On This Day
1945 > WW2
On This Day - 1945
- May 10, 1945
HMA Ships HOBART, ARUNTA, and WARRAMUNGA, with HMS NEWFOUNDLAND, provided covering fire for the Australian amphibious assault on Wewak, New Guinea. In the assault HMA Ships COLAC and IPSWICH, (minesweepers), were employed as troop landing ships.
- May 8, 1945
RAN ships and establishments received the signal announcing the end of hostilities against Germany. The Admiralty signalled all ships to ‘Splice the Main Brace’.
- May 7, 1945
The Admiralty signalled all British naval authorities and ships throughout the world: ‘German High Command has surrendered unconditionally all German Land, Sea and Air Forces in Europe. Effective from British Summer Time 0001 hours 9th May, from which hour all offensive operations will cease’.
- May 6, 1945
HMAS LACHLAN carried out a detailed survey of Tarakan Roads.
- May 5, 1945
LEUT George Gosse, RANVR, rendered safe a new type of German oyster mine in the mud on the bed of Bremen Harbour, Germany. The following is an extract from the citation for the GC awarded to him, for the operation: ‘As it was very necessary that this type of mine should be recovered intact, it was decided to attempt to render safe the mine underwater, and on the following day LEUT Gosse dived on it. Using improvised tools he eventually succeeded in removing the primer, which was followed by a loud metallic crash. The mine was eventually lifted on the quayside, when it was found that the detonator had fired immediately the primer had been removed. During the subsequent ten days LEUT Gosse rendered safe two similar types of mines which were lying in close proximity to shipping, and in each instance the detonator fired before the mine reached the surface’. LEUT Gosse, was the only graduate of the Royal Australian Naval College to be awarded the George Cross in war.
- May 3, 1945
HMA Ships NAPIER, NEPAL, NIZAM and NORMAN, (destroyers), screened the escort carriers STRIKER and RULER, and the fleet oilers WAVE KING and WAVE MONARCH, in the Okinawa area.
- May 2, 1945
HMA Ships WESTRALIA and MANOORA, (landing ships), completed landing Australian troops at Tarakan.
HMA Ships SWAN, (sloop), and COLAC and IPSWICH, (minesweepers), bombarded Japanese positions at Wewak, New Guinea, in support of Australian Army advances.
- May 1, 1945
HMA Ships QUICKMATCH and QUIBERON, (destroyers), operated off Sakishima, Japan, while screening battleships of the British Pacific Fleet.
HMA Ships NEPAL, NORMAN, NIZAM, QUICKMATCH, and QUIBERON supported American landings in the Ryukyus Islands.
The RAN Beach Commando landed with the first wave of troops at Tarakan. This was the Commandos’ first action. Telegraphists J. R. Brady and W. F. Ryan were killed, and Signalman C. Ikin was wounded, in the operation.
- April 30, 1945
HMAS WARRAMUNGA, (destroyer), bombarded Sadua Island, North Borneo, in support of landings by Australian troops.
- April 27, 1945
The River class frigate, HMAS DIAMANTINA, (LCDR M.G. Rose, RANVR), was commissioned. DIAMANTINA was laid down at Walker’s Yard, Maryborough, QLD, on 12 April 1943, and launched on 6 April 1944. Mrs W. J. Riordan, (Wife of the Federal Member for Kennedy), performed the launching ceremony. DIAMANTINA later took on the role of oceanographic research ship, and is now a part of the Queensland Maritime Museum, Brisbane.