On This Day

1945 > WW2

August 18, 1945

The Japanese surrender of Bougainville was signed on board HMAS LITHGOW, (corvette).

August 17, 1945

The corvette, HMAS STAWELL, (LCDR W. H. Burke, RANR), sank a Japanese armed barge in a night engagement north of the eastern tip of the Celebes. This was the last sinking by an Australian ship in WWII.

The RAN destroyed RAAF Vultee Vengeance A27-627 by explosives after it crash landed on 30/07/45. The aircraft had suffered an explosion in flight, followed by engine failure causing the pilot to force land on the mud bank near the western passage opposite of Fairhaven, Western Port Bay.

August 15, 1945

Hostilities with Japan ended at 12 noon. When HRH Duke of Gloucester made the announcement in Canberra, three flags were flown. They were the flag raised by Australian troops at Villiers Bretoneux in the First World War, the flag worn by HMAS SYDNEY when she sank the Italian cruiser Bartolomeo Colleoni, and the flag which was flying on Government House, Darwin, when the Japanese attacked the port in February 1942. CDRE J. A. Collins signalled the RAN: ‘I wish to congratulate every officer and man of His Majesty’s Australian Squadron on his share in our final victory announced by the Prime Minister of Great Britain this morning. I rejoice with you that the Japanese have been forced to surrender. We have every reason to be proud of the part played by the RAN during six years of war across the seas of the world, and I say again to all hands ‘Well done’. Let us always remember with sad pride our lost ships and their companies and thank God that their sacrifice was not in vain’.

August 14, 1945

The services reconnaissance department (SRD) craft HMAS TAIPAN, was commissioned.

July 31, 1945

Between 30 and 31st July 1945 XE-4 commanded by LEUT M.H. Shean, RANVR was involved in Operation SABRE; the cutting of two underwater telegraph cables off Japanese-occupied Saigon. The Japanese were using the telegraph cables to send messages and these could not be intercepted by the Allies. By cutting the cables the Japanese would be forced to use wireless communications which could be intercepted and decoded by the Allies. Shean designed new grapnels to hook the undersea cables, which Engine Room Artificer Vernon ‘Ginger’ Coles manufactured. On 27 July the submarine HMS Spearhead took XE-4 in tow for the three day transit across the South China Sea.

On the morning of 30 July Shean took over XE-4 from the transit crew and using underwater dead reckoning, updated by occasional sightings of the Cap St Jacques lighthouse, Shean navigated XE-4 into the shallow mouth of the Mekong river where, on 31 July 1945, he began a submarine trawl for the cables. After ploughing the seabed for hours, XE-4 snagged the first cable, and 13 minutes later the diver, fellow Australian Sub Lieutenant Ken Briggs, RANVR returned on board with a short length of cable as proof that it had been cut. Resuming the trawl the second cable was located, much deeper than the first, and Sub Lieutenant Adam Bergius, RNVR cut this cable after several attempts.

Shortly after midnight XE-4 rendezvoused with Spearhead and was towed to Subic Bay. Shean was subsequently awarded a Bar to his DSO ‘for gallantry, perseverance and outstanding skill in successfully cutting the Hong Kong-Saigon and Singapore-Saigon cables on 31st July 1945. The operation was performed in water much deeper than expected and hampered by tide and rough weather’ (London Gazette, 18 December 1945.

July 26, 1945

HMAS GASCOYNE, (frigate), steamed up the Balikpapan River to engage Japanese positions with close-range gunfire.

July 23, 1945

The services reconnaissance department (SRD) craft HMAS DIANOND SNAKE, (LEUT W. L. Fesq, RAN), was commissioned.

July 22, 1945

CDRE J. A. Collins, CB, hoisted his broad pennant in HMAS WARRAMUNGA at Manila, Philippines.

July 21, 1945

The minesweeper HMAS LATROBE, (LEUT W. A. Smith, RANR), accepted temporary responsibility for the defence of Balikpapan from a fleet of US destroyers and destroyer escorts.

July 18, 1945

HMAS DIAMANTINA, (frigate), provided close support fire to operations on Sohano Island.

July 17, 1945

HMA Ships QUIBERON and QUICKMATCH, (destroyers), with HM Ships FORMIDABLE, NEWFOUNDLAND, BLACK PRINCE, BARFLEUR, GRENVILLE, TROUGHBRIDGE, and UNDINE, bombarded the Japanese coast north of Tokyo. QUIBERON and QUICKMATCH were the only RAN ships to fire on the Japanese home islands.

July 15, 1945

The RAN reached its peak WWII strength. Ships in commission numbered 315. Personnel totalled 39,650, of whom 2,617 were WRANS, and 57 nursing sisters.

July 12, 1945

HMAS DIAMANTINA, (frigate), reported the finding of a small roll of paper, identified as a carrier-pigeon message, in the stomach of a shark caught off Saposa, New Guinea. The message was translated and found to be an appeal for assistance from the 42nd ALC Company, Japanese Army, 7 July, 1945.

July 10, 1945

The Fremantle-based USS HAMMERHEAD, (submarine), sank the Japanese transport SAKURA MARU, and the tanker NANMEI MARU, in the Gulf of Siam.

July 9, 1945

HMAS DIAMANTINA, (frigate), bombarded enemy positions and installations on Sohana Island.

July 8, 1945

CDRE H. B. Farncomb, complained of the few targets available for his flagship, HMAS SHROPSHIRE, (cruiser). ‘The few targets allocated to HMAS SHROPSHIRE, the long delays and poor co-ordination experienced, indicated that the officers concerned in the Division were not fully indoctrinated in the effective use of heavy Naval gunfire.’ The Commodore was referring to the Australian 7th Division at Balikpapan.

July 7, 1945

HMAS DIAMANTINA, (frigate), engaged Japanese gun positions on Sohano Island, Torokina, with gunfire.

July 6, 1945

The services reconnaissance department (SRD) craft HMAS NYANIE, (LEUT R. F. Saunders, RAN), was commissioned.

July 2, 1945

HMAS WARREGO, (survey ship), surveyed the approaches, and buoyed the channels, for the Australian landing on Balikpapan.

The Naval Post Office at HMAS PENGUIN was opened. This post office had the distinction, at the time, of being staffed solely by women. The Commanding Officer of PENGUIN, CAPT H. L. Howden, RAN, had the honour of posting the first letter from the post office. This letter was addressed to Senator Cameron, who was then the Postmaster General.

July 1, 1945

HMA Ships ARUNTA, HOBART, SHROPSHIRE, KANIMBLA, MANOORA, and WESTRALIA, participated in the assault on Balikpapan, Borneo.

HMAS MINDARI, (gunnery instruction centre), was commissioned at Woolloomooloo, Sydney.

June 30, 1945

The services reconnaissance department (SRD) craft HMAS MOTHER SNAKE, (LEUT R. T. Patterson, RAN), was commissioned.

June 28, 1945

The British Pacific Fleet, under second in command VADM Rawlings, sailed from Sydney for operations against the Japanese home islands.

June 27, 1945

HMA Ships SHROPSHIRE and HOBART, (cruisers), bombarded Japanese positions at Klandasan in preparation for the landing at Balikpapan.

June 26, 1945

The Tribal class destroyer HMAS BATAAN, (CMDR H. M. Burrell, RAN), was commissioned. BATAAN, (as KURNAI), was laid down at Cockatoo Island Dockyard, Sydney, on 18 February 1942, and launched on 15 January 1944. Mrs. MacArthur, (Wife of General Douglas MacArthur), performed the launching ceremony.

June 25, 1945

TG74.1, HMA Ships SHROPSHIRE, HOBART, and ARUNTA, and US Ships HART and METCALF, concentrated at Tawitawi for the assault on Balikpapan.