HMAS HOBART, (cruiser), joined the 7th Cruiser Squadron in the Mediterranean. ...
On This Day
Australian Naval History on 14 July 1941
German bombers made a determined effort to close the Suez canal when they attacked Port Tewfik, at the southern end of the Suez Canal. The 28,000 ton merchant vessel Georgic, ...
Australian Naval History on 12 July 1941
HMAS HOBART, (cruiser), reached Suez, on her way to replace HMAS PERTH, (cruiser), in the Mediterranean. The loss of HMAS WATERHEN, (destroyer), on 30 June, raised in the Admiralty the ...
Australian Naval History on 11 July 1941
HMAS VENDETTA, (destroyer), sank HMS DEFENDER, (destroyer), after the British ship was severely damaged in German air attacks off Sidi Barrani. HMAS MARTINDALE, (auxiliary patrol vessel), was commissioned. ...
Australian Naval History on 8 July 1941
HMAS STUART damaged her starboard propeller when she ran struck a shoal while approaching Tobruk ...
Australian Naval History on 5 July 1941
HMAS WOLLONGONG, (minesweeper), was launched at Cockatoo Island, Sydney. ...
Australian Naval History on 3 July 1941
The tug HMAS HEROS, was commissioned. HEROS, (as ST ERTHE), was laid down in Glasgow, in 1919, for the RN. She was requisitioned for the RAN on 3 July 1941, ...
Australian Naval History on 2 July 1941
HMAS PERTH and HM Ships NAIAD, KANDAHAR, KINGSTON, HAVOCK, and GRIFFIN shelled French positions east of Damur. HMAS PERTH was attacked in error by British aircraft, but no damage resulted ...
Australian Naval History on 1 July 1941
The examination vessel HMAS GERARD, was commissioned. GERARD, (as the schooner EDDA), was laid down in Kiel, Germany, in 1925. She was requisitioned for the RAN, from her owners, R ...
Australian Naval History on 30 June 1941
HMAS WATERHEN, (destroyer), was heavily damaged in a bombing attack by German aircraft, east of Tobruk. HMS DEFENDER, in going along side to pass a tow to WATERHEN, narrowly averted ...
Australian Naval History on 29 June 1941
HMAS WATERHEN, (destroyer), sailed on her 13th and last voyage to Tobruk. WATERHEN was sunk off Salum. ‘Chook’, as she was called by her crew, was attacked by dive bombers, ...
Australian Naval History on 28 June 1941
HMAS PERTH, (cruiser), in company with HM ships, bombarded Damur, Syria. PERTH destroyed an enemy gun battery and a wireless station. ...
Australian Naval History on 26 June 1941
HMAS ROCKHAMPTON, (minesweeper), was launched at Walker’s Yard, Brisbane. ...
Australian Naval History on 24 June 1941
HMAS PARRAMATTA, (sloop), picked up 164 survivors from HMS AUCKLAND, sunk by German dive bombers off Tobruk. They were escorting the small petrol carrier PASS OF BAHAMA to Tobruk. ...
Australian Naval History on 23 June 1941
HMAS NIZAM, (destroyer), and HM Ships NAIAD, LEANDER, JAGUAR, and KINGSTON, engaged the French destroyers GUEPARD and VALMY, in a running battle 10 miles north of Beirut, Syria, (now Lebanon). ...
Australian Naval History on 18 June 1941
The examination vessel HMAS SOUTHERN CROSS, was commissioned. SOUTHERN CROSS was laid down in 1933. She was requisitioned for the RAN from her owners the Melanesian Mission on 29 March ...
Australian Naval History on 17 June 1941
CAPT J. A. Collins, CB, RAN, was appointed Assistant Chief of Staff to the C in C, China. ...
Australian Naval History on 14 June 1941
The Bathurst class minesweeper, (corvette), HMAS LITHGOW, (CMDR A. V. Knight, RANR), was commissioned. LITHGOW was laid down in Mort’s Dock, Balmain, Sydney, on 19 August 1940, and launched on ...
Australian Naval History on 12 June 1941
The Bathurst class minesweeper, (corvette), HMAS MARYBOROUGH, (LCDR G. L. Cant, RAN), was commissioned. MARYBOROUGH was laid down in Walker’s Yard, Maryborough, QLD, on 16 April 1940, and launched on ...
Australian Naval History on 11 June 1941
The auxiliary minesweeper HMAS NARANI, was commissioned. NARANI was laid down in E Wright Yard, Tuncurry, NSW, in 1914. She was requisitioned for the RAN from her owners, The Illawarra ...
Australian Naval History on 9 June 1941
MV LEAVING, (RN landing barge SD15), arrived at Sidi Barrani. The vessel was stolen from the Germans in Crete, and was sailed across the Mediterranean by a crew of Australian ...
Australian Naval History on 8 June 1941
HMAS Narani was commissioned as an auxiliary minesweeper. ...
Australian Naval History on 7 June 1941
The captured Italian vessel GIOVANNI, (schooner), commanded by Australian LEUT A. Palmer, DSC, RNR, ran aground in the approaches to Tobruk, and was destroyed by German ground fire. GIOVANNI and ...
Australian Naval History on 4 June 1941
LCDR R. C. Robison, RAN, was awarded the DSC for ‘bravery and enterprise’ while serving in HMAS STUART, (destroyer), at the battle of Matapan. Robison was later to command HMAS ...
Australian Naval History on 31 May 1941
The evacuation of Crete ended. During the campaign the RAN committed HMA Ships PERTH, STUART, VAMPIRE, VOYAGER, VENDETTA, WATERHEN, NAPIER, and NIZAM. Despite frequent attacks by enemy aircraft, only PERTH ...