On This Day

1945 > WW2

June 23, 1945

The Fremantle-based USS HARDHEAD, (submarine), sank the Japanese ships No.833, (shuttle boat), and Nos. 113 and 117, (submarine chasers), in the Java Sea.

June 22, 1945

HMAS ARUNTA, (destroyer), landed troops at Miri Lutong.

HMA Ships DUBBO, KIAMA, and LITHGOW, (minesweepers), shelled Japanese positions on Bougainville.

June 21, 1945

LEUT E. M. Howitt, RANVR, was awarded the US Legion of Merit for services in the Philippines, while on loan and serving with US patrol boats. With his knowledge of the local coastline, they sank 20 Japanese supply and troop barges, two auxiliary ketches and a torpedo boat.

June 19, 1945

SBA Alec Hill was executed by the Japanese after being a POW since February 1945. SBA Hill was from HMAS Manoora which had arrived at Morotai in January 1945 and in February 1945 unknown to authorities on board Manoora, ratings, eager for some excitement, managed to persuade the RAAF pilots flying from Morotain to allow them to accompany them on operational sweeps over enemy held islands in the Celebes. For several days sailors joined their air force counterparts on these exceedingly dangerous missions until tragedy struck when a Beaufighter from 31 Squadron in which Sick Berth Attendant Alec Hill had ‘hitched a ride’ was shot down by Japanese anti-aircraft fire. The pilot, Pilot Officer William McGuigan, and Hill survived a force landing in the sea but Flight Sergeant Allan Lewis did not. Both men made it safely ashore but were subsequently captured by the Japanese becoming prisoners of war. Following four months in captivity at Tonsea Lama the pair were transferred to the Japanese Naval Prison at Manado. A few days later, on 19 June 1945, they were taken from the prison and executed by bayoneting at the same time as two Dutchmen and two Indonesians. The discovery was made following the cessation of hostilities and Hill’s remains were subsequently buried in the Morotai War Cemetery on 9 November 1945. Over the ensuing decades the war graves were relocated on two occasions and SBA Hill now rests in Plot 28 Row D Grave 5 in the Commonwealth War Cemetery at Ambon. He was to be Manoora’s only death through enemy action during the war.

June 18, 1945

HMAS SHROPSHIRE, (cruiser), bombarded Japanese positions on Labuan Island.

June 17, 1945

LEUT W. J. Starkey, RAN, in HMAS LACHLAN, (frigate), piloted assault craft up the Padas River to attack Weston, in Brunei.

June 15, 1945

HMAS LACHLAN, (frigate), continued the survey and buoying of Brunei Bay.

June 13, 1945

CDRE J. A. Collins. CB, RAN, was appointed to command His Majesty’s Australian Squadron. His Flagship was HMAS AUSTRALIA, (cruiser).

HMAS WARREGO, (sloop), completed the survey of Wewak, New Guinea.

The Australian Government announced that five ‘Q’ class destroyers had been presented to the RAN by Great Britain. The ‘gift’ ships were:- QUADRANT, QUALITY, QUEENBOROUGH, QUIBERON, and QUICKMATCH.

June 12, 1945

HMAS WARREGO, (sloop), bombarded Japanese troops and fortifications on Forok Point, east of Wewak, New Guinea.

June 11, 1945

The armament store-carrier HMAS MULCRA, was commissioned. MULCRA was laid down in Svendborg, Denmark, in 1925. She was requisitioned for the RAN from her owners, the Adelaide Steamship Co Ltd, in 1945.

June 10, 1945

Dentists were first attached to destroyer flotillas in the RAN.

HMA Ships SHROPSHIRE, HOBART, ARUNTA, LACHLAN, HAWKESBURY, WESTRALIA, MANOORA, and KANIMBLA, engaged in the invasion of Brunei.

June 9, 1945

HMAS Wollongong berthed at Port Kembla to visit her namesake city. Owing to the minimum depth of water at Wollongong, and to the regret of the local council, the corvette was unable to berth any closer. The Mayor and Councillors met the ship on arrival and were duly welcomed by the Commanding Officer. The officers were hosted at a civic reception at the Town Hall, while her ship’s company were transported to Wollongong to march through the main street to the War Memorial where a wreath was laid. Afterwards they were entertained at a luncheon and into the evening.

June 7, 1945

HMAS LACHLAN, (frigate), surveyed and laid navigation buoys in Brunei Bay for the Australian invasion. During the operation LACHLAN placed buoys within 30 metres of the beach.

HMS ALBATROSS, former HMAS ALBATROSS, (seaplane carrier), operated as a landing craft repair ship off the beaches of Normandy.

June 4, 1945

The stores carrier HMAS FALIE, (LCDR C. V. Wood, RANVR), departed Madang under the tow of the tug TANCRED. On 8 June TANCRED caught fire and was in danger of drifting ashore. LCDR Wood started FALIE’s engines, and took TANCRED in tow. Subsequently FALIE was towed to Sydney by the tug CALEDONIAN SALVOR.

June 3, 1945

HMAS COLAC, (minesweeper), was towed to Finschhafen, New Guinea, after suffering damage from Japanese shore batteries at Bougainville.

May 26, 1945

HMAS SWAN, (sloop), entered Boram Harbour, New Guinea, and carried out a bombardment of the Japanese occupied villages of Banahiton and Passam.

HMAS COLAC, (minesweeper), destroyed a Japanese gun position in a counter battery duel off Choiseul Bay, New Guinea. During the action COLAC was hit twice, and suffered two killed, (Steward B. M. P. Shute and AB S. R. Smith), and two wounded, as well as significant damage to the engine room. The engine room was eventually, flooded and had to be abandoned. Despite this damage the engines kept running, and COLAC was able to make it to Fauro Island, where she anchored the following day. COLAC was later towed to Sydney, which she reached on 18 June, for repairs.

May 25, 1945

HMAS COLAC, (minesweeper), bombarded Japanese positions in Choiseul Bay, New Britain.

May 23, 1945

The services reconnaissance department (SRD) craft HMAS ANACONDA, (LEUT C. T. G. Haultain, RAN), was commissioned.

HMAS COLAC, (minesweeper), arrived at Torokina, Bougainville, to disrupt Japanese barge traffic along the coast.

May 20, 1945

HMAS NORMAN,(destroyer), took under tow HMS QUILLIAM, (destroyer), which was damaged in a collision with HMS INDOMITABLE, (aircraft carrier).

HMAS KIAMA, (minesweeper), bombarded Japanese troop positions and installations on the east coast of Buka Island.

May 19, 1945

HMAS Adelaide recommissioned as a tender to the Sydney shore establishment HMAS Penguin.

May 18, 1945

HMAS COLAC, (minesweeper), towed the damaged ML427 off Moem Reef to Madang, (New Guinea). The motor launch had run aground on the reef two days before

May 16, 1945

HM Ships INDOMITABLE, (aircraft carrier), and QUILLIAM, (destroyer), collided off Okinawa. HMAS NORMAN, (destroyer), stood by to assist the damaged QUILLIAM.

May 15, 1945

HMA Ships SWAN, (sloop), BUNBURY, (corvette), and three motor launches, shelled Boram Point, Wewak, in support of Australian ground attacks.

 

May 14, 1945

On May 14, 1945 , while towing the 30-ton ketch STINGRAY from Coconut Island to Thursday Island , HMAS WATCHER , commanded by Commissioned Officer from Warrant Rank Francis G. Squire RANR [S], grounded one mile off Harvey Rock Light. The ship was a total loss but there were no casualties.

CMDR G. C. Oldham, RAN, LEUT J. S. Austin, RAN, and LEUT J. S. Mesley, RAN, were awarded the DSC for gallantry while serving in HMAS SHROPSHIRE, (cruiser), during the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

CAPT J. M. Armstrong, RAN, was awarded the DSO for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity, whilst commanding HMAS AUSTRALIA, (cruiser), during the Battle of Lingayen Gulf, and subsequent landings on Luzon. The award of the US Navy Cross for the same operations was made in 1946.

HMA Ships HOBART, ARUNTA, WARRAMUNGA, SWAN, WARREGO, COLAC and IPSWICH, were involved in operations which saw the capture of the Wewak Peninsula in New Guinea.

May 11, 1945

HMAS SWAN, (sloop), recorded in her journal the results of a bombardment in the Wewak area of New Guinea:- ’89 Japanese dead were found after the landing in the area, three trench systems behind the beach effectively shelled, and the enemy withdrew’.