On This Day

1945 > WW2

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.

April 25, 1945

HMAS SWAN, (sloop), engaged Japanese targets at Cape Worn, near Wewak, New Guinea.

April 24, 1945

HMA Ships COLAC and DELORAINE, (minesweepers), bombarded Japanese fortifications at Cape Boiken, New Guinea.

April 20, 1945

CAPT W. J. Dovers, RAN, was appointed to command Wewak Force and Group 3, of the 1st New Guinea ML Flotilla. The force consisted of HMA Ships SWAN, COLAC, IPSWICH, DELORAINE, and ML’s 820, 427 and 811.

April 14, 1945

The cost of operating the RAN for one day was estimated at Pounds100,000.

The DSC was awarded to CMDR H. C. Wright, RAN, and LCDR R. I. Peek, RAN, for gallantry while serving in the cruiser HMAS AUSTRALIA in the Philippines. Peek was also admitted to the OBE for outstanding service in the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

April 12, 1945

HM Submarine Tapir, (LEUT P. G. Evatt, RANVR), torpedoed and sunk the German submarine U486 in the North Sea north-west of Bergen, Norway, in position 60.44N, 04.39E. LEUT Evatt was awarded the DSC for exceptional skill, audacity and judgement. Previously on 24 Dec 1944 U486 had sunk SS Leopoldville in the English Channel 5 miles from the port of Cherbourg, France. The troopship was transporting 2235 American soldiers from regiments of the 66th Infantry Division. The ship finally sank 2 1/2 hours later. 763 American soldiers died making this the worst loss an American infantry division suffered from a U-boat attack during the war.

April 11, 1945

The Australian Government cancelled the building of 10 frigates for the RAN. The ships were:- BALMAIN, BOGAN, CAMPASPE, MURRUMBIDGEE, NAMOI, NEPEAN, WHARBURTON, WILLIAMSTOWN, WIMMERA, and WOLLONDILLY.

April 10, 1945

Acting LCDR F. M. Osborne RANVR, was awarded a bar to his DSC for conspicuous service, when HMS VANQUISHER, in which he was serving, sank a German submarine in the Atlantic.

March 31, 1945

The services reconnaissance department (SRD) craft HMAS SEA SNAKE, (A/LEUT D.H. Jarvis, RAN), was commissioned.

Japanese kamikaze attacks against Allied naval vessels in the Pacific in the first three months of 1945 resulted in 121 ships hit and 53 damaged by near-misses. Included in these figures was cruiser HMAS AUSTRALIA, which suffered five attacks, and was eventually withdrawn for repairs.

March 28, 1945

The air/sea rescue vessel, (search and rescue craft), HMAS AIR BIRD, (SBLT D. Farquhar, RANVR), was commissioned.

March 26, 1945

HMAS TERKA, (auxiliary minesweeper), sank in Benner Harbour, New Guinea.

The British Pacific Fleet joined the US Pacific Fleet for operations against the Ryuku Islands. Units of the RAN were attached to the British Pacific Fleet.

March 25, 1945

HMA Ships HOBART, (cruiser), and WARRAMUNGA, (destroyer), bombarded Japanese positions on Cebu Island, Philippines.

March 24, 1945

HRH the Duke of Gloucester officially opened the Captain Cook Graving Dock at Garden Island, Sydney. A ribbon suspended across the dock entrance was cut by HMAS LACHLAN, (frigate). The building of the dock was the largest engineering project undertaken in Australia up to that time. At the peak of its activity 4000 men were employed, 24 hours a day, on the project. The dock was designed to accommodate the largest warships afloat, and the super liners QUEEN MARY and QUEEN ELIZABETH.

March 21, 1945

GHQ Operations Instruction No. 99 detailed the only large-scale amphibious operation undertaken by Australian Forces in the World War II. It was the battle plan for the assault on Tarakan undertaken on 29 April.

March 20, 1945

The British Pacific Fleet arrived at Ulithi to join the US Fifth Fleet for Operation Iceberg, the assault on Okinawa. HMAS QUICKMATCH and QUIBERON, (destroyers), were serving with the 4th Destroyer Flotilla in the Fleet.

March 19, 1945

The general purpose vessel HMAS TRINGA, was commissioned. TRINGA was laid down in Greenpoint Naval Boatyard, Sydney.

HMAS WARREGO surveyed the approaches to the Iloilo River in the Philippines. The sloop swept mines and marked channels which enabled Liberty ships to berth alongside a pier at the river mouth.