The Battle of Crete commenced, and lasted until 31 May, 1941. HMA Ships PERTH, STUART, VAMPIRE, VENDETTA, VOYAGER, WATERHEN, NAPIER and NIZAM, (destroyers), were all involved in evacuating Allied troops ...
HMAS Vampire I
Australian Naval History on 16 May 1941
HMAS Vampire (I) delivered 102 troops & stores to Tobruk to support the besieged 7th & 9th AIF Divisions. Vampire departed Tobruk the next day just as an air raid ...
Australian Naval History on 5 May 1941
HMAS PARRAMATTA arrived at Suez to reinforce the Mediterranean Fleet. However, she was ordered to remain there temporarily to provide anti-aircraft protection for liners QUEEN MARY and QUEEN ELIZABETH. HMAS ...
Australian Naval History on 27 April 1941
HMA Ships STUART, VENDETTA, VAMPIRE, and WATERHEN, (destroyers), sailed from Suda Bay to Alexandria as escort to convoy GA12. RAN ships evacuating troops from Greece, picked up the last message ...
Australian Naval History on 24 April 1941
Operation Demon, (the evacuation of Greece from 24-29 April), took place. HMAS PERTH, (cruiser), and HMA Ships STUART, VAMPIRE, VENDETTA, VOYAGER, and WATERHEN, (destroyers, the Scrap-Iron Flotilla?), all took part ...
Australian Naval History on 20 April 1941
HMAS VAMPIRE, (destroyer), took off the crew of the burning tanker BRITISH JUDGE, while under heavy air attack north of Crete. ...
Australian Naval History on 14 April 1941
HMAS SYDNEY embarked Australian delegates for the ABDA conference and departed for Singapore, arriving on the 19/4/41. HMAS WATERHEN, (destroyer), rescued 430 patients and medical staff from the hospital ship ...
Australian Naval History on 12 April 1941
The siege of Tobruk started and went on for 242 days, until the 8 December. The Tobruk Ferry involved RAN destroyers making 139 runs, with HMAS VENDETTA alone making 39. ...
Australian Naval History on 22 February 1941
HMA Ships STUART and VAMPIRE, (destroyers), joined the 1st Battle Squadron screen for an operational sweep towards Rhodes. ...
Australian Naval History on 7 February 1941
The Australian Prime Minister, Mr. R. G. Menzies, inspected HMA Ships PERTH, STUART, VAMPIRE, and VOYAGER at Alexandria, Egypt. ...
Australian Naval History on 21 January 1941
HMA Ships STUART, VAMPIRE, and VOYAGER, (destroyers), took part in the assault on Tobruk, breaking through the outer defences at dawn. The Australian Forces Club opened in Alexandria, Egypt. A ...
Australian Naval History on 19 January 1941
ADML A. B. Cunningham, RN, (C in C, Mediterranean), reported to the Admiralty that the Inshore Squadron had ferried 35000 Italian POWs to Alexandria in 10 days, as well as ...
Australian Naval History on 13 January 1941
HMA Ships STUART and VAMPIRE (destroyers), intercepted the Italian supply schooner SAN DIEGO attempting to enter Tobruk under cover of darkness. The schooner was later sunk by VAMPIRE. ...
Australian Naval History on 27 December 1940
HMAS PERTH was at Alexandria for camouflage painting on the 27/12/40 and 28/12/40, and on the 30/12/40 replaced sister ship SYDNEY in the 7th Cruiser Squadron. HMAS VAMPIRE, (destroyer), sailed ...
Australian Naval History on 15 December 1940
CAPT H. L. Waller, RAN, in HMAS STUART, (destroyer), was appointed Senior Naval Officer Afloat to command the Inshore Squadron comprising HMA Ships VAMPIRE, VENDETTA, VOYAGER, and WATERHEN, (destroyers), HMS ...
Australian Naval History on 7 November 1940
HMA Ships SYDNEY, (cruiser), VAMPIRE and WATERHEN, (destroyers), landed troops and stores at Suda Bay, Crete. ...
Australian Naval History on 28 October 1940
Italy invaded Greece, and Greece joined the Allies. HMA Ships SYDNEY, (cruiser), STUART, VAMPIRE, VENDETTA, VOYAGER, and WATERHEN, (destroyers), were deployed to escort supply convoys to Greece. W.M. Hughes succeeded ...
Australian Naval History on 13 October 1940
HMAS SYDNEY, (cruiser), stood by while HMS YORK, (cruiser), sank the crippled Italian ship ARTIGLIERE, (destroyer). The enemy vessel was damaged in a night engagement with HMS AJAX, between Malta ...
Australian Naval History on 26 September 1940
CAPT H. L. Waller, RAN, (CAPT(D) 10th destroyer flotilla), transferred his flag to HMAS VAMPIRE, (destroyer), whilst HMAS STUART, (destroyer), underwent a refit at Malta ...
Australian Naval History on 26 July 1940
HMA Ships VAMPIRE and VENDETTA, (destroyers), with HMS ORION, (cruiser), demonstrated off the Italian-held island of Castellorizo to divert enemy attention from an important convoy bound for Greece. ...
Australian Naval History on 11 July 1940
Gunner(T) Mr. J. H. Endicott, RN, in HMAS VAMPIRE, (destroyer), was killed in an Italian air attack on the ship. He was the RAN’s first battle casualty in WWII. ...
Australian Naval History on 9 July 1940
HMA Ships SYDNEY, (cruiser), STUART, VAMPIRE, and VOYAGER, (destroyers), participated in the Battle of Calabria. The signal, ‘Enemy battle fleet in sight,’ was hoisted for the first time in the ...
Australian Naval History on 25 June 1940
France capitulated. ADML A. B. Cunningham concentrated the Mediterranean Fleet at Alexandria to contain the French Squadron in the port. RAN ships with the Mediterranean Fleet were HMAS SYDNEY, (cruiser), ...
Australian Naval History on 12 June 1940
The crew of the Italian liner ROMOLO, scuttled their ship west of Nauru, after a long pursuit by HMAS MANOORA, (armed merchant cruiser). MANOORA picked up the survivors from their ...
Australian Naval History on 11 June 1940
HMAS Sydney, with cruisers of the 7th Cruiser Squadron HMS Orion, HMS Neptune, HMS Gloucester and HMS Liverpool, departed Alexandria at 1.00am for a sweep after Italy declared war the ...