On This Day

1944 > WW2

March 26, 1944

The Coastwatcher’s Navy in far northern waters consisted of, HMAS PALUMA and HDML 1321, commanded respectively by the brothers SBLT P. Palmer, RANVR, and SBLT E. Palmer, RANVR.

March 25, 1944

Manus Island was captured by the Allies. Seeadler Harbour was developed as a major naval base and by September 1944 it rivalled Pearl Harbour. It was equipped with a 100,000 ton floating dock and cranes with a lifting capacity of 180 tons.

HMAS LACHLAN, (frigate), was launched at Mort’s Dock, Sydney.

March 24, 1944

The Fremantle based USS BOWFIN, (submarine), sank the Japanese transports SHINKYO MARU and BENGAL MARU.

An explosion and fire onboard the Fairmile motor launch, HMAS ML 427, caused the deaths of three RAN personnel. ML 427 was alongside the wharf at HMAS LADAVA, (Milne Bay), undergoing repairs when a spark from a battery terminal ignited fuel in the bilge. Those who died, (or subsequently died from their injuries), were Stoker C. J. Jones, Motor Mechanic R. L. McKee, and Motor Mechanic E. J. Williams. Motor Mechanic J. A. Page, who was passing by, saw the explosion and stopped to render assistance. He subsequently rescued two men from the vessel and was later awarded the British Empire Medal, (BEM), for gallantry.

March 23, 1944

The Fremantle-based USS DACE, (submarine), landed a coastwatcher reconnaissance party, under CAPT G. C. Harris, on Cape Tanahmerah, Dutch New Guinea, to gather intelligence for the proposed landing at Hollandia.

March 22, 1944

HMA Ships AUSTRALIA, (cruiser), and ARUNTA, (destroyer), with the USS MULLANY, (destroyer), carried out a sweep of the New Guinea coast east of Tanahmerah Bay and destroyed a number of Japanese barges.

March 15, 1944

Southwest Pacific Force, which included units of the RAN in the Pacific, was re-designated the Seventh Fleet.

March 14, 1944

HMAS SHEPPARTON, (minesweeper), landed troops at Talasea, New Britain.

HMAS BENALLA, (minesweeper), surveyed Seeadler Harbour, Manus Island, while under enemy gunfire.

March 11, 1944

HMAS ARUNTA, (destroyer), along with US destroyers, closed to 4000 yards to bombard Japanese positions at Seeadler Harbour, Manus Island.

March 7, 1944

CAPT E. F. V. Dechaineux, RAN, assumed command of HMAS AUSTRALIA, (cruiser).

March 4, 1944

HMAS SHROPSHIRE, (cruiser), and US Ships NASHVILLE, PHOENIX, DALY, and HUTCHINS, destroyed Japanese guns on Hauwei Island, near Hollandia, New Guinea.

March 3, 1944

The destroyer, HMAS WARRAMUNGA, (CAPT E. F. V. Dechaineux, RAN), and the US Ships AMMEN and WELLES, shelled Japanese targets in Hyane Harbour, Manus Island. Later in the day all three ships came under enemy air attack.

March 2, 1944

RADM V. Crutchley, VC, RN, commanding Task Force 74 was ordered to position his ships north and northwest of the Admiralty Islands for the attack on Hyane Harbour.

HMAS WARRAMUNGA, (destroyer), and US Ships AMMEN and BUSH, (destroyers), attacked Japanese fortifications on Hauwei Island off Hollandia, New Guinea.

February 29, 1944

HMA Ships SHROPSHIRE, (cruiser), and WARRAMUNGA, (destroyer), were units of the covering force for the American landings in the Admiralty Islands.

February 23, 1944

The fleet tug HMAS SPRIGHTLY, was commissioned. SPRIGHTLY was laid down in Levingston Shipbuilding Co, Orange, Texas, USA, on 6 June 1942, and launched on 7 August 1942. She was transferred to the RAN under the Lend-Lease Agreement in 1944.

HMAS TAMWORTH, (minesweeper), landed 133 survivors from the torpedoed tanker ERLING BROVIG at Aden. The tanker and the transports SAN ALVARO and E. G. SEUBERT, were torpedoed by the German submarine U188 in the Indian Ocean. SAN ALVARO stayed afloat after the attack but was later sunk by TAMWORTH with depth charges.

 

February 17, 1944

ADML Royle, (First Naval Member), accompanied by Mr. Essington Lewis, (Director General of Munitions), boarded HMAS WARRAMUNGA at Milne Bay for a front-line tour of Buna, Langemak, and Lae.

February 16, 1944

HMAS Larrakia was paid off. As she was no longer required by the Northern Territory administration the vessel was subsequently sold, on 3 April 1946, to a Mr Cochron

February 12, 1944

The Japanese submarine I-27 attacked a troopship convoy south of the Maldive Islands. The submarine fired a salvo of torpedoes of which two struck the troopship KHEDIVE ISMAIL, which sank in two minutes. Of the 1550 personnel onboard there were only 200 survivors. Among those lost were a number of RAN ratings. I-27 was then attacked and sunk by the destroyers HMS PETARD and HMS PALADIN.

February 11, 1944

HMA Ships IPSWICH and LAUNCESTON and HMIS JUMNA, sank the Japanese submarine RO-110, 20 miles south-east of Vizagapatam. RO-110 had torpedoed the merchant ship ASPHALION but was quickly tracked by the Asdic of the escort vessels.

February 10, 1944

HMAS STUART, (destroyer), was taken in hand by Garden Island Naval Dockyard for conversion to a fast transport.

February 7, 1944

LEUT B.M. MacFarlane, RANVR along with LEUT Jack MARSDEN RANVR was lost when midget submarine X-22 was rammed and sunk by HMS SYRTIS during exercises in Pentland Forth, Scotland. LEUT MacFarlane commanded X-8 in the attack on the German battleship TIRPITZ, but was forced to withdraw when X-8 parted her tow.

RADM Crutchley’s flag was hauled down in HMAS AUSTRALIA and transferred to HMAS SHROPSHIRE. SHROPSHIRE was the cruiser gifted by the RN to Australia to replace HMAS CANBERRA which had been lost at the Battle of Savo Island in August 1942.

February 4, 1944

The Australian Government resolved “that all higher Royal Australian Navy appointments would be Australian”.

February 2, 1944

The services reconnaissance department craft HMAS ALATNA, was commissioned.

January 28, 1944

The landing ship, infantry, HMAS WESTRALIA, (CMDR A. V. Knight, DSC, RANR(S)), was attacked by a Japanese bomber off Milne Bay, New Guinea. The ship suffered some damage and one crew member wounded.

January 21, 1944

Cook R. W. Andrews was swept overboard when a freak wave caused HMAS NEPAL, (destroyer), to almost broach to south of Cape Town. The man was sighted when an albatross was observed pecking at his scalp. He was picked up and treated for a fractured leg and beak wounds.

January 19, 1944

Coastwatcher LEUT B. W. G. Hall, AIF, commanded a party of six Europeans and two natives in a guerrilla war on Long Island off New Guinea which forced the Japanese garrison of 500 troops to evacuate the island.