HMAS Sydney joined the escort of Anzac convoy US 2 off Albany, and remained with the convoy until it reached the Cocos Island on 28 April and was replaced by ...
On This Day
Australian Naval History on 13 April 1940
HMAS SWAN, (sloop), intercepted the Norwegian ship SOLHEIM off Fremantle, and escorted the vessel into port. HMAS HOBART, (cruiser), intercepted the Danish merchant vessel AFRIKA between Colombo and Aden. A ...
Australian Naval History on 12 April 1940
HMAS WESTRALIA captured Norwegian steamer FERNLANE (4310grt) north of Australia and sent her under a prize crew to Singapore. HMAS MANOORA intercepted the Norwegian tanker HARBOR, and escorted her to ...
Australian Naval History on 9 April 1940
AB A. Kennedy, RAN, survived the sinking of the destroyer HMS GURKHA by dive bombers off Norway. Kennedy was the only Australian in the crew. ...
Australian Naval History on 8 April 1940
The Grimbsy type escort sloop HMAS PARRAMATTA, (LCDR J.H. Walker, RAN), was commissioned. PARRAMATTA was laid down at Cockatoo Island Dockyard, Sydney, on 9 November 1938, and launched on 18 ...
Australian Naval History on 31 March 1940
HMAS PERTH arrived at Sydney. She had departed the Caribbean on 2 March 1940 and passed through the Panama Canal on 3 March 1940. ...
Australian Naval History on 27 March 1940
HMAS STUART, (destroyer), salvaged the tanker TROCAS in heavy seas in the Mediterranean. ...
Australian Naval History on 24 March 1940
Volunteers from ships of Australia’s “Scrap Iron Flotilla”, in the Mediterranean, embarked on a mission to block the Danube River at a feature known as the Iron Gates. The operation ...
Australian Naval History on 15 March 1940
HMS KANIMBLA, largely manned by the RAN, seized Soviet steamer VLADIMIR MAIAKOVSKY (3972grt) in the Sea of Japan and took her into control because she was carrying a cargo of ...
Australian Naval History on 14 March 1940
HMS RAMILLIES, (battleship), was refitted at Garden Island Naval Dockyard, Sydney. A. G. Cameron was appointed to the post of Australian Minister for the Navy. ...
Australian Naval History on 29 February 1940
HMS Kanimbla, largely manned by the RAN, arrived at Yokohama to release German technicians captured by HMS Liverpool on a Japanese ship. The Japanese liner ASAMA MARU had departed San ...
Australian Naval History on 17 February 1940
HMAS HOBART, (cruiser), embarked eight Midshipmen at Aden for transfer to the battleship HMS RAMILLIES. One of the midshipmen was HRH Prince Philip of Greece, later to become the Duke ...
Australian Naval History on 10 February 1940
HMAS WARREGO, (sloop), was launched at Cockatoo Island, Sydney. ...
Australian Naval History on 7 February 1940
The boom working vessel HMAS KOALA, was commissioned. KOALA was laid down in Cockatoo Island Dockyard, Sydney, on 21 June 1939, and launched on 21 November 1939. Mrs Custance, (Wife ...
Australian Naval History on 5 February 1940
The auxiliary anti-submarine vessel HMAS BINGERA, was commissioned. BINGERA was laid down in Denny Bros Ltd, Dumbarton, Scotland, in 1935, for the Australian Steam Navigation Co Ltd, and requisitioned for ...
Australian Naval History on 30 January 1940
The troop convoy US1 reached Colombo. HMAS HOBART, (cruiser), joined the convoy as an escort, for part of the voyage. ...
Australian Naval History on 20 January 1940
The troop convoy US1, left Fremantle, escorted by HM Ships RAMILLES, (battleship), and KENT, (cruiser), and the French cruiser SUFFREN. Australia had refused a request to involve HMA Ships CANBERRA, ...
Australian Naval History on 19 January 1940
A rating in HMAS STUART, (destroyer), wrote: “I always count those early months in the Mediterranean before Italy came in as the worst period of the war. The Australian destroyers ...
Australian Naval History on 17 January 1940
HMAS Westralia commissioned after conversion to Armed Merchant Cruiser. ...
Australian Naval History on 15 January 1940
The auxiliary patrol vessel HMAS ST. GILES was commissioned. ST. GILES was built in 1919 at Ferguson Bros. Scotland. In 1922 ST. GILES was purchased by J. & A. Brown ...
Australian Naval History on 12 January 1940
The Australian tug HEROS, (escort vessel), was commissioned into the RAN. She was re-commissioned on 12 February 1943 as a naval salvage tug. ...
Australian Naval History on 10 January 1940
The first Australian and New Zealand troop convoy of the Second World War, US 1, sailed from Sydney for the Middle East. The escort consisted of HMA Ships CANBERRA and ...
Australian Naval History on 3 January 1940
HMA Ships VENDETTA and WATERHEN departed Marseilles escorting convoy K.6 consisting of troopships ROHNA (8602grt), TAIREA (7933grt), DEVONSHIRE (11,275grt), DILWARA (11,080grt), RAJULA (8478grt) and TALAMBA (8018grt). ...
Australian Naval History on 2 January 1940
The 5 destroyers of the Scrap Iron flotilla were organised as the 19th Destroyer Division of the Mediterranean Fleet. They had arrived at Malta between the 17th and 24th of ...
Australian Naval History on 31 December 1939
CMDR S. H. K. Spurgeon, RAN, was awarded the DSO for conspicuous service in anti-submarine operations while commanding HMS ECHO, (destroyer), in the North Sea. CMDR Spurgeon was the first ...