Warships received some strange orders in some strange places during World War II. Midget Submarines and Human Torpedoes: Milne Bay was a pretty forlorn place in the early days of ...
Strange Orders – in Strange Places
HMAS Platypus & The Darwin Raid – 1942
Australian Naval History on 18 May 1987
A $3.9 billion contract to build six Kockum Type 471 submarines for the RAN, (later designated Collins class), was awarded by the Australian Government to the Australian Submarine Corporation, Adelaide. ...
Australian Naval History on 16 May 1987
HMA Ships ADELAIDE and SYDNEY, (guided missile frigates), were placed on standby to assist with the potential evacuation of Australian nationals from Fiji, following a military coup. ...
Australian Naval History on 5 April 1987
An RAN survey team led by LCDR. D. Bryce, RAN, returned from the Australian Antarctic Territory with data which enabled charts held by the Hydrographic Branch to be corrected and ...
Wartime Submarine Service
FFG5 Builds in Two Dockyards 600 Miles Apart
A TECHNIQUE successfully employed by Germany for the building of U boats is being employed in the building of the two guided missile frigates building in Australia. The frigates FFG5 ...
HMAS Perth POW – Moji Maru Incident
Camouflage in the Royal Australian Navy
(This short account of camouflage in the Royal Australian Navy was written by Ray Parkin some years ago and throws a little light on the devious art.) I DID NOT ...
Williamstown Naval Dockyard – Part 3
Australian Naval History on 4 March 1987
HMAS OVENS, (Oberon class submarine), sank the stripped hulk of the navy tank cleaning vessel, ex-HMAS COLAC, off Sydney, with a Mk.48 torpedo. ...
Australian Naval History on 16 February 1987
The Minister for Defence, Mr. Kim Beazley, announced the Government plan for a two ocean navy. Half of the RAN would ultimately be based at HMAS STIRLING, WA. ...
Australian Naval History on 6 January 1987
RADM Peter Sinclair relieved RADM Ian Knox as RAN Fleet Commander. ...
HMAS Parramatta Silver Jubilee
RAN Formation – A Personal Memory
Williamstown Naval Dockyard – Part 2
Australian Naval History on 5 December 1986
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, approved the posthumous award of the Australian Bravery Medal to AB. Michael George Oliver, RAN for bravery during a gas alarm in HMAS STALWART, on ...
Australian Naval History on 1 December 1986
The Bay class mine hunter HMAS RUSHCUTTER, (LCDR G. Mapson, RAN), was commissioned. RUSHCUTTER was laid down in Carrington Shipyards, Newcastle, NSW, and launched on 3 May 1986. Lady Bennet, ...
Australian Naval History on 23 November 1986
The memorial to HMAS PARRAMATTA, (sloop),which was sunk in 1941, was relocated to the Queens Wharf Reserve in Parramatta. The original memorial had been set up in June 1973 at ...
Australian Naval History on 11 November 1986
The Shore Establishment HMAS LEEUWIN, (Fremantle, WA), was decommissioned. The base had begun life as a drill hall in Croke Lane, Fremantle, in 1926, and was commissioned on 1 August ...
Australian Naval History on 1 November 1986
The mine hunter inshore HMAS RUSHCUTTER, (LCDR G. Mapson, RAN), was commissioned at Sydney. Her sister-ship HMAS SHOALWATER, was commissioned a year later. A plan to bring into service six ...
Australian Naval History on 24 October 1986
The Royal Australian Navy opened its 75th Year Anniversary celebrations with a ceremonial fleet entry into Sydney Harbour. A giant White Ensign towed by a Sea King helicopter led the ...
Australian Naval History on 5 October 1986
Garden Island Naval Museum was officially opened by ADML Sir Victor Smith, AC, KBE, CB, DSC. ...
Royal Australian Naval Operations 1914
I FEEL THAT THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY of the Royal Australian Navy should not be allowed to slip away without brief mention of the operations carried out by the Navy in ...
HMAS Condamine in Korea 1952-1953
CONDAMINE, one of four modified river class frigates (the others being Shoalhaven, Murchison and Culgoa) was built by the State Dockyard at Newcastle, NSW. Laid down on the 3rd of ...