CMDR S. H. K. Spurgeon, DSO, RAN, assumed command of HMAS STUART, (destroyer), at Williamstown, VIC. He commanded HMS ECHO in 1940, and took part in the Norwegian Campaign, He ...
On This Day
Australian Naval History on 4 January 1942
Coastwatcher SBLT C. L. Page, RANVR, reported 22 Japanese heavy bombers passing over Tabar Island bound for Rabaul. ...
Australian Naval History on 3 January 1942
HMAS HOBART, (cruiser), arrived in Singapore with a convoy under escort, and was subjected to Japanese air attack at the naval base. A signal from the Dutch destroyer HMNS ISAAC ...
Australian Naval History on 2 January 1942
HMA Ships AUSTRALIA, CANBERRA, and PERTH, (cruisers), with HMS ACHILLES escorted the first large troop reinforcement convoy to Port Moresby. ...
Australian Naval History on 31 December 1941
HMA Ships NAPIER, NIZAM, and NESTOR, (destroyers), joined HM Ships AJAX, KINGSTON, ARROW, and GURKHA in the bombardment of German defence posts on the outskirts of Bardia. ...
Australian Naval History on 24 December 1941
CAPT H. B. Farncomb, RAN, assumed command of HMAS AUSTRALIA, (cruiser), at Sydney. ...
Australian Naval History on 22 December 1941
The boom working vessel HMAS KARANGI, was commissioned. KARANGI was laid down in Cockatoo Island Dockyard, Sydney, on 5 February 1941, and launched on 16 August 1941. Mrs G. Hutcheson ...
Australian Naval History on 20 December 1941
MIDN L. J. Tathan, RAN, and the crew of the whaler from HMS KANDAHAR which he was commanding in rescue operations, was killed when the boat was heavily strafed by ...
Australian Naval History on 19 December 1941
HMS NEPTUNE sank after striking a mine off the coast of Tripoli. Only one rating of the crew of 717 survived. Among those lost were the two RAN members of ...
Australian Naval History on 17 December 1941
HMA Ships SWAN, (sloop), and BANTAM, (transport), landed troop reinforcements on Ambon Island. HMAS NIZAM, (destroyer), was straddled twice by 15 inch shells from Italian battleships during the Battle of ...
Australian Naval History on 16 December 1941
HMAS YARRA passed through the Suez Canal to return to Australia. She arrived at Colombo on the 30/12/41 and Batavia on 11/1/42 for escort duties ...
Australian Naval History on 15 December 1941
HMAS NESTOR, (destroyer), sank the German submarine U127 south-west of Cape St Vincent. The following awards resulted from this action:- Bar to DSO CAPT A. S. Rosenthal; DSC Mr. R. ...
Australian Naval History on 14 December 1941
Three gallantry awards to RAN officers for service in the Mediterranean were announced: DSC CMDR M. J. Clark DSC CMDR G. McD. Wilson; Both received for gallantry in the Battle ...
Australian Naval History on 12 December 1941
HMAS NESTOR, (destroyer), opened fire on an aircraft showing a navigation light in the North Atlantic. The ‘aircraft’ was later identified as the planet Venus. HMAS MARRAWAH, (a former coaster), ...
Australian Naval History on 11 December 1941
The Australian Government requested the British Admiralty to return HMAS HOBART, (cruiser), and HMAS YARRA, (sloop), to Australian waters. The minesweeper HMS LADY SHIRLEY, (LCDR Callaway, RANVR), was sunk by ...
Australian Naval History on 10 December 1941
Japanese bombers sank HMS PRINCE OF WALES, (battleship), and HMS REPULSE, (battle-cruiser), in the South China Sea. HMAS VAMPIRE, (destroyer), picked up survivors. One of those lost in the sinking ...
Australian Naval History on 9 December 1941
The Director of Naval Intelligence, CMDR R. B. M. Long, RAN, warned the Government:- ‘It is likely in view of Japan’s present attack against Hawaii that raids will be made ...
Australian Naval History on 8 December 1941
HMA Ships VAMPIRE and VENDETTA, (destroyers), and BURNIE, GOULBURN, BENDIGO, and MARYBOROUGH, (corvettes), were at Singapore when Japan mounted her first air raid at 0300. MANOORA was also at Singapore, ...
Australian Naval History on 7 December 1941
The Siege of Tobruk ends after 242 days. RAN ships supported the Allied forces in Tobruk by running a ‘ferry service’ bringing in ammunition, food, water, medical supplies, and fresh ...
Australian Naval History on 5 December 1941
HMAS YARRA and HMS FLAMINGO, (sloops), were heavily attacked by German bombers between Mersa Matruh and Tobruk. FLAMINGO was hit in the engine room and was taken in tow by ...
Australian Naval History on 4 December 1941
HMAS NEPAL, (destroyer), was launched at Thornycraft’s Yard, England. The Australian Government deferred a decision to sail Australian shipping in convoys. ...
Australian Naval History on 1 December 1941
An RAN interrogation team, consisting of CAPT Farquar-Smith, CMDR Dechaineaux, CMDR Ramage, and LCDR. Salm, (Royal Netherlands Navy), questioned prisoners from the German raider KORMORAN. CAPT H. B. Farncomb conducted ...
Australian Naval History on 30 November 1941
The Australian Naval Board announced that six boats and two rafts, carrying a total of 315 German survivors from the raider KORMORAN, had been either picked up at sea, or ...
Australian Naval History on 29 November 1941
ADML A. B. Cunningham, C in C, Mediterranean, signalled: ‘I deeply deplore the loss of HMAS PARRAMATTA. This fine little ship had built up for herself a splendid standard of ...
Australian Naval History on 28 November 1941
The Commanding Officer of the German raider KORMORAN, (CAPT T. Detmers), was interrogated at Carnarvon, WA. On the same day HMAS HEROS found a Carley float from HMAS SYDNEY. The ...