On This Day

1946-1959 > Post WW2

July 26, 1952

HMAS Warramunga sailed from Kure for Australia. This ended six months Korean war operations during which the ship had spent some 3,000 hours underway since leaving Australia, steamed 40,000 miles and fired 4,151 rounds from her main armament.

July 16, 1952

The Commander of 805 Squadron was killed flying a Sea Fury during an aerobatic practice session at RANAS Nowra. While rehearsing a formation roll with three other Sea Furies, at about 3 pm Lieutenant Commander Hare (P) RAN was killed when the wing tip of his Sea Fury struck the runway at high speed. The resulting impact with the ground shattered the aircraft, killing Hare instantly

June 14, 1952

HMAS ECHUCA, (minesweeper), was transferred to the RNZN. The vessel was decommissioned and broken up in 1968.

May 24, 1952

HMA Ships KIAMA and STAWELL, (minesweepers), were transferred to the RNZN.

May 19, 1952

Operation Round Up took place off the Korean Peninsula. The destroyer HMAS BATAAN, (CMDR W. S. Bracegirdle DSC and Bar, RAN), provided close support to South Korean commandos, who landed at Ponggu Myon. Early in the action BATAAN was hit on the stern by an enemy shell, and Bracegirdle manoeuvred his ship close in to the shore, and silenced the enemy guns with heavy fire. Aircraft from HMS OCEAN also flew close support missions during the attack on Ponggu Myon. In an action lasting seven hours, the South Koreans destroyed 27 enemy positions and killed 120 North Korean soldiers. For gallantry in this action, CMDR Bracegirdle was awarded a second Bar to his DSC, and SBLT J. L. Jobson, RAN, and LS S. R. Smith were both awarded a MID.

April 25, 1952

HMAS WARRAMUNGA, (Tribal class destroyer), joined the USS IOWA, (battleship), in the bombardment of Communist positions at Chongjin, Korea.

April 22, 1952

HMS NARVIK, (LST), departs Fremantle bound for the Monte Bello Islands, off the north western coast of Australia, in support of the British atomic tests, (Operation Hurricane), conducted there during May. A number of Australian ships, including HMAS HAWKESBURY, (frigate), were also involved.

April 10, 1952

HMAS Inverell commissioned into the Royal New Zealand Navy at Sydney. She paid off at Devonport Naval Base, Auckland, on 19 August 1976. On 1 November 1977 the ship was sold for scrap to Pacific Scrap Limited.

April 7, 1952

723 Squadron recommissioned at Naval Air Station (NAS) Nowra as a Fleet Requirements Unit. Commanded by Lieutenant Jeff Gledhill, the squadron was equipped with two Hawker Sea Fury Mark IIs, a Douglas C47A Dakota, a Supermarine Type 309 Sea Otter and a Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation CA-16 Wirraway. In 1953 the squadron flies the Sycamore helicopter. Three HR50 helicopters arrived in Australia, on board the aircraft carrier Vengeance, on 11 March 1953 and 10 HR51s arrived later. Of the 13 RAN Sycamores six crashed during service; this included two lost from HMAS Melbourne in 1957 and one from HMS Hermes in 1961. The three others were destroyed in crashes at Maitland (1956), Grafton (1958) and Nowra in 1962. The remaining RAN Sycamores were retired from service in June 1965 and sold to museums.

 

March 1, 1952

HMAS VOYAGER, (Daring class destroyer), was launched at Cockatoo Island, Sydney.

February 25, 1952

Union action meant that no tugs arrived to pull HMAS Sydney out of Fremantle harbour on her departure. In response, the ship initiated an action known as Operation PINWHEEL. The Sea furies of 805 and 808 Squadrons simply started the engines of the aircraft sitting on Sydney’s flightdeck to pull herself clear. Sydney had arrived in Fremantle on 22/2/1952 on her return from Korea in the middle of industrial unrest on the waterfront.

February 22, 1952

Sydney  arrived in Fremantle on her return from Korea in the middle of industrial unrest on the waterfront.

February 15, 1952

Commissioned ships of the RAN fired a salute of 56 guns on the occasion of the funeral of King George VI.

February 13, 1952

HMAS Bataan carried out her first air spot bombardment using spotters from HMS Glory, to shell enemy troops encamped outside the village of Pungchon. Later the same day as dusk was falling a brief duel began between the ship and 75mm shore batteries, ending with silence from the enemy and a single hit on the Captain’s day cabin after 78 rounds of 4.7-inch ammunition had started two fires on the battery positions

February 8, 1952

Ships of the RAN fired a 21-gun salute on the accession to the throne of Queen Elizabeth II.

February 7, 1952

Ships of the RAN fired a salute of 56 minute guns on the death of King George VI.

February 1, 1952

RADM A. K. Moncrieff, (Flag Officer, Second in Command, Far Eastern Fleet), on board HMS BELFAST, (cruiser), signalled HMAS MURCHISON at the conclusion of the Han River operations in Korea: “I dislike the thought of continuing the war without MURCHISON but I will have to accept it now as a fact. You have been a tower of strength and your good name will always be associated with the infamous Han. No ship could have done better. For fine seamanship and steadiness under fire you have proved yourselves beyond reproach. Good luck in all your sailings and a happy homecoming to you all.”

January 27, 1952

805 Squadron’s tour in Korea ends.

January 25, 1952

HMAS SYDNEY, (aircraft carrier), completed her operations in the Korean War. During the ship’s seven patrols in Korea 269,249 rounds of 20mm armament, 6,359 rocket projectiles, and 902 bombs of 227kg and 454kg were expended. SYDNEY had the honour of being the only Dominion aircraft carrier to be tested in war.

HMAS Tobruk proceeded for Sasebo bringing to a close her first tour of duty in the Korean War. At the end of her five months of service in the operational areas, Tobruk had steamed some 39,000 miles and fired 2316 rounds from her 4.5-inch guns.

January 17, 1952

In the period 17.to 25 January, HMAS SYDNEY, (aircraft carrier), flew 293 sorties against Communist targets in North Korea.

January 7, 1952

HMAS TOBRUK, (battle class destroyer), bombarded North Korean troop positions in the vicinity of Chomi Do.

January 2, 1952

SBLT R. J. Coleman, RAN, died when his Sea Fury disappeared during a routine patrol off the west coast of Korea. An extensive search was conducted but no trace of the pilot or wreckage, other than an oil slick, was found. His death was the last for the Fleet Air Arm pilots of HMAS SYDNEY involved in operations in South Korea.

January 1, 1952

Aircraft from HMAS SYDNEY made strikes on Communist positions in support of United Nations troops at Yonghodo Island, Korea.

HMAS TOBRUK, (destroyer), relieved HMS WHITESAND BAY as gun support ship off Yeung Pyong-do, Korea.

December 29, 1951

HMAS SYDNEY, (aircraft carrier), flew sorties in bad flying conditions to cover convoys supplying UN ground forces at Inchow, Korea.

December 13, 1951

A Sea Fury from HMAS Sydney was shot down to the westward of Pyong-Gang and in the afternoon a second Sea Fury was shot down off Ongjin. Both pilots were rescued, the first by a United States helicopter from Paengyong and the latter by a friendly junk.