On This Day
1943 > WW2
On This Day - 1943
- June 1, 1943
HMAS Kanimbla commissioned into RAN as a Landing Ship (Infantry) after conversion in Sydney from April to June 1943. She had served in the RN since 1939.
- May 31, 1943
The landing ship infantry HMAS WESTRALIA, (CMDR A. V. Knight, RANR), was re-commissioned. WESTRALIA was first commissioned into the RAN on 17 January 1940.
- May 26, 1943
HMA Ships GAWLER, IPSWICH, LISMORE, and MARYBOROUGH, (minesweepers), were formed into the 21st Minesweeping Flotilla at Alexandria, Egypt.
The Fremantle based USS TROUT, (submarine), landed a party of American agents and supplies on Basilan Island, Philippines.
- May 15, 1943
A RAAF Avro Anson, which was providing air escort to USS MUGFORD, (destroyer), and the British steamer SUSSEX, sighted survivors from the HMAS CENTAUR, (hospital ship), off the coast of Queensland. MUGFORD was detached to pick up the survivors, and rescued some 64 personnel, including the only nurse, (Sister Ellen Savage), to survive the sinking of the vessel. The destroyer then returned to Brisbane to disembark the survivors later that day. Subsequent searches were conducted by HMAS LITHGOW, USS HELM, and four motor torpedo boats, but no more survivors were found.
- May 14, 1943
HMAS CENTAUR, (hospital ship), was sunk by a Japanese submarine, (believed to be I178), off the Queensland coast near Brisbane. CENTAUR was on her second journey north to Port Moresby to collect wounded Australian troops, and was clearly marked and illuminated as a hospital ship. A single torpedo struck the ship at about 0400, and the CENTAUR caught fire and sank within two to three minutes. Of the 332 crew and medical staff onboard, some 268 were killed in the attack or later drowned. Japanese submarines were extremely active off the east coast of Australia between February and June 1943, and attacked or sank 14 ships.
- May 12, 1943
The Japanese submarine I-180 sank the Australian merchant ship ORMISTON, off Coffs Harbour, NSW. The ship reached port under its own steam.
The Fremantle-based USS GUDGEON, (submarine), sank the Japanese transport SUMATRA MARU in the Philippines.
- May 10, 1943
On the 10th of May 1943, whilst on a return voyage from Thursday Island to Darwin, Maroubra was strafed by a fleet of nine Imperial Japanese Navy Mitsubishi Zero fighters conducting a raid on the Allied airstrip on Milingimbi Island. Maroubra caught fire and the vessel was abandoned, eventually becoming stranded on the beach north-east of the Milingimbi Mission.
- May 9, 1943
HMAS LATROBE, (minesweeper), suffered heavy air attacks off the south coast of New Guinea.
- May 7, 1943
HMAS ADELE, (auxiliary patrol vessel, formerly HMAS FRANKLIN), was wrecked on the breakwater at Port Kembla.
- May 5, 1943
HMAS ABRAHAM CRIJNSSEN, (minesweeper), was returned to the Royal Netherlands Navy. The Dutch minesweeper had escaped from the Netherlands East Indies in 1942, and had been commissioned into the RAN. She continued to operate in Australian and South East Asian waters for the remainder of the war.
The Brisbane based USS GRAMPUS, (submarine), was sunk by Japanese destroyers off Rabaul.
The Japanese submarine I-180 torpedoed the merchant ship FINGAL off Nambucca Heads, NSW.