On This Day

1942 > WW2

May 12, 1942

The Bathurst class minesweeper, (corvette), HMAS CAIRNS, (LCDR R. E. MacMillan, RANR(S)), was commissioned. CAIRNS was laid down at Walker’s Yard, Maryborough, QLD, on 31 March 1941, and launched on 7 October 1941. Mrs R. D. Webber, (Wife of the Walker’s works manager), performed the launching ceremony.

HMA Ships WARRNAMBOOL, (minesweeper), and SOUTHERN CROSS, (stores carrier), landed troops of Plover Force on Dobo and Wokam islands, in the Arafura Sea.

May 11, 1942

The Brisbane-based US Submarine S42, (LCDR O. G. Kirk, USN), sank the Japanese minelayer OKINOSHIMA, off New Ireland.

May 10, 1942

The Australian merchant ship NANKIN was sunk by the German raider, THOR, in the Indian Ocean. The captain of NANKIN at the time was CAPT B. W. Dunn, RANR, who had entered the RAN College in 1919 as a Cadet Midshipman. He was withdrawn from the College in 1920 as numbers were reduced due to economic reasons. Dunn, and his crew were made Prisoners of War, and placed in a Japanese POW Camp. CAPT Dunn survived his incarceration, and was released from the camp in 1945.

The Japanese raiders, AIKOKU MARU and HOKOKU MARU, captured the British merchant ship GENOTA off Madagascar. Later in the month a seaplane from one of the raiders conducted a reconnaissance of the British base at Diego Suarez, in preparation for a midget submarine attack on the port. This attack was conducted on the same day, (in fact, taking into account time zone changes the attacks were only 70 minutes apart), as the midget submarine attack on Sydney Harbour on 30 May/1 June.

May 8, 1942

HMA Ships AUSTRALIA and HOBART continued to patrol the western part of the Coral Sea, to prevent Japanese transports moving towards Port Moresby. US air attacks in the eastern Coral Sea badly damaged the SHOKAKU, (aircraft carrier), but simultaneous air attacks by Japanese aircraft sank the USS LEXINGTON, (aircraft carrier). Despite the loss of the LEXINGTON, the Battle of the Coral Sea was a tactical victory for the Allies, as the Japanese lost substantial numbers of aircraft, and thus weakened the Japanese forces which were later committed to the Battle of Midway. While some have speculated that the battle saved Australia from invasion, this is not true, but it did postpone the planned Japanese invasion of Port Moresby, and bolstered Allied morale after four moths of continual defeat in South East Asia.

May 7, 1942

HMA Ships AUSTRALIA and HOBART, (Task Force 44, under RADM John Crace, RN), were attacked by 19 Japanese land based aircraft during the Battle of the Coral Sea. While some bombs fell close, the two warships escaped damage. US air attacks, launched from US Ships YORKTOWN and LEXINGTON, (aircraft carriers), sank the Japanese ship SHOHO, (light aircraft carrier), off Misima Island. On the same day USS SIMS, (destroyer), was sunk by Japanese dive bombers.

May 4, 1942

The Battle of the Coral Sea commenced. HMA cruisers, AUSTRALIA, (CAPT H. B. Farncomb, RAN), flagship of RADM J. Crace, RN, and HOBART, (CAPT H. L. Howden, RAN), were ordered to rendezvous with the American warships in the Coral Sea. The Battle of the Coral Sea was the first naval battle in history where opposing fleets were never in visual contact.

May 3, 1942

Coastwatcher LEUT D. S. Macfarlane, RANVR, signalled the arrival of the Japanese invasion fleet at Tulagi, Solomon Islands. His signal confirmed the sinking of four enemy transports by American aircraft.

May 2, 1942

Coastwatcher Major D. G. Kennedy, DSO, reported from Ysabel Island the massing of Japanese shipping in Thousand Ship Bay, for an attack on the Solomon Islands.

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

May 1, 1942

The N class destroyer HMAS NEPAL, (CMDR F. B. Morris, RAN), was commissioned. NEPAL, (formerly NORSEMAN), was laid down at John I Thornycroft Yard, Southampton, England, on 9 September 1939, and launched on 4 December 1941. With her sister ship NORMAN, she was allotted to the Royal Netherlands Navy. NEPAL was the last of the N’s to be allotted to the RAN.

April 30, 1942

The Tribal class destroyer HMAS ARUNTA, (CMDR J. C. Morrow, DSO, RAN), was commissioned. ARUNTA was laid down at Cockatoo Island Dockyard on 15 November 1939, and launched on 30 November 1940. Lady Gowrie, (Wife of the Governor General, Baron Gowrie), performed the launching ceremony.

April 28, 1942

HMAS BENDIGO, (minesweeper), picked up 50 survivors from the Dutch merchant vessel DUPLIEX, sunk off Java Head.

The patrol vessel HMAS LAURABADA, (LEUT Ivan Champion, RANVR), evacuated the last troops and civilians from New Britain as the Japanese advanced southward.

April 25, 1942

The Director of the Combined Intelligence Centre in Melbourne, warned the Australian Government of an imminent move by Japanese forces against New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. The Centre intercepted enemy wireless traffic and confirmed the information with messages from the Coastwatcher network.

April 19, 1942

HMAS VOYAGER, (destroyer), was in a near collision with the troop ship QUEEN MARY, south of Melbourne.

April 18, 1942

The Australian Prime Minister Mr John Curtin handed over to General Douglas MacArthur, (US Army), the operational command of all combat sections of the Australian army, navy, and air force in the Australian area. MacArthur appointed VADM H. Leary, USN, in command of all naval forces, including the RAN.

April 17, 1942

The wireless station at Darwin, NT, received the first message from occupied Timor, indicating that the lost commando force, (Sparrow Force), was still fighting. The signal read; ‘Force intact. Still fighting. Badly need boots, money, quinine, tommy-gun ammunition’. A reply to the commandos’ signal was transmitted on the next night.

April 15, 1942

HMAS VENDETTA, (destroyer), reached Port Phillip after an epic 72 day tow from Singapore. The destroyer had been immobilized in dry dock at Singapore when the Japanese invaded, and was towed south to Australia by a variety of vessels. She endured air attack and bad weather during the 5000 mile journey. Her Commanding Officer during this period was LEUT W. G. Whiting, RANR, who was awarded the DSC for ‘outstanding leadership, initiative and seamanship’.

The US Submarines S38, S42, S43, S44, S45, S46 and S47, arrived at Brisbane to operate against the Japanese in the Solomons.

April 13, 1942

The Bathurst class minesweeper, (corvette), HMAS GERALDTON, (LCDR H. M. Harris, RNR), was commissioned. GERALDTON was laid down at Poole and Steel’s Yard, Sydney, on 20 March 1940. She was launched on 16 August 1941.

April 12, 1942

The Fremantle-based US Submarine SEARAVEN, (LCDR. H. Cassedy, USN), rescued 33 Australian soldiers north of Koepang, Timor. To effect the rescue, Ensign G. C. Cook, USN, was landed on two nights to locate the party of soldiers. On the passage to Fremantle the submarine caught fire and was towed to port.

April 11, 1942

The destroyer HMS QUICKMATCH, (later HMAS QUICKMATCH), was launched at White’s Yard in England.

April 9, 1942

The Bathurst class minesweeper, (corvette), HMAS LAUNCESTON, (LCDR P.G. Collins, RANR), was commissioned. LAUNCESTON was laid down at Evans Deakin Yard, Brisbane, on 23 December 1940, and launched on 30 June 1941.

Royal Commissioner, Mr Justice Lowe, submitted his report on the Japanese attack on Darwin to the Australian Government. The report criticised the action of the Army, RAAF and Civil Administration, but praised the RAN.

Japanese carrier-borne aircraft sank the destroyer HMAS VAMPIRE, (CMDR W.T.A. Moran, RAN), and HMS HERMES, (light aircraft carrier), off Trincomalee, Ceylon. CMDR Moran, and 7 ratings from VAMPIRE were lost in the action. A total of 590 survivors from both ships were picked up by the hospital ship VITA, and landed at Colombo.

April 7, 1942

HMAS WARRAMUNGA, the second Tribal class destroyer built in Australia, was launched at Cockatoo Island, Sydney.

The Bathurst class minesweeper, (corvette), HMAS KALGOORLIE, (LCDR H.A. Litchfield, RANR), was commissioned. KALGOORLIE was laid down on 26 July 1940 at Broken Hill Co Yard, Whyalla, SA, on 26 July 1940, and launched on 7 August 1941. Mrs T. Playford, (wife of the Premier of South Australia), performed the launching ceremony.

April 6, 1942

RFA Bishopdale arrived Sydney and was made available to the RAN and operated as an Australian Fleet Auxiliary until returned in 1945

April 3, 1942

A lifeboat, commanded by PO J. Tyrrell, containing 23 survivors from HMAS PERTH, (cruiser), surrendered to the Japanese at Semangka Bay, Sumatra. The party set out to sail to Australia after their ship sank, but 37 days of adverse winds and constant searching for food and water weakened them. On 1 April the boat was shelled by a Japanese destroyer, but they escaped under cover of dark. After their capture they were taken to a prison camp at Palembang, where they remained until the end of the war.

LCDR V.A. Smith, DSC, RAN, participated in operations from the escort carrier, HMS TRACKER, which resulted in the destruction of six German long range aircraft and the sinking of the submarines U288 and U366, in the period 1 to 3 April. TRACKER, equipped with Avenger fighter bombers and Wildcat fighters, was escorting an Arctic convoy to Murmansk.

April 2, 1942

ADML Sir James Somerville ordered his battleships HMS RAMILLES, REVENGE, RESOLUTION, and ROYAL SOVEREIGN, to withdraw to Addu Atoll to avoid a clash with ADML Naguma’s superior modern fleet. The overwhelming Japanese carrier force would have sunk the slow British capital ships. HMA Ships NAPIER, NIZAM and NORMAN, (destroyers), were operating with ADML Somerville’s fleet in the Indian Ocean.

March 28, 1942

The raid on St Nazaire, France, was conducted with the aim of damaging the port facilities there. LEUT N. B. H. Wallis, RANVR, (ML 192), and SBLT P. W. Landy, RANVR, (ML 306), were wounded during the operation.