On This Day

1941 > WW2

August 2, 1941

HMAS VENDETTA, (destroyer), sailed on her 39th run to besieged Tobruk. The destroyer made more runs to Tobruk than any other British or Australian ships.

July 26, 1941

HMAS DELORAINE, (minesweeper), was launched at Mort’s Dock, Sydney.

July 24, 1941

C-in-C, Mediterranean, ADML A. B. Cunningham, signalled HMAS NESTOR:- ‘I hasten to add my congratulations and those of all in Force H. Another good piece of work by NESTOR. You have done so much for the common weal of substance’. NESTOR, (CMDR A. S. Rosenthal, DSO, RAN), stood by the damaged merchant ship SYDNEY STAR, which had been torpedoed by Italian E boats north of Pantellaria. Under continuous air attack and the threat of further E boat attacks, NESTOR went alongside the SYDNEY STAR, and took off 467 troops and her crew of 231. The transfer was hampered by a lifeboat snagged alongside; although it was dark LS R. J. Anderson and AB J. S. McLeod leapt into the water, and physically removed the boat, allowing the ships to come together for the transfer. The two sailors were awarded the DSM. NESTOR later took the merchant ship in tow, and for 72 hours fought off air and E boat attacks until Malta was reached. CMDR Rosenthal was awarded the DSO.

HMAS VOYAGER departed Alexandria to return to Australia. The destroyer passed through the Suez Canal on the 25th

July 23, 1941

The Bathurst class minesweeper, (corvette), HMAS MILDURA, (LEUT G. E. V. G. Owen, RANR (S)), was commissioned. MILDURA was laid down in Mort’s Dock, Sydney, on 23 September 1940, and launched on 15 May 1941.

July 22, 1941

Two torpedoes fired by a submarine under attack passed beneath HMAS NESTOR, (destroyer), in an action 70 miles north of Cape Bougaroni, North Africa.

July 21, 1941

The Naval Auxiliary Patrol was established as a formation of the RAN. A volunteer patrol had operated from Australian ports from the outbreak of WWII. In the first 10 days of the NAP’s existence, 450 men were enlisted. The vessels used by the patrol, peacetime pleasure cruisers, became known as ‘nappies’.

HMAS NESTOR, (destroyer), embarked troops and sailed from Gibraltar as an escort of Force H, bound for Malta.

July 18, 1941

HMAS HOBART relieved HMAS PERTH, in the Mediterranean and HMAS PERTH departed Alexandria to return to Australia.

VADM Sir Guy Royle, KCB, CMG, was appointed First Naval Member and Chief of Naval Staff.

July 17, 1941

HMAS WESTRALIA and merchant ships evacuated refugees from Naura Island. The crew of WESTRALIA also set a number demolition charges on infrastructure on the island.

July 16, 1941

HMAS HOBART joined the 7th Cruiser Squadron in the Mediterranean.

HMAS WESTRALIA and several merchant ships evacuated refugees from Ocean Island. The crew of WESTRALIA also set a number demolition charges on infrastructure on the island.

July 14, 1941

German bombers made a determined effort to close the Suez canal when they attacked Port Tewfik, at the southern end of the Suez Canal. The 28,000 ton merchant vessel Georgic, crowded with troops, was hit during the raid, catching fire. Hobart’s boats were ordered away and during the hours that followed her crew went alongside the burning troopship rescuing many of those onboard. The situation worsened when the captain of Georgic attempted to beach his stricken ship, colliding with the landing ship Glenearn in the process and setting it alight. Both ships later grounded. HMAS Hobart’s seamen continued to render assistance rescuing both embarked troops and the ship’s crews. Dawn revealed a scene of destruction with both ships locked together on the North Shoal. Flames and smoke still gushed from he troopship although the fire in Glenearn had been extinguished. Later that day a line was passed from Hobart to Glenearn and she was towed clear.

AB W. L. E. Danswan and AB T. W. Todd, from shore establishment HMAS TORRENS were the first men of the RAN to lose their lives as a result of direct enemy action on Australian soil. They were killed while attempting to render safe a German mine washed ashore at Beachport, SA.

July 12, 1941

HMAS HOBART, (cruiser), reached Suez, on her way to replace HMAS PERTH, (cruiser), in the Mediterranean.

The loss of HMAS WATERHEN, (destroyer), on 30 June, raised in the Admiralty the question of financial adjustment between a Dominion and Great Britain, when a vessel on loan was lost in war. The Admiralty finally decided:- ‘My Lords do not think it appropriate to make any claim in view of the actual circumstances of the vessel’s loss’. The decision was followed in respect to HMA Ships VAMPIRE and VOYAGER, (destroyers), which were in the same category as were both lost by enemy action.

July 11, 1941

HMAS VENDETTA, (destroyer), sank HMS DEFENDER, (destroyer), after the British ship was severely damaged in German air attacks off Sidi Barrani.

HMAS MARTINDALE, (auxiliary patrol vessel), was commissioned.

July 8, 1941

HMAS STUART damaged her starboard propeller when she ran struck a shoal while approaching Tobruk

July 5, 1941

HMAS WOLLONGONG, (minesweeper), was launched at Cockatoo Island, Sydney.

July 3, 1941

The tug HMAS HEROS, was commissioned. HEROS, (as ST ERTHE), was laid down in Glasgow, in 1919, for the RN. She was requisitioned for the RAN on 3 July 1941, from her owners J. Fenwick & Co Pty Ltd, Sydney.

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.