On This Day
1943 > WW2
On This Day - 1943
- February 1, 1943
HMS WELSHMAN, (minelayer), was sunk off Crete. LCDR L. Gellatly, DSC, RAN was serving in the ship when she was lost, but he survived the sinking. He had been awarded the DSC for service in WELSHMAN in 1942 and was later MID for his fortitude and devotion to duty when the vessel was sunk.
The Bathurst class minesweeper, (corvette), HMAS SHEPPARTON, (CMDR C. G. Little, RN), was commissioned at Melbourne. Lady Goudie, (Wife of the Commissioner of Public Works, Victoria), performed the launching ceremony. SHEPPARTON was laid down in Williamstown Dockyard, Melbourne, on 14 November 1941, and launched on 15 August 1942.
The anti-submarine training ship/target ship HMAS BURRA BRA, was commissioned. BURRA BRA was laid down in Mort’s Dock, Sydney, in 1908, as a passenger ferry. She was requisitioned for the RAN on 13 March 1942, and converted for naval service by Poole & Steel Ltd, Sydney.
- January 29, 1943
HMAS KURU, (patrol vessel), rescued 16 survivors of HMAS PATRICIA CAM from Marchinbar Island in the Arafura Sea.
- January 28, 1943
The examination vessel HMAS JOHN OXLEY was commissioned. JOHN OXLEY was laid down in Bow, McLachlan & Co, Paisley, Scotland, in 1927, and requisitioned from her owners, the Queensland Government Harbours and Marine Department on 28 January 1943.
HMAS STUART, (destroyer), was damaged in a collision with the US Liberty ship HENRY DEARBORN at Townsville.
- January 26, 1943
HMAS Abraham Crijnssen while escorting a Sydney bound convoy through Bass Strait, Crijnssen in company with the corvette HMAS Bundaberg made a firm ASDIC contact displaying all the characteristics of a submarine approximately 700 yards on her port beam. Action stations were sounded and orders quickly passed to the engine room to increase to full speed. Two depth charges were hastily dropped over the stern and set to explode at the shallow setting of 50 feet. The resultant explosion sent columns of water soaring into the air and shook Crijnssen violently. Lieutenant Chapman wrote of the incident: “The Crijnssen had not picked up sufficient speed from her patrol speed and two depth charges set at 50 feet severely shook up the after section, smashing every bit of crockery, tearing off light switches and fittings and fracturing several minor pipe lines. Queen Wilhelmina crashed to the deck, King George was hanging crazily on one screw but Miss Hayworth was completely secure.”
Natives from Marchinbar Island rescued survivors from HMAS PATRICIA CAM. Coastwatcher Jensen radioed Darwin and arranged their evacuation.
- January 23, 1943
The examination vessel HMAS MATTHEW FLINDERS was commissioned. MATTHEW FLINDERS was laid down in Fleming & Ferguson Ltd, Paisley, Scotland, in 1914. She was requisitioned by the RAN from the Queensland Government on 23 January 1943.
- January 22, 1943
The Japanese submarine I-21 torpedoed the merchant ship PETER H BURNETT 420 miles east of Sydney. The destroyer USS ZANE, and corvettes HMAS DELORAINE and HMAS GYMPIE, were sent to tow her back to Sydney. They failed, and eventually the task was handed to the corvette HMAS MILDURA, (LCDR C. J. P. Guille, OBE, RANR), which carried a heavier, (but non-regulation), towing cable. MILDURA succeeded in bringing the stricken vessel safely to Sydney Harbour. Within weeks all corvettes were instructed to carry the heavier style towing cable.
The stores vessel, HMAS PATRICIA CAM, (LEUT A. C. Meldrum, RANR), was attacked and sunk by a Japanese sea plane off the Wessel Islands in northern Australia. The plane attacked from out of the sun with engines cut and dropped a single bomb which struck amidships, and blew the bottom out of the ship. PATRICIA CAM sank within one minute. The Japanese aircraft then attacked the survivors in the water with another bomb, and machine gun fire, before landing among the survivors, picking up the Reverend L. N. Kentish, who was taking passage in PATRICIA CAM to his mission at Echo Island. The aircraft then departed. The survivors from PATRACIA CAM managed to get ashore and were rescued seven days later by HMAS KURU. 5 ratings and 3 natives onboard were killed in the attack, or died from wounds and exposure. The Reverend Kentish was taken to Dobo, (Aru Islands Group), where he was questioned and later executed by the Japanese.
- January 18, 1943
First training course for WRAN officers began at Flinders Naval Depot. The Australian tanker MOBILUBE was torpedoed by the Japanese submarine I-21, 60 miles from Sydney.
- January 17, 1943
Japanese submarine I-21 sank the merchant ship KALINGO, 110 miles east of Sydney.
- January 16, 1943
Brisbane-based US submarines GREENLING and GROWLER, sank the Japanese transports KINPOSAN MARU and CHIFUKU MARU off Rabaul.
- January 15, 1943
Stoker G. H. McCredie and Steward R. Smith, of HMAS PERTH, died of wounds following the bombing of the POW ships MIKITIEI MARU and MOJI MARU by Allied planes in the Bay of Bengal.