On This Day
1941 > WW2
On This Day - 1941
- 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, (armed merchant cruiser), evacuated 93 refugees from Nauru and Ocean Island.
- July 16, 1941
HMAS HOBART, (cruiser), joined the 7th Cruiser Squadron in the Mediterranean.
- 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.