On This Day
1943 > WW2
On This Day - 1943
- October 25, 1943
The Fremantle-based USS GUARDFISH, (submarine), landed a party of Coastwatchers on Bougainville.
- October 22, 1943
HMAS KURU, (auxiliary patrol vessel), which played an important role in supplying the Australian Commandos operating in occupied Timor, was paid off. The vessel later sank at her moorings in Darwin Harbour, and was abandoned.
- October 21, 1943
Coastwatcher SBLT Rev W. G. G. Wiedemann, RANVR, enlisted direct into the service from his Victorian parish, to provide on-the-spot information for the planned Allied landing at Cape Gloucester. Wiedemann wrote: ‘I was in the Parish of Kilmore, VIC, and they wanted anyone who had been on Cape Gloucester. They could not find anyone, so the Sixth Army got in touch with me, and we did a terrain study in Melbourne. Then, the next thing they wanted was for me to join up with the Marines as a civilian. Just as they were getting that through, they decided it would be better if I went up with the Marines as a combatant, and it was necessary for me to have a commission to move among the big fellows, generals, etc., so they thought of the Navy. They got busy and got things moving, so that I was able to commission, and was attached to HMAS LONSDALE for convenience sake. That was going on when we sailed on 26 September, 1943. I was brought into the RAN on 21 October, 1943’.
- October 20, 1943
The Fremantle-based US Ships KINGFISH and CABRILLA, (submarines), were deployed on missions in Philippine waters. KINGFISH landed British Coastwatchers and their equipment in Borneo, laid a minefield off the Celebes, and sank the Japanese transport SANA MARU in the South China Sea. CABRILLA evacuated resistance agents from Negros Island.
- October 19, 1943
The commando ship KRAIT arrived back at Exmouth Gulf, WA, after the raid on Singapore, (Operation Jaywick).
- October 11, 1943
LEUT H. E. Carse. RANVR, recorded in KRAIT’s log that on the passage through Lombok Strait, after the successful commando raid on Singapore Harbour, (Operation Jaywick), a modern Japanese destroyer approached to within 100 yards of KRAIT, during darkness. The destroyer did not use a searchlight, and after 5 minutes she sheered off, and went directly away from KRAIT.
- October 8, 1943
The Bathurst class minesweeper, (corvette), HMAS COWRA, (A/LCDR W. J. Gilles, RANR), was commissioned. COWRA was laid down in Poole & Steel Yard, Sydney, on 12 August 1942, and launched on 27 May 1943. Mrs P. C. Spender, (Wife of a Member of the Australian Advisory War Council), performed the launching ceremony.
- October 5, 1943
The tanker ANNA KNUDSEN, was torpedoed by a submarine of the German Monsoon Group, in the Indian Ocean. HMAS TAMWORTH, (corvette), towed the damaged vessel to Aden.
- October 3, 1943
HMAS PARKES, (minesweeper), was launched at Evans Deakin, QLD.
- October 2, 1943
The RAN comprised 324 vessels, ranging from 4 cruisers, to 44 miscellaneous craft. Of this number, 19, (six destroyers and 13 minesweepers), were serving overseas with the Eastern Fleet. The total personnel strength was 35,359 men and women. Of the 1,748 women, 1,715 were WRANS, and 33 were nurses. The 33,611 officers and men were disposed as follows:- Australia Station 13,817; Eastern Fleet 2,285; Overseas with the RN 1,119; At advanced bases in the Pacific 2,404; Missing or POWs 874; New entries 2,766; Ashore in Australia 10,346; The following vessels were building in Australia: 1 Tribal class destroyer; 9 frigates; 5 minesweepers; 8 Fairmiles; 9 HDMLs.
The Bathurst class minesweeper, (corvette), HMAS KIAMA, (LCDR S. G. Benson, RANR), was commissioned. KIAMA was laid down in Evans Deakin Yard, Brisbane, on 26 November 1942, and launched on 9 July 1943. Mrs G. Lawson, (Wife of the Minister for transport), performed the launching ceremony.