941. The vessel was lost in 1946 while sweeping a minefield off Queensland.

September 21, 1941

The production of mines in Australia reached 3000 per year. Orders were received for 1500 for the Admiralty, 2500 for the RAN, 300 for New Zealand, and 100 for Noumea