On This Day

1944 > WW2

July 27, 1944

HMAS VENDETTA, (destroyer), fired on a launch loaded with Japanese troops off Mios Wundi Island, New Guinea. The launch was destroyed.

July 23, 1944

HMAS KANIMBLA, (landing ship infantry), ran aground at Cretin Harbour, New Guinea. The ship was freed by the salvage tug CALEDONIAN SALVOR.

July 21, 1944

The British Government offered an aircraft carrier and two cruisers to the RAN. The carrier was of the Colossus class, and the cruisers of the Tiger class. The offer was not accepted on the grounds of inability to man the vessels.

July 16, 1944

HMAS STUART, (destroyer), stood by the American merchant ship F. P. BLAIR, grounded on Saumarez Reef, until a tug arrived from Brisbane to tow the ship free.

July 14, 1944

TF74, HMA Ships AUSTRALIA and SHROPSHIRE, (cruisers), ARUNTA and WARRAMUNGA, (destroyers), and US Ships AMMEN and BACHE, continued close gun support on the American perimeter at Aitape, New Guinea. An American ground force report later confirmed the effectiveness of the support, which caused a Japanese force of more than 500 to retire, leaving many dead.

July 13, 1944

Task Force, (TF), 74, including HMA Ships AUSTRALIA and SHROPSHIRE, (cruisers), ARUNTA and WARRAMUNGA, (destroyers), and US Ships AMMEN and BACHE, were ordered to furnish gun support to troops at Aitape, New Guinea.

Lt. D. R. Wilson, RANVR was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for skill, courage and devotion to duty in a successful patrol in HM submarine UNTIRING.

July 5, 1944

The River class frigate HMAS HAWKESBURY was commissioned. HAWKESBURY was laid down in Mort’s Dock, Sydney, on 7 August 1942, and launched on 24 July 1943.

July 3, 1944

Task Force 74, HMA Ships AUSTRALIA, (cruiser), ARUNTA, and WARRAMUNGA, (destroyers), and the US Ships MULLANY and AMMEN, withdrew to Hollandia, after bombarding Japanese positions on Noemfoor Island. AUSTRALIA fired 288 rounds of 20.3 cm shells.

July 2, 1944

HMA Ships AUSTRALIA, (cruiser), ARUNTA and WARRAMUNGA, (destroyers), bombarded Japanese positions on Noemfoor Island in preparation for the landing.

June 27, 1944

The River class frigate HMAS BURDEKIN, (LCDR T. S. Marchington, RNR), was commissioned. BURDEKIN was laid down in Walker’s Yard, Maryborough, QLD, on 17 January 1942, and launched on 30 June 1943.

June 23, 1944

HMAS Vendetta embarked three Special Unit (Allied Intelligence Bureau) personnel for passage to Waterfall Bay in New Britain, 80 miles from Japanese occupied Rabaul. The landing was carried out without mishap and using her motorboat towing the whaler, embarked three AIB officers and 53 native guerillas for Langemak

June 21, 1944

HMAS GAWLER, (minesweeper), landed working parties at Bombay to assist restoration of port facilities, after the British ammunition ship, FORT STIKINE, caught fire and blew up, devastating the port. Three Indian Navy ships and 18 merchant ships were lost in the explosion.

June 20, 1944

HMAS MATAFELE was sunk. 4 officers, 20 ratings, and 13 native crew lost their lives.

ADML Crutchley, USN, was appointed Officer in Tactical Command of a force of Australian and United States cruisers in the Philippines.

June 18, 1944

RANVR officers serving with the RN, held the following commands:- 1 destroyer, 1 frigate, 2 corvettes, 1 submarine, 1 fleet minesweeper, 4 flotillas of tank landing craft, and miscellaneous vessels such as landing craft, motor torpedo boats, and motor gunboats. In addition, RANVR officers were serving in HM Ships AJAX, ENTERPRISE, GLASGOW, SCYLLA, ASHANTI, and ESKIMO.

HMAS MATAFELE, (stores carrier), vanished without trace on a voyage from Townsville to Milne Bay, QLD. The vessel carried a crew of 37.

June 11, 1944

The Fremantle-based USS REDFIN, (submarine), sank the Japanese tanker ASSANGI MARU in the Sulu Sea.

June 10, 1944

The Fremantle-based USS HARDER, (submarine), reported three battleships, four cruisers and six destroyers leaving Tawitawi for the Philippines.

June 9, 1944

The Fremantle-based USS HARDER, (submarine), sank the Japanese destroyer TANIKAZE in the Sibutu Passage. HARDER sank three destroyers on the patrol.

HMA Ships AUSTRALIA, (cruiser), ARUNTA, and WARRAMUNGA, (destroyers), engaged Japanese destroyers in a running battle in the Biajk-Seeadler area.

June 8, 1944

The Fremantle-based US Ships RASHER, HAKE, and HARDER, (submarines), sank a Japanese destroyer and a tanker, and evacuated commandos from Borneo. HAKE torpedoed the destroyer KAZEGUMO off Mindanao, RASHER torpedoed the tanker SHIOYA in the Celebes Sea, and HARDER picked up seven Australian commandos from a beach in North Borneo.

June 6, 1944

D-Day: The D-Day landings took place on the beaches at Normandy, which signalled the beginning of the Allied assault on occupied France, and which would lead to the final defeat of Germany some 11 months later. It is estimated that about 500 RAN personnel, (on loan to the RN), took part in the operations. Several of these were RANVR officers who commanded landing craft, including SBLT B.V. Ashton, and SBLT Richard Pirrie, who were both killed in action when their landing craft were hit by enemy fire. Ashton is buried in Bayeux War Cemetery. However the body of SBLT Pirrie was never recovered. These were the only members of the RAN killed on 6 June 1944. Others involved in the invasion included LEUT Dacre Smyth, RAN, (later to reach the rank of CDRE), who was the gunnery officer in a British destroyer, and LEUT K.R. Hudspeth, RANVR, who commanded the midget submarine X-20. Hudspeth was awarded the DSC for his part in the landing in X-20, which operated on the surface, and acted as a beacon for the landing craft to enable them to navigate safely to the beaches.

Tarakan: The Fremantle based USS HARDER, (submarine), torpedoed the Japanese ships MINANSUKI and HAYANAMI, (destroyers), in the Sibutu Passage off Tarakan.

June 5, 1944

The Fremantle based USS PUFFER, (submarine), sank the Japanese tankers ASHIZURI and TAKASAKI, in the Sulu Sea.

The Burns Philp vessel MV BULOLO was commissioned into the RN as a command ship and was later involved in the landings at Normandy in June 1944.

June 2, 1944

Australian troops landed on Karkar Island after bombardment by Australian ships.

May 31, 1944

HMAS SHROPSHIRE, (cruiser), was withdrawn from duties in northern New Guinea waters, and returned to Sydney for repairs.

May 29, 1944

The German submarine U181 sank the Australian merchant ship NELLORE, in the Indian Ocean.

May 28, 1944

HMA Ships GOULBURN and GYMPIE, (minesweepers), bombarded Japanese positions at Bunabun Harbour, in preparation for an Allied landing.

May 27, 1944

HMA Ships AUSTRALIA, SHROPSHIRE, ARUNTA, and WARRAMUNGA, were involved in the Allied landing at Biak, New Guinea.