On This Day
1941 > WW2
On This Day - 1941
- August 10, 1941
HMAS BIRCHGROVE PARK, (auxiliary minesweeper), was commissioned.
- August 7, 1941
HMA Ships KALGOORLIE and CASTLEMAINE, (minesweepers), were launched on the same day at Whyalla, SA, and Williamstown Dockyard, VIC, respectively
- August 6, 1941
HMAS NESTOR, (destroyer), attacked a surfaced German submarine off Gibraltar. The submarine fired a torpedo which passed down the destroyer’s length.
- August 4, 1941
HMA Ships BATHURST and LISMORE, (minesweepers), joined the Mediterranean Fleet. ADML A.B. Cunningham returned them to duty in the Red Sea, considering them unsuitable for service in the Mediterranean.
HMAS COONGOOLA, (auxiliary patrol vessel), was commissioned.
- August 3, 1941
HMAS Vendetta, completed the last of her 39 Tobruk Ferry runs, departing the fortress’s harbour 42 minutes after midnight and returning to Alexandria in company with HMS Havock. HMAS Vendetta conducted more supply runs to Tobruk than any other Australian ship.
HMAS BATHURST passed through the Suez Canal and proceeded to Alexandria for duty with the Mediterranean Fleet. BATHURST and LISMORE had been retained at Suez to assist with the large liners of the US.11A convoy
- 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.