• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Naval Historical Society of Australia

Preserving Australia's Naval History

  • Events
  • Members Area
  • Volunteer
  • Donate
  • Contact us
  • Show Search
  • 0 items
Hide Search
Menu
  • Home
  • Research
    • Where to start
      • Research – We can help!
      • Self help
      • Naval Service Records
      • Library
      • Related Maritime websites
    • Resources
      • Articles
      • On This Day
      • Podcasts
      • Videos
      • Australian Military Ship Losses
      • RAN events on a  Google Earth Map
      • Related Maritime websites
    • Other
      • Newsletters: Call The Hands
      • Occasional Papers
      • Books
      • HMAS Shropshire
      • Book reviews
    • Close
  • Naval Heritage Sites
    • World Heritage Listings
      • Cockatoo Island
    • National Heritage Listings
      • HMAS Sydney II and the HSK Kormoran Shipwreck Sites
      • HMVS Cerberus
    • Commonwealth Heritage Listings
      • Garden Island NSW
      • HMAS Watson
      • HMAS Penguin
      • Spectacle Island Explosives Complex NSW
      • Chowder Bay Naval Facilities
      • Beecroft Peninsula NSW
      • Admiralty House, Garden and Fortifications
      • HMAS Cerberus
      • Naval Offices QLD
      • Garden Island WA
      • Royal Australian Naval College ACT
      • Royal Australian Naval Transmitting Station ACT
    • NSW Heritage Listings
      • HMAS Rushcutter
    • Close
  • Tours & Cruises
    • Navy in Sydney Harbour Cruise, East
    • Navy in Sydney Harbour Cruise, West
    • 81st. Anniversary Cruise: Sydney under Japanese Attack
    • Tour of Sub Base Platypus
    • Garden Island Dockyard Heritage Tour
    • Garden Island Northern Hill and Garden Tour
    • Tour Bookings
    • Close
  • About us
    • About Us
      • What we do
      • Our People
      • Office Bearers
      • Become a volunteer
      • Our Goals and Strategy
    • Organisation
      • Victoria Chapter
      • WA Chapter
      • ACT Chapter
    • Close
  • Membership
  • Shop
  • Become a volunteer
  • Donate
You are here: Home / On This Day / On This Day - 1943

On This Day

1943 > WW2

On This Day - 1943

December 29, 1943

CMDR D. H. Harries, RAN, assumed command of HMS SHROPSHIRE, (cruiser), to supervise refit and transfer to the RAN.

December 26, 1943

HMA Ships Australia (II) (Captain HB Farncomb, DSO, MVO, RAN), Shropshire (Captain JA Collins, CB, RAN), Arunta (I) (Commander AE Buchanan, RAN) and Warramunga (I) (Captain EFV Dechaineux, DSC, RAN) bombarded enemy targets at Cape Gloucester, New Britain, in preparation for Allied landings.

Over the course of 80 minutes, the four vessels expended over 700 rounds of 8-inch, nearly 900 rounds of 4.7-inch, and nearly 100 rounds of 4-inch ammunition. By the end of the day 12,500 troops and 7600 tons of supplies had been landed at Cape Gloucester.

December 25, 1943

A Japanese coastwatcher on Cape Ward Hunt reported TF74, HMA Ships AUSTRALIA, SHROPSHIRE, WARRAMUNGA, and ARUNTA, and US Ships HELM and RALPH TALBOT, heading towards Cape Gloucester.

 

December 24, 1943

HMAS IPSWICH, (minesweeper), landed 134 survivors from the torpedoed merchant ship PESHAWAR, at Madras, India.

December 23, 1943

HMAS IPSWICH, (minesweeper), picked up 134 survivors from the torpedoed transport PESHAWAR, and landed them at Madras, India. IPSWICH, and HMIS ORISSA, carried out depth-charge attacks on the submarine.

December 20, 1943

HMAS GASCOYNE, (frigate), was commissioned under CMDR J. Donovan, RAN, at Sydney.

December 18, 1943

HMAS Gladstone, in company with HMA Ships Gympie (I) and Stawell (I), were escorting convoy TN 192 of eight ships with troops embarked bound for Milne Bay when almost the entire convoy ran aground on Bougainville Reef in the Great Barrier Reef just after 9:30pm that evening. Gladstone had observed Aldis Lamp signals down the convoy and intercepted the word “hit”. Assuming that the convoy was under attack, the ship closed up at action stations, altered course towards the ship thought to be under attack and increased speed. She then prepared to attack with a full pattern of depth charges. Luckily for Gladstone, less than a minute after going to actions stations, she observed the signal “am aground” enabling her to reduce speed and prevent a hard grounding on the reef. As it was, Gladstone made a soft grounding and, thanks to some masterful manoeuvring of the vessel, was refloated 42 minutes later. She navigated her way clear of the reef and waited, in company with Gympie and Stawell, until daylight.

December 15, 1943

Engaged in Operation Dexterity, HMA Ships AUSTRALIA and SHROPSHIRE, (cruisers), ARUNTA and WARRAMUNGA, (destroyers), bombarded Japanese positions, while HMAS WESTRALIA landed troops at Arawe.

December 8, 1943

The Advisory War Council abolished convoys for shipping south of Newcastle. The order was issued following the reduction in Japanese submarine activities on the east coast of Australia.

December 6, 1943

HMAS POYANG, (ammunition carrier), was commissioned.

  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Go to page 3
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 13
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

SUBSCRIBE

Sign up for our monthly e-newsletter.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Categories

Latest Podcasts

  • The Case of the Unknown Sailor
  • Night of the midget subs — Sydney under attack
  • D-Day commando on Sword Beach by Commander Jim Speed DSC, RAN – Part 1
  • D-Day commando on Sword Beach by Commander Jim Speed DSC, RAN – Part 2
  • D-Day commando on Sword Beach by Commander Jim Speed DSC, RAN – Part 3

Links to other podcasts

Australian Naval History Podcasts
This podcast series examines Australia’s Naval history, featuring a variety of naval history experts from the Naval Studies Group and elsewhere.
Produced by the Naval Studies Group in conjunction with the Submarine Institute of Australia, the Australian Naval Institute, Naval Historical Society and the RAN Seapower Centre

Life on the Line Podcasts
Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories.
These recordings can be accessed through Apple iTunes or for Android users, Stitcher.

Video Links

  • Australian War Memorial YouTube channel
  • Royal Australian Navy YouTube Channel
  • Research – We can help!
  • Naval Heritage Sites
  • Garden Island Dockyard Heritage Tour
  • About us
  • Shop
  • Events
  • Members Area
  • Volunteer
  • Donate
  • Contact us

Facebook

  • Facebook
  • Members Area
  • Privacy Policy
  • Log Out

Naval Historical Society of Australia Inc. Copyright © 2023